Purlin (?) bracing/alternatives

[Cara Holt]

Hello, we have a home that we need to make additional space in the attic & wondering if it’s possible (or worth it). I’m attaching pictures, I believe purlins are currently used, but correct me if I’m wrong. Guessing roof pitch is 7:12 or 8:12. The house was built in 1951 with oak. It’s 24’ wide by 36’ long. We are wanting to finish the attic space to allow for a bedroom on each side, but to make it worth it, we would need to find another way to brace in order to create more space.

*Suggestions are welcome & appreciated. I’m not holding anyone accountable for anything....just looking to see if this is possible before we go through the potential expense of a structural engineer.


Thank you!

Cara

[Gunnar Alquist]

Hello, we have a home that we need to make additional space in the attic & wondering if it’s possible (or worth it). I’m attaching pictures, I believe purlins are currently used, but correct me if I’m wrong. Guessing roof pitch is 7:12 or 8:12. The house was built in 1951 with oak. It’s 24’ wide by 36’ long. We are wanting to finish the attic space to allow for a bedroom on each side, but to make it worth it, we would need to find another way to brace in order to create more space.
*Suggestions are welcome & appreciated. I’m not holding anyone accountable for anything....just looking to see if this is possible before we go through the potential expense of a structural engineer.
Thank you!
Cara

Hi Cara,

This is a bit out of our area here. We aren't architects or engineers. My general impression is that resupporting the roof could be done with installation of rafters that are sized for the span. I would also guess that the ceiling joists are not adequately sized to function as floor joists.

But, that is just the beginning. Other considerations would include... whether the foundation is adequate to support a second story, location of plumbing, location of a stairway, egress windows, is the furnace adequately sized for the additional space, is the electrical system adequate? There are going to be other questions as well. The list is pretty substantial.

Generally, if the bank balance is adequate, pretty much anything can be achieved.

Really, the best bet would be to contact an architect to design the project and a good contractor to bid on the project.

[John Dirks Jr]

You could move the purlins lower on the rafter span and get some more space. But it still looks very limited with that pitch. Once you deduct for lack of minimum ceiling height, you may not even have enough sq ft of floor space to even qualify as habitable space.

Best bet might be to bump that roof pitch up to a 4:12. Then you'll gain more floor space that actually has adequate ceiling height.

[Trent Tarter]

I would contact a good general contractor for feasibility, and if it has high enough ceiling to be considered living space. If your lot size is big enough you might want to see about building out vs up.

[Jerry Peck]

Really, the best bet would be to contact an architect to design the project and a good contractor to bid on the project.


I would contact a good general contractor for feasibility, and if it has high enough ceiling to be considered living space.

I recommend starting with the architect/engineer, then (if feasible) go to the contractor. Some contractor may be able to design the work needed, but that would not be their strong suit - that is what architects and engineers do.

There are many "ifs" in there - move the purlin knee wall? You may be able to move the top of the purlin down the rafter, but the bottom of the knee wall may need to stay where it is at.