Every Attic remodel can be different

Every attic is different, but a few established norms and practices will help guide you through your Attic renovation

Height codes: When you remodel your attic, a good contractor will know the that usually atleast half of your finished Attic must be atleast 7 feet high and usually there is a minimum on width for this area too, as well as square footage. A local building official can help you assess how the rules will apply, or you can leave it to us, we know how modifications like dormers can resolve height shortcomings and we always build to code.

We will check your structure thoroughly. A finished attic will of course weight more than it did originally. We work with Architects and Engineers who will inspect your house's foundation and framing to make sure they can carry the extra weight of the proposed remodel. We usually need to strengthen the attics floor joists, which more often than not, are too shallow or spaced much too far apart.

Beefier floor joists will also quiet things down in the attic, as will filling the bays with blown-in dense-pack insulation. We can use eco, spray foam or fiberglass.  And don't forget carpet or area rugs.

Access: If you are going to build a stair-case from scratch, as we love to do, consider a switch back layout as seen in our Madrona Drive Home ( below ). It requires more room than a straight run, but its layout is more squarish than linear, hence freeing up living space in cramped attic areas. Make sure the landing is big enough to maneuver furniture upstairs.

Design note : A focal point at the top of the attic stairs, draws people up

Ceiling and Wall paneling

Paneling with or without applied moldings is an elegant touch for any remodeled attic space -      ( below is one of our attic remodels utilizing V groove wood paneling ) Stained or left bare, wood makes a low-ceiling attic feel snug and cozy. You can vary the look by using boards of different widths.

One could also go for a more traditional, timeless approach for an older home and add a Ceiling Finish with Beadboard Panels

Beadboard panel ceiling for a timeless, classical approach

These bead boards are not labor intensive to install and protect the ceiling from dings and dents, as does the above approach. The ceiling above has recessed LED fixtures tucked completely out of the way. They do not generate unwanted heat and cna have insulation installed carefully around them. We recommend these for Attic ceilings

Install a Ceiling Fan
 

If you've got the headroom, a fan will make a finished attic more comfortable and breezy in warmer monthsIf you flip the reverse switch in winter, it will push warmer air down to keep you cozy.

If you choose not to get for the rustic wood finish in your Attic remodel ( as we did above for Madrona ) and would rather paint, All white is a pretty solid choice or just light hues in general, such as warm whites, ivory, cream etc which makes the tiniest attic feel larger. Be careful not to get an antiseptic look by going too white

Insulation: Spray foam insulation costs two to three times more than fiberglass batte insulation, but it is worth it.  The roof is a major pathway to heat loss—and gain—so it's worth shelling out the extra bucks for spray foam.

Angles: An attics quirky angles add charm, as do dormers. With some clever interior design, you can zone living areas under dormers and utilize the angles to your design benefit. We work with Brian Paquette of Seattle who does a great job on Interiors

Hope these pointers helped. Contact us if you would like us to take at your Attic and give you a free estimate or quote!

(250) 508-6601

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Our tips on remodeling an older home

Re-modelling an older home is something we do. Following are some tips that we think should probably be on your preservation list.

 

1) The Floor Plan. In older houses, the design plan is usually not complicated and fairly straight forward. The interrelationship between the front entrance, the living room, the kitchen, and the secondary entrance typically is practical and quite workable. In some homes, later additions complicated things that were sometimes best left simple for these older homes. If possible, always try to retain the original floor plan, at-least for the main portion of the homeIf it means restoring parts of the home that were removed by previous contractors, so be it.  There is beauty in simplicity, in these older homes. For example, in the early seventies, no one wanted a dining room and more open plan style kitchen and dining areas were created. Today the dining room is back. If you think the older floor plan may not be that "doable" look again, it just may be.

Madrona Drive Staircase successfully combining elements of the old/rustic and new

2) Staircases. As the cost of quality craftsmanship has soared, the quality and character of the typical staircase has lowered. We pride ourselves in utilizing our crafts people to build beautiful stairways, retaining the older rustic elements whilst integrating more modern, sturdy materials for an interesting eclectic look like in our Madrona Drive project. If your stairway has original balusters, rails, and posts, restoring them is fun. Strip them down if they’re of hardwoods or coated with paint if the crispness of the details are lost. Find ways to stabilize them that do not take away from the original aesthetic and function. Badly worn treads are fairly straight forward to replace, but be sure the details are restored, too, such as the nosing returns. If you need to replace old balusters with new ones, they can be milled fairly inexpensively. We look at staircases as key design elements in a house, not just functional pieces. It is well worth extra dollars to restore or invest some money into a new one that still retains the rusticity of the rest of the home

3) Woodwork. After world war 11, moldings remained important as design elements even in the most basic of homes. Baseboards and casings were wide stock, with moldings to add shadow lines, giving a three dimensional effect.  Heavy dramatic cornices abounded. These features are lovely and we try to retain as much of this tpe of original woodwork as possible, including early paneling, built-in casework, spindles. and other decorative architectural wood pieces. These elements are worthy of restoration, and as a source of inspiration. If your design plan involves new elements such as windows, doors, or cabinets, we often try to replicate existing details for design continuity.

