Q. I want to add my attic and basement to the overall square footage of my house when I list it for sell. What is required to make an attic listed as a bedroom and a basement listed as a den? Can I just list them as that or do I have to remodel something?
A. If your attic and basement are unfinished no (decent) agent will list them as living space. If you're selling the house yourself and you list unfinished areas of your home as rooms, buyer will consider you dishonest and wonder what else you've lied about. Finishing an attic as a bedroom would probably be easier than remodeling a basement (especially if it has any dampness). The walls of an attic will need to be insulated, have a moisture barrier put over that. Electrical outlets and lighting need to be wired to code, then sheetrock the walls (which should be taped, sanded and primed, at the least). Attention should also be given to flooring. A DRY basement could be finished much in the same way, but consideration need to be given to furnaces, hotwater heaters, etc. that are often in them, and be up to code. If your basement is damp, remodeling can get costly and may not give you a good return at sale.
How to locate a live wire in the attic to tap a power outlet.?
Q. In the attic, I see a wire that I suspect is going to a standard outlet below. I'd like to tap a wire from this line to a ceiling outlet for my hanged TV. How do I make sure that this is really a live wire that goes down to an outlet and not a mere switch line, or something else. Thanks.
A. You could do what I did for my neighbor who wanted an outlet on the ceiling for her 42" LCD TV mounted on the wall. I ran a heavy duty extension cord(14 ga) in the attic from the wall outlet in the central air/heater unit closet and mounted a junction box on a 2x4 stud installed between the attic ceiling studs(16" apart) and flush mounted it to the ceiling. Didn't have to worry about taping into any power lines in the attic. Was a very easy job and it worked great.
Should i ventilate the attic when the airconditioner is running to cool of the downstairs?
Q. This is a one hundred year old three story house. It has insulation in the walls up to where the attic starts. No attic floor insulation. Attic ceiling is A frame peak with insulation in the sealing. No attic vents, so I put the fan in the window to blow out the hot air. Close the attic door and turn on the whole house airconditioner which really is only effective on the first floor with a little effect in one bedroom.
A. you are better off ventilating the attic, not only will it help keep your house cooler, it will also extend the life of your shingles
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