If you’re looking to increase the living space in your home in a cost-effective way, adding a second storey is a great project to undertake. By expanding your home upward, you won’t have to move and you’ll have all the space you need for yourself, your children and your belongings. However, before the expansion can begin, there are two major factors that you should take into consideration: make sure that the foundation of your home can support the extra weight and ensure that the extension is designed for wind resistance.
Bearing the Load
When your house was originally built, the foundation was probably designed to support only a certain amount of weight. As such, adding extra weight to the home in the form of a second storey may damage the foundation, unless it was set with specific materials. Rupturing the foundation would cause damage to the home by disrupting the flooring and other finish materials.
Thankfully, there are ways to alter the foundation so that it could support a second storey if that is a risk factor. Using various soil borings, it can be strengthened enough to bear the extra load.
In the Wind
The second factor to consider is whether or not the house can resist wind pressure. This is often overlooked by architects, but is an issue that is important to prevent damage to the roofing and walls of the second storey.
When designing the second storey, it is important to be aware of the physics involved in making sure that the structure won’t be damaged by updrafts and gusts of wind. Of course, your designer will handle all of the specifics, but make sure to take these factors into account to keep your home in prime shape.
Extending Upwards
Second storey additions are great renovation projects for any Perth area home for creating more space and crafting the home of your dreams. Before you build, it is important to consider how the extra weight will affect the foundation and if the design for the expansion is wind-resistant. Once you have that settled, you can begin building and enjoying the new part of your home.
To learn more about home expansion and for a free consultation, call Max Sardi on 9240 5888.
