Creating more open spaces by remodeling
Space is very important in any home and is one of the things that make it feel comfortable. The modern family likes to have open spaces where many people can interact and mingle at the same time in one large area that may serve more than one purpose. This is the way many new homes are built, but what do you do if you have an older home and want to achieve the same feel? Here is some information on creating more open spaces by remodeling.
Older home typically have very divided rooms that are connected by hallways. This can be frustrating if you don't always want that formal feel in the house of if you have a very active and casual family that just wants to be together often. There are many different ways to remodel a home to make it feel larger and to create more usable space. One of the most commonly used methods of making a home feel larger is to knock out some interior walls to create more space between rooms and less physical division.
But taking down an interior wall can be very challenging and very bad for your home if you haven't taken the proper steps to make sure that you are doing it right. Taking out an interior wall should only be done if the wall is not what is called a "load bearing" wall. This refers to walls that are functional in holding up the weight of the house and not just for division. If the wall in question is load bearing, it will be more difficult to remove effectively and will require additional support to be added.
Removing a non load bearing a wall is a little simpler and involves less structural changes. But you still need to be sure that you are going to have to tamper with gas lines, plumbing or extensive amounts of electrical wiring. You can sometimes tell how much work is ahead of you by seeing how many electrical outlets there are on the wall. If you have a sink or some other water fixture on the wall, you'll need to move the pipes when you remove the wall. Sometimes it's a good idea to contact a professional to determine whether your wall is actually load bearing or not. Having the original blueprints of your home could also help you determine the type of wall you want to remove.
When you begin to remove the wall, start with turning off the electricity to the house or specific area where you are working. You also want to mark what should be removed and what shouldn't so you don't get carried away. Cut along the seams of the walls and ceiling so that you don't accidentally rip out those parts. You want to start removing the plaster or drywall carefully so you don't rip out any wires or other important parts. This job is easier if you keep the area clean and take out trash while you are taking it off the walls. When you've removed the wall, you then need to spend the time to refinish it and make the two rooms flow better together.
Another great way to make a space feel more open doesn't involve expanding the footprint of a room, but rather the height. Many older homes have attics that can be used to expand the height of a ceiling upwards. A vaulted ceiling makes a room feel much larger especially when it is combined with wood beams or other similar decorations. Doing this remodeling project will require similar considerations as removing a wall but with less electrical wiring involved. When you remove or change a ceiling, you'll also need to make sure that any changes you make meet building codes and standards for your area. You will also want to make sure that there is still sufficient insulation.
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Tags: space family remodeling open rooms hallways wiring plumbing ceiling electrical demolition remove
