How I turned insulated attic space into large living space.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- This project was only $2200 in materials and tool rentals to add 180 sf of living space. Adding lumber to turn trusses into joists and rafters. Adding electrical and hvac dusting to new space. Adding subfloor and drywall. Adding wafer lights and custom closet organization.
A big thanks to The Closet Doctor, 530-450-5353, located in Loomis Ca, the greater Sacramento area. Check out their channel and content at / @the1closetdoctor .
Also a big thanks to Dave at DHDrywall, 916-470-4502. His drywall work is fantastic.
This is an awesome video!! I'm a structural engineer, love the comments of you cutting the trusses!! haha!! I think you did a great job with the reinforcements. I'm going to be doing something like this over my Garage, but its going to be air conditioned storage rather than a bed room closet. Thanks for the insight of all the process you went thru!!
Nice. Best of luck.
Absolutely incredible! I looked into the attic and didn’t see my hubby’s attic conversion vision but thanks to you, I can now see it!
Love this!
Several years ago I made the same type of changes (add a 2x6 or 2 x 8 to the existing rafters which allowed me to cut out the bottom and add a full office/bonus room. It is the best room addition ever.
It was great to see the progress! Was also great to see WHAT you did but wish we could have seen HOW you did it! Great job! 👍🏻😊
I am proud of your work. I can't imagine the sense of satisfaction this impressive job provides you with! Top notch display of ability to perform and learn.
I don’t often cut trusses, but when I do, I like to cut all of them
Actually pretty funny. But, properly sized floor joists and rafters are used in many houses without trusses.
Sure but the house was designed WITH joist and rafters your house was not. Did you run this by a structural engineer? Actually you might have a degree I don’t know, if you do did you run the calculations?
@@julianayala03 I promise it’s all within code and it’s my profession.
Ok, looks sus, but looks can be deceiving, I had the same issue in my attic, wanted more storage space, I wound up building around the trusses. Your closet looks great. 👍
@@julianayala03 I actually went one size larger than code required for the span and spacing. Plus I did not remove the existing bottom or top chord of the truss. So it’s actually stronger than originally built
Fantastic work! Love that you were able to claim the extra space!!!
Thank you
You are brilliant. I have been trying to get a contractor to do the same with my similar attic space over the garage. New Laundry room. They said “take off the roof”. Your method is excellent getting joists to sister-in next to the trusses must take very precise measurement to properly support the roof. I’m going through my own "little door" after I finish watching your solutions.
looks great
Top DYI video. Awesome results. Valuable content!
Thank you!
Very cool. I’m going to have a crack at my place and you’ve inspired me. Thanks
I knew someone in Marina Del Rey Ca that lived in a condo and there was this huge space that was just filler for the style of the building above their unit and they did something similar and tripled the area of their condo. I was a tv antenna man and have been under and over many spaces in my life so this is not the first time I have seen things like this.
It’s crazy to me that they didn’t build this out in the first place.
That's amazing and looks very nice.
Thank you
this is an amazing transformation
Thank you!
wow what a awesome transformation, great work man!
Thank you for watching
This is a cool project. My attic feels completely unusuable given the trus design. Im building an addition for more storage but attic will probably be my next area of investment/research.
Awesome project bro 👍🏻
You did a great job!
Thank you
You need a header above the window for the stud you cut. You cut that vertical support, without any transfer to the other studs. You need one on the top, and one at the bottom to replace the action of the cut stud. Also, you did you put a header above the new entrance
I didn’t show the detail but I built an all new wall on the inside of the window with supports where the 2x4 was cut for the sheathing attachment. To new wall was framed so that no header was needed. There is a header above the new entrance.
Good job dude!
Awesom Job, I will check out the Contractors warehouse, never knew it existied thanks FR Lodi
Nice job
Thank you
There's no way he got this permitted. Not that it's totally unsafe, but you can't nail rafters to studs for support. Inspector would have made him put in jack studs for the rafters to lay on.
I understand what you’re saying but the original rafters were not removed. Just reinforced with larger 2x.
So you cut the trusses and sistered the rafters to compensate? Is that structurally equivalent?
