Addition & Remodeling Contractors in Houston, TX (Texas)

Houston Attic Remodeling

If you're looking for a home improvement project that's going to increase the value of your home and improve your day-to-day life, you might rush toward a kitchen or bathroom remodel. If you stop and look around your home, though, you might realize you have attic space that can be used for an entirely new living area. Many Houston homes use their attic space for ductwork, but this creates a unique opportunity to upgrade your home in a number of ways at the same time.

Ductless Air Conditioning and Heating
If your Houston home does, in fact, have a duct-filled attic, the good news is that you probably also have a good amount of attic space, and ductless air conditioning and heating systems are now a viable home installation. An air compressor, refrigerated coils, and miniature air distribution units are the three main components of a ductless air conditioning system. These systems can improve your energy-efficiency, indoor air quality, and eliminate the need for ductwork, duct-cleaning, and duct-repair.

Ductless heating typically presents a greater challenge in colder climates, but in Houston you can probably get all the heat you need from a heat pump. Heat pumps exchange heat from outside and pump it into your home. This process requires an additional heat source in extremely cold weather, an irrelevant fact for a home in Houston. These units are extremely energy-efficient and are becoming cheaper every day.

In the end, this type of installation probably isn't worth it if you have a relatively new heating and cooling system. On the other hand, if your system has been around for a while, it may be nearly time to replace the ductwork, furnace, air compressor, or some other expensive piece of your heating and cooling system. If this is the case, now is the time to consider the switch that can also free your attic space.

Attic Remodeling
Once you've cleared your attic space, you're ready for the exciting stuff. Floor and wall coverings, lighting fixtures, and attic decorations will create a livable space that rivals the rest of your home. You can tailor these attic installations to create an extra bedroom, a home office or work space, an artist studio, or some other vision for your home. As improved as a bathroom or kitchen might become, it doesn't compare to an entirely new living area that effectively adds to the total square footage of your home.

Attic Renovation
If all this seems like a bit much, a simple attic renovation can make for a wise home improvement project without the exorbitant costs. An attic insulation upgrade can do wonders for your utility bill. Most of your heat loss (and a good portion of your cool air) escapes through your attic. Be careful, though, installing insulation without putting in roof vents as well. You don't want to improve your home's energy-efficiency just to sacrifice adequate ventilation that can ruin your home's indoor air quality.

Cost of Attic Remodeling
The nature of your remodeling project will also determine the cost. Installing attic insulation will probably run you about $1,500. Roof vents can cost another few hundred to a thousand bucks. Ductless cooling and heating systems can run anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000. This means you may spend as much as $10,000 or more before you begin the actual remodeling process. In some situations, however, you can get this part of the project done for $5,000 or less. In the end, a full-service Houston attic remodel can cost upwards of $15,000. Elaborate projects can even hit $25,000-$30,000. To put that in perspective with other major home remodeling projects, a bathroom remodel costs around $9,000, a kitchen remodel runs $18,000, and building an add-on to your existing home can cost $40,000 or more.

Property Values
As with any major home remodeling project, part of the true cost of the project should also be looked at in terms of increased value to your property. Not only will you have a brand new cooling and heating system for your home, you'll have a new and unique living space. Just how much value you're adding to your home with an attic remodel is extremely difficult to estimate. While you probably won't recoup all your expenses, you'll see a significant portion of it returned when it comes time to sell the home. In fact, a unique living area such as this can be the very thing that attracts your home to a potential home-buyer.

Project Length
Attic insulation can be installed in a couple days. On the other hand, a full attic renovation in Houston, as you might expect, can take several weeks if it involves extensive labor to initially clear your attic space. Hopefully, you can schedule this work while you're away. In any case, an attic renovation is likely to present a sizable inconvenience, though nothing like the eating out for 4-6 weeks that is common with a kitchen remodel. Just remember what you'll have when the project's finished and trust that the hassle will be worth it in the end.