4) Plaster Surfaces. The walls of modern houses are clad with drywall, not plaster. Save original plaster where possible as drywall lacks the strength, durability, soundproofing, and character of traditional plaster. There are various techniques that have been developed to preserve old plaster walls and ceilings. We have specialty trades people that can take care of these

5) Floors. One can read the history of a house in its floors. If you see a mixture of wide, hand planed boards upstairs and machine planed oak strip flooring downstairs, you know the house has been remodeled in the last few decades. As you can tell from this article, design continuity and integrity are important when remodeling older homes or newer. Floors need to be uniform and consistent, wherever possible. You need to keep that vintage style through attention to detail, materials and trained trades and craftspeople. Also consider how the new surfaces will suit surviving older flooring. You could always consider finding salvaged materials that will make the transition from the old to the new more flawless. You could also resurface much of the old flooring to match the new. You can be inspired by the original flooring and not feel you need to copy its every detail – you can change up the species and color of woods, play around with various border designs as well as have the wood run on diagonals if you wish. That is the fun of resurfacing entire floors.  As long as the new suits the old. We have Designers for that

6) Windows. IF your home is over a hundred years old , its best to conserve the old windows instead of replacing them. A century old house is a rare find in BC, but if you are lucky enough to find one, well you have a gem. One would just need to add new weatherstripping which is quite inexpensive. Old glazing compound can be repaired and even rotting part of the window can be replaced or the wood stabilized with epoxy. On newer houses, we can source good copies of the original windows. Whether you choose to replace or restore, again try to retain the original elements.

7) Doors. Save the doors, if you can, as with windows. Doors can be recycled elsewhere in the house. Sometimes you can find similar style doors at housing salvage/auctions – they don’t have to be identical, as long as they resemble the originals.  Exterior doors get the same conservation. It might seem right to replace a weathered paneled front door to conserve energy and tighten up the house, but a replacement front door today is often made of steel with fake graining stamped into the metal. This would be a bad first impression on a restored older home. Restore or replace the front door and make sure it is similar to the original

Hardware. Do no skimp out on decent hardware by replacing vintage hardware with inexpensive, more modern looking hardware. These look cheap and plating may scrape off.  Hardware is often over looked, as a source of style and clues as to how the house has changed over the years.. Derive inspiration from a simple latch on a bathroom cupboard that can become the theme for your new kitchen. Respect the history and character of your older home and it will pay off in beauty and investment.

Other Original "hidden" elements. Check the skeleton of your house by looking in the cellar or attic. You can see the "bones" of your home and maybe elements that you find beautiful that original builders never intended to be seen such as solid old beams. These can become a central design feature and inspiration for you

Most of all have fun and call us at (250) 508 - 6601 for a free consultation on your older home!

Lighting choices for Foyer, Halls and Stairways

At conradcontracting.ca we choose lighting carefully, not just for design/aesthetic purposes, but for safety and comfort. In this article, we provide a few tips for lighting your Foyer, Halls and Stairways

Lighting can really make your house a home. Proper lighting enables you to perform tasks easier, makes you feel more comfortable and relaxed, and allows you to keep your home safe and enjoyable. Every room, has specific and unique general and accent lighting needs. This is a great article, If you are uncertain about what type of lighting you need, or if you're just looking for inspiration!

Foyer, Halls, and Stairways

1. Use lighting and decoration creates a first impression. The foyer conveys the first impression of a home. Center a traditional chandelier, contemporary pendant, or transitional close-to-ceiling fixture in your hallway to provide basic illumination and create a welcoming atmosphere. If you have Art in the Foyer, illuminate it with perhaps halogen track lighting or recessed down-lighting. Mirrors can reflect all of this light and bring a nice flow to the foyer and give a much larger feel to the space
   
   • Make sure the lighting fixture fits the space. Not all foyers can accommodate a large chandelier, so make sure you have enough room. Its common sense that a larger space, will accommodate a larger fixture. If you'll be able to view the fixture from above, make sure to select a foyer chandelier or pendant that looks attractive from higher level viewing
     
   • Remember that stairways and halls , to be safe, must be well lit To prevent accidents, stairs should be lit from top to bottom with switches in both places. For safety, place lighting fixtures every 8 to 10 feet in the hallways. For congruity in design, choose close-to-ceiling fixtures for hallways and smaller chain hung fixtures for stairways.
     
   • Matching wall sconces can be added to complement the hanging foyer fixture. Always mount wall sconces above eye level.