Convert an Attic to a Livable Room

Have you ever thought of how to convert your attic to a livable room? When you think of an attic, you might imagine creaky, unattractive floors, dust, cobwebs and storage boxes. It's not usually a room your family members would like to frequent. If you're looking for a way to make some extra money by taking on a renter or if you want to give your kids a playroom, consider taking some time out of your schedule to start the process of converting your attic into a livable room.

Tools You'll Need: Paint, Flooring, Lighting fixtures, Windows (optional), Heating and cooling equipment (optional)

Decide on the type of room you want for the attic space. Because it's relatively secluded from the rest of the house, it's an ideal space for a home office. You can also convert an attic into a bedroom or rec room for hanging out.

Remove all storage boxes and items from the attic. Trash or donate unneeded items and place the rest in a separate storage area like your garage or a rented storage unit.

Open any windows to aerate the room--this is an important step when you convert an attic into a livable room. Sweep, clean, and disinfect the attic thoroughly to kill germs and neutralize any unwanted odor. Mop the floors and scrub down the walls and windows. Replace the attic windows if they're broken or drafty. Allow the attic to air out for at least a few hours. If necessary, place a dehumidifier in the room to remove excess moisture from the air.

Decide on a way to heat and cool the attic if you don't have heating vents leading up to the room. If you think hiring someone to change the duct system so that it leads up to the attic will be too involved and expensive, purchase an electric heater and window air conditioner (or fan) for the room when you're done updating the room.

Paint the room with a fresh, bright color that's appropriate for how you'll use the converted attic. This is an important step to change the image of the attic from dank and cold to a warm and exciting place to relax. For instance, if it's a play room for kids, choose a cheery color like green, pink, or yellow for the walls. Choose a cool or neutral color like blue or gray if you're trying to convert an attic to an office.

Replace or restore the flooring in the attic after the painting is finished. Determine the type of flooring based on how you'll use the room. For a rec room, playroom, or bedroom, you might want to add plush carpeting for comfort, while a hardwood floor might give you the ideal atmosphere for an office space. Whichever flooring method you choose, insulate the floor with high-quality padding to reduce the noise level when people walk around on the attic floor above the rest of the home.

Add lighting fixtures to the attic to make it brighter and more livable. If you don't want to hire an electrician, get several floor lamps instead. Purchase extended cords to run cable for television and telephone service upstairs into the attic since it's not likely that these connections exist in this infrequently used room.

Quick tip: Hire a home inspector to come check out the attic first to ensure that the flooring and supports are strong enough to sustain increased traffic.