10 Important Things You Need to Do When Finishing Your Attic

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Ditch the Drywall Ceiling

A drywall ceiling is cheap but boring. Turn a typical attic expansion into something dramatic simply by taking the ceiling treatment up a few notches with natural wood, beadboard panels or tongue and groove paneling.

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Pull a Permit

Don’t even think about doing an attic expansion without pulling a permit; that’ll just come back to haunt you when it’s time to sell your home. To pull a permit you’ll need to a detailed plan that’s been reviewed by a licensed structural engineer/architect. You can still do a lot of the work yourself, but you’ll have to do the work according to the latest building codes in your area and you’ll have to have it inspected. Many DIYers mess up on electrical work because the code changes every year. Here are the two most common electrical code violations to avoid.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors: You can’t just slap up new smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and call it a day. They must be hooked into the existing units throughout the house so they all alarm at the same time. Here’s what you need to know when installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Arc fault and TR: All new wiring in your new attic living space must be protected by either an arc-fault circuit breaker or arc-fault receptacle. Plus, all outlets must be tamper-resistant. So look for the TR stamp on the outlet’s face.

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