Grant Park couple raise roof to get more space

It’s getting a bit crowded around your house and elbow room is at a premium. But moving to a bigger house just isn’t an option. Here’s a thought: Look up.

When it comes to creating additional living space, master bedrooms, a secluded media room or a guest suite, few homeowners think about the empty airspace above their heads. But turning an unused attic into a second or third floor is often a cheaper option than building an addition.

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Rich Addicks / raddicks@ajc.com

Sara and Jon Micheletto transformed the attic in their Grant Park home into space for a master suite, nursery, guest room and two baths.

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Sara Micheletto

It was easier for the couple to build up because their yard is small and they wanted to preserve the driveway.

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Rich Addicks / raddicks@ajc.com

The Micheletto’s home after the remodel.

Photos of the remodel

“It’s not that it’s terribly expensive, but people just don’t consider using that space,” said Melina Wilkinson, corporation director and interior designer for the Dunwoody-based Oneida Builders Inc., a firm that specializes in remodels across the northern edge of town. “Yet it’s a good option because you’re working within the footprint of the house.”

Sticking to the existing framework can save money, especially if you don’t have to move the walls, Wilkinson points out. “Whereas with an addition, you have footings and foundations to pour and you’re basically building from scratch. By going up, you use your existing space.”

Homeowners also might find another savings benefit to refinishing the top floor. “Once you have the insulation in place, many people find that it actually keeps your overall heating and cooling bills down, too,” Wilkinson said.

One family’s trip upstairs

For Sara and Jon Micheletto, renovating their 1905 Grant Park house was a major project that began in 2005. The first phase turned the former duplex back into a single-family home.

A year later, they were ready to start the next phase — adding a second floor without disturbing the existing facade of the house in the neighborhood’s historic district.

“It’s cheaper to go up than out because foundations can be expensive,” said Sara Micheletto, a designer with a master’s degree in architecture. “Going up was a little more than half the cost of an addition. We also had no room to add on because our yard is so small and we wanted to keep our driveway.”

A structural engineer inspected the home’s foundation and exterior walls to make sure the structure could support the extra weight. The exploration uncovered termites in the exterior walls.

“It was just easier to take the entire top off and start over,” said Sara Micheletto. “We hired people to do the framing, but we did the plumbing, the floor joists and most of the exterior work.”

Another challenge was finding the right spot to locate the stairs.

“We had to pick a room where we could add the stairs,” said Sara Micheletto. “We had to move the front door to one side and build the stairs down into what used to be a bedroom.”

The steps now lead up to a center hall that opens onto a master bedroom and bath in the rear. The 8 1/2-foot ceiling height allows for large windows for natural light. A large walk-in closet provides valuable storage space. In the master bath, a skylight brightens the vanities, spa tub and travertine shower.

The front of the new floor has a nursery and a guest room, as well as storage space. The couple wanted to add a dormer, but the idea was rejected because it did not fit the historical era of the neighborhood.

“That’s OK,” said Sara Micheletto. “We have a home with a lot of history behind it. From the front, it looks the same as it did 100 years ago. And it was more fun than building a new house; it was great to do something creative with what was already here.”

Movin’ on up

Melina Wilkinson of Oneida Builders makes these suggestions for homeowners thinking about reworking their attics:

Come up with a plan of what you want the new living space to be — a master suite, a guest room, a media room, an office.

Have a structural engineer make sure that the existing house is in good enough condition to support a new level of living. “Especially if you’re going to be putting in tile, a cast-iron tub, or anything heavy on the floor, you need to make sure the house can support it,” Wilkinson said.

Consider where access to the new floor will be located. Will the addition of a staircase take up too much room on the floor below?

Be sure there is no termite damage to the floors and walls.

After framing, it’s relatively easy to connect existing plumbing and wiring. It’s a good idea to have a second HVAC system installed just for the new space.

Depending on how big the job is, a typical attic re-do can be completed in 10 to 12 weeks.