4 Important Considerations For A New Home Addition
Posted on: 24 June 2020
Many homeowners dream of having more space. While some think about moving, many love their current houses and simply want to enlarge them. That process is certainly possible. A home addition, be it a multi-room structure or a simple bump-out, will increase your livable space. However, you have to keep in mind certain considerations about that addition as you plan.
1. Electricity
You'll need to have an electrician come to inspect your current electrical service panel. They'll ensure that your service panel can handle the additional circuits for your home addition. If the supply is sufficient, you don't have to do anything more in that regard.
If the power supply isn't sufficient, you'll have a couple of options. The electrician may need to upgrade your existing panel to increase the power. They'll also check if the panel has enough open slots for the additional wiring. They may need to increase the size of the current panel or install a secondary one.
2. Plumbing
You face similar considerations with plumbing. You'll need a plumber to inspect the area where your home addition is going. They need to see how they can extend your current plumbing. They may need to go farther into the house's plumbing than you'd expect to hook up to a large enough line.
The age of your house will play a factor. Modern plumbing typically consists of rigid plastic held together with glue. Older plumbing was often metal. You may need to retrofit some of your existing plumbing with the new materials.
3. Heating and Cooling
The above considerations extend to heating and cooling, too. An HVAC specialist will analyze your current system. The hope is that it's sufficient to take on the additional square footage of your home addition. Otherwise, you do have the option of having a new, larger system installed.
Because HVAC system replacement is costly, some homeowners opt for a mini-split system for the addition. These systems feature a unit outdoors that doubles as your AC condenser and a heat pump. Contractors install relatively small tubes that extend to all the additional rooms. The conditioned air comes through wall units installed in each room.
4. Material Cohesiveness
You want to keep aesthetics in mind when planning your home addition, too. The exterior should show cohesion in the materials the contractors use. Hopefully, you can match the shingles perfectly. Likewise, Better Homes and Gardens recommends ensuring that all the windows match and form pleasing patterns.
Obviously, the paint or siding should be the same on your home addition. If your paint or siding is old, you should probably have the entire house redone.
Keep the above considerations in mind as you plan for your custom home addition.
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