Outgrowing your home could entice you to look for a change, such as adding a second story. The goal is to increase square footage without reducing outdoor living space. However, you need to determine if your home’s foundation can support the second story before making any changes.
Requirements
All homes are different, especially their foundations and features. Unfortunately, not every house’s structure can hold the weight of a second story. To ensure your property can withstand an additional story, there are deep foundation requirements as well as the need to evaluate the existing foundation for cracks and other potential setbacks. The objective of these requirements is to determine if the structure is stable enough to build a second story upon.
A firm foundation is required to build a second-story addition, which is why speaking with a qualified contractor is necessary. Failing to do so could make the project more complex in the long term and even lead to dangerous problems.
Strengthening a Foundation
You should never wait until there’s an issue or you want to add another story to strengthen your home’s foundation. However, there are still ways to do so, whether you’re preparing for a second-story addition or you want to prevent disastrous failures resulting from floods, wind force damage, or soil erosion. Some methods to strengthen a foundation include underpinning, house lifting and leveling, and jacketing.
Regardless of the method you decide to use, the objective is to shore up the foundation and strengthen it. Doing so also increases property value in the event you choose to sell the home in the future. Insuring a house is also easier to do with a stronger foundation.
Costs
The pricing depends on what type of foundation reinforcement your home needs. For instance, if you require a larger amount of space, your budget is likely to be higher than someone with minimal remodeling needs. The advantage is that even if your home cannot support the second-story addition and requires more work, you’ll be building on an existing foundation and not starting from scratch. For instance, you’ll more than likely lift off the existing roof, which can lower prices for roof construction.
Work with Qualified Professionals
Before deciding, make sure to speak with full home remodel contractors. Orange County homeowners who work with experienced professionals will get the benefit of a team who will provide information regarding your housing’s foundation, acquire permits, support your engineering needs, and secure the right materials or necessities to get the project going. If your home cannot support the addition, a contractor knows what methods could fix that issue, giving you the ability to add the second story and more.
Having professional help and guidance throughout the remodeling process allows you to make the best decisions to protect your family’s safety as well as your property’s value. The team from Forever Builders are the experts in home remodeling Southern California homeowners can trust to provide the most affordable home remodeling services and ensure their visions become reality. From design to completion, we’ll help you create the home you’ve always wanted, meeting all your expectations while keeping your costs within budget. To find out more about our outstanding remodeling services, give one of our friendly team members a call today.