The top and bottom chord were not removed. Just reinforced with a proper 2x for the load and length. The bottom chord was still sitting on a load bearding wall and a shorter jack stud was placed under the new top chord (I didn’t show that step well). Then the middle chords were cut
What do you get up to in your closet that has you so worried about sound deadening?!
Thank you. My thoughts exactly 💯
Zoom meetings and online schooling. The room cuts out most outside noise.
You got paid before, during and after working on that house! They know what they are doing.
How would I know what rafters to cut? Do I have to put additional supports where?I don’t want my home to fall in hahaha do
That’s a decision that should be made by a professional. There are a lot of factors. Your local building department should be able to provide some information.
Thanks. How about space for the air flow for under the roof?
Unfortunately there’s only a small gap above in this location now
I'm a licensed home inspector. Posting a video like this without an upfront disclaimer may not be the best idea. I would politely suggest you explain at the beginning that you are qualified to make these alterations and also explain why your method is safe. Many people will watch this video and falsely think they can cut the trusses in their home and slap a few 2x4s in their place, no big deal. NOT TRUE. I see truss alteration several times a year by average homeowners and it is NEVER done the correct way. The cost to repair it before they can sell the home is usually in the $10,000 - $20,000 range.
I appreciate the advice. I look into a way to do that
So was his method incorrect amd if so, what is the correct way?
Hey brother, i have a question, do i need a permit for putting insulation on my attic and drywall on top for paint? No alterations to the structure is needed though. Just need to maintain good attic ventilation.
@gustavopolanco6925 that's down to your local municipal regulations. No way for random internet people to know.
Thanks for the vid. How did you decide on the new blocking/dimensions for the trusses ?
I found a building code guide for proper sizing online. The distance, spacing, and purpose all matter.
@@m10stuff I don't want to be a pain as lots of people have commented on this issue already, but I think the sensible thing to do with these type of alterations, would be to get some professional advice / approval by a structural engineer, rather than following an online code. Rafters and floor / ceiling joists that form a part of truss, aren't the same as a simple single span beam, where the depth can be sized to suit the distance it has to span to limit the amount of deflection. The struts and ties you have removed because they were in the way, help to maintain the structural integrity of the truss, to support wind loads and snow loads, etc. It's generally a bad idea to cut them / remove them unless an engineer has given you approval, based on structural calculations. In the UK, you need to obtain something called a Building Warrant to do this type of work and structural alterations, or attic conversions, etc, would need to be passed by a structural engineer as part of the building warrant process. Any new windows may also need planning approval. I don't know if the USA has a similar planning / building control system as we have here in the UK, but my concern is a lot of DIY enthusiasts may not be aware of all the regulations and warrants that are required to do this type of work and after watching videos like this on TH-cam for inspiration, they might just go ahead with it anyway, only to find out a few years later, that they can't sell their house, or get home insurance for it as they've done alterations which were not approved / or signed off by an engineer, etc! It's also usually a bad idea to completely fill the void between the rafters with insulation as you need at least a 2" air gap on the outside of the insulation (underneath the sarking / sheathing ply) to allow for ventilation, otherwise you could have an issue with condensation, which can lead to rot / mould in extreme cases! Having said all that, it looks like you did a great job of the work and I hope none of the stuff I mentioned above will cause you any problems in future!
@SoundsToBlowYourMind thanks. I appreciate the comment. Proper engineering and permits are required and highly recommended in most parts of the USA as well.
I covered my nose and I am at home lol
Did you need to remove the original insulation or did you just do it for better acoustics?
There was too much for the space and I wanted more room for running the new electrical. I put similar insulation back in because it’s better for acoustics
HVAC tech here. 7” or 8” oval pipe would have work perfectly inside the 2x4 wall…
I just used what was already there. Good thought though
Don’t think trusses are supposed to be cut , obviously no permit
lol. You think? When properly reinforced and rebuilt anything can be modified.
Your the man
On that wall where you had to add the extra 2x4s to fit the insulation... What did you put behind the insulation? Looked like open attic space behind it.
It is open attic space. With the diagonal supports, the insulation fit snug enough to stay in place. The other option would be to put a few staples in the insulation to keep it in place.
What is the thinking behind not also adding vertical supports to attach to and bolster the effects of the 2x8 sister board rafters? Are they just attached to the original 2 x 4?
The vertical supports were already in place. I was only adding support for the roof load span. An additional support directly under the new 2x8 would be a good idea, but not necessary.
