These days, micro-condos are getting a lot of newsworthy attention due to the skyrocketing cost of housing, although many of the cosy homes built after WWII are also tight on space to accommodate present-day family dynamics. Kids are remaining at home longer than they did generations ago, and with people still working from home with some regularity since the pandemic, sharing common and private spaces is feeling snug. Add to that the price of everyday goods and services going up and shrinking budgets, what’s the average homeowner to do when the cost of a standard home addition seems out of reach? Hire a creative professional, of course!
Top-up addition: Where an existing structure is already supported by a foundation, the top-up for a new added storey is relatively cost effective compared to a main-floor addition. In this case, a new third floor was added to make room for two home offices.
Addition by subtraction
Given our northern climate, our provincial building codes provide requirements for protection against the effects of ground frost (heave). Historic norms for combatting this involve placing concrete footings and foundations down to a depth of four to six ft. below the grass line (depending on the climate zone here in Ontario). The rule of “five-in” also permits the use of high-density insulation and a slab-type foundation, by insulating out five ft. up and around it. In either method, you are digging, forming and pouring expensive and carbon-intensive concrete. It’s a trade that few of the recent generation enter into (as it’s physically challenging and messy), and therefore, as with all supply and demand equations, when in short supply, the said product or service is expensive. Fear not, space-constrained reader, we have some solutions for you to increase your living area without incurring the concrete-foundation ransom.
DOUBLE-FLOOR system: By using a pre-engineered helical pile and an insulated double-floor system, there is no need for a costly excavation, or a carbon-intensive concrete foundation.
Double floor
A main-floor addition can be built without concrete at all. Technology to create an alternate foundation system was designed in the 1830’s by Irish engineer Alexander Mitchell. The first use was for helical, or screw piles, for mooring ships in rivers. This function then expanded to shoring up lighthouses and piers and have held structures upright for more than 130 years. The best part, is they are engineered to withstand the loads they intend to support, are cost effective and create much less landscape damage. They are also great for tight sites, where large excavators cannot reach. If there is no basement, our friend and former boss, John Liptak of OakWood Builders in Ottawa, taught us some 25 years ago about the genius solution of a double-floor system.
With insulation on the outward (lower) floor package, and a second-floor pack above it where we can run plumbing, mechanical and electrical services, we separate the floor completely from the cool, and sometimes very cold outside air. This ensures comfort under foot for the occupants and greatly reduces foundation costs. The exterior can be skirted to within two in. of finished grade (we recommend a wire mesh be dug 12 in. underground to avoid skunks and raccoons living beneath it). The gap is necessary for venting, but alternative venting methods are possible, or you could also seal it off, insulate and heat it like a crawl space. This addition type is a fantastic way to add space above-grade and can easily support single-, two- and even three-storey additions on just a couple of properly sized piles. Savings for this type of foundation can amount to anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000 versus a concrete intensive full basement addition foundation. Pile costs range depending on the size and the supplier, but generally are in the $1,500-$3,000 per pile range, plus engineering design costs.
Attic conversion: That space within your roof can be converted into a comfortable and cost-effective living space, once it’s designed and built to hold the weight of you and your personal effects, and insulated and climate controlled for occupancy. Dormers, skylights and knee wall storage can really accentuate the features inside your roof.
Topping up
If you have an existing structure that rests upon a sturdy and viable foundation, topping up is a great way to add space in a cost-effective manner. Bungalows and two-storey homes can often receive an additional storey of living space without having to do anything to the existing foundation. Once you go above three storeys, however, the live loading gets too intense for a standard footing size and costly stability measures may be required. This is a great solution if you are on a tight property, and you don’t have room to extend outward beyond the existing walls of the home. Depending on the cladding on the existing building you are topping up, you may be restricted to lightweight products. Full bed masonry materials can usually only be installed atop an existing masonry finish (or costly steel lintels are required). We suggest people look for a different, yet complimentary finish for the addition. Wood, metal or cement fibre siding, acrylic stucco and thin veneer masonry are all common finishes. That said, if the existing finish is remaining, you want something that looks purposeful and isn’t an attempted match that fails.
You also don’t want a heavier finish above a lighter one (for example, stone above siding). Thin veneers in brick and cultured stone have really increased the available options. Going with a juxtaposed style in total defiance of the original architectural style of the home can also create a playful aesthetic.
Finishing the unfinished
There are many homes with space just begging to be upgraded and converted to a living area. The garage where the car never gets parked, the basement that’s home to luggage and spiders, and/or the attic where raccoons and squirrels nest each spring. All these areas can be converted into comfortable, healthy and stylish living spaces, adding a ton of square footage in a relatively cost-effective manner compared to a traditional addition. For garage conversions, the biggest challenge can be zoning approvals. For basements, it’s ensuring the space is designed to be warm, dry and above all else, tall enough — a minimum of 1.95 metres or 77 inches with at least 75 per cent of the area measuring more than six ft. 11 in. or two metres tall, as per the code. For attics, the most critical design element involves structural conformity to hold people and furniture, ceiling heights, insulation values and adequate cooling for comfort in the summer. Any of these options can deliver the extra living area required, all while maintaining the existing building footprint, and keeping some cash (or bitcoin) in your wallet.
Final thoughts
In this current economy, few of us have capital to waste. If you really need extra space to live comfortably, explore the alternatives to a typical full basement-style addition to still end up with a fantastic space, while saving for life’s other capital-intensive pursuits (like sports betting or apocalypse planning).
When planning your own space to maximize an addition or renovation project, remember there is real value in working with a professional to design and build the space, including the most efficient way of doing it.