@@m10stuff You near Maryland?
@@leighdencker there’s a sign near my house that says "Ocean City, MD 3073 miles". I’m about as far away as you can get in the continental USA
You sistered them but what’s supporting the roof?
The top chord and bottom chord of the trusses are still in tact and continue to the peak of the roof. Only the web portions in that area were removed. The sistered in 2x are just reinforcement for the top chord in that portion for the roof support.
No rockwool insulation? I thought that stuff was best for sound and insulation
It is technically better. You’re right. It wasn’t so important to me to justify the extra cost.
What type of cost did you incur for this renovation
$2200 in materials and tool rentals
This is a great resource as idea. Not to do something very similar. I Am in Massachusetts. Where did you get the vacuum?
Thanks
I rented it from a local tool rental yard.
OMG, I was laughing as watching the mods you made! When you can’t open that window it my be the first sign you screwed up big time! Good luck
I open it every day. There’s nothing wrong with what I did. The only thing I screwed up is I wish I would have leveled the step better
What's the size of your floor joists and how far do they span?
I don’t recall exactly. I used a local building chart and then went up one size for the span and load.
Is that all it takes to reinforce a truss? 1 2x8 per truss?
It all depends on the span across, the spread of the trusses, and what is on top. You’d need to look at your local building codes.
So generally speaking, you sistered the engineered trusses, then cut them out? Is this pretty straightforward for an engineer to sign off on? Would like to do this with my garage trusses.
I used a code scale to determine which size floor joists and ceiling rafters to use for the span, spacing, and load. I sistered them into the existing trusses and nailed them into the beam on one end and wall top plate of the other end. Once each floor joist and ceiling rafter was in, I cut out the truss supports one at a time.
@@m10stuff nice, thanks for the insight. I’ve wanted to do this on the main level of our split family house for a while, so we go from 8’ ceilings to vaulted. Priced having a contractor remove the engineered trusses and replace with scissor style trusses. Cost prohibitive. But with approved drawings I could do this technique myself (have a background in construction and remodeling). If anyone’s curious there’s TH-cam vids where guys have done this in a garage or large shed.
Looks great. You used materials that would help with sound absorption, which is generally a great idea in a living space, but why would that matter for a closet?
Thanks. It’s used as an area for online school meetings and zoom classes. So keeping outside noise out and inside noises in is a plus.
Collar ties?
Yes. I usually wear them for church or weddings and other special occasions.
I'm so disappointed in you for using that Ryobi tool. Anyone knows if you get caught using one of those, you should just turn in your man card now. Meanwhile, i'm over here using my favorite Rigid tools.
At first I didn’t look at who was commenting. I’m disappointed in myself btw
Don't you put carpet first, then wall trim?
Depends on the carpet guy. My guy wanted the baseboards installed 1/2” off the ground then he tucks it in.
@@m10stuff thank you for your response!
whats wrong with ryobi?
Nothing. It’s just something contractors make fun of because they are low cost entry level tools.
Risky cutting trusses. It might compromise the whole roof. They all work together. I hope you have no snow loading there?
Definitely no snow here. But I used proper reinforcement per code for the load
did you have a structural engineer check out your plans to cut those trusses??
This has been done and signed off many times in this neighborhood the exact same way.
Good! For others watching this video, any modifications to trusses must be approved by a registered design professional (ie structural engineer), per building code IBC Section 2303.4. 5.
@@m10stuff nice dodge. have you considered a job in politics?
@@Shadi2 no. I have a Ford. But thank you.
Oh my God 😂
i certainly hope you got an engineer to stamp cutting all those trusses, but it's pretty damn weird that you didn't mention this or tell people that you can't simply cut trusses..... 😮
They were al reinforced and rebuilt with proper floor joist and roof joists for the load prior to cutting.
Air sealing?...💩🥸💩
Yes. Lots of it.
Now go buy more stuffs 😂
Subrogation. 😂 And hes provided the evidence. 😮😂
Proof actually. Not evidence. Proof of proper modifications for insurance and the city so that there is coverage.
Your house will collapse !!! It won't pass the inspection when you sell the house. Town hall won't give you CO! 😓
Haha. Ok. If that happens I’ll give you the house.