When it comes to home additions, you have two ways to actually add on to the house – either building up (vertically) or building out (horizontally). The differences are considerable, and the way you add to your home is dictated by what you’re adding.
In this post, Empire State Builders and Contractors, Inc. discusses which way to go when it comes to adding to your home.
When to Build Out
The majority of home additions involves building out as your goal is to essentially increase the footprint of your property. The fact that most home additions are first-floor additions means you should build out if what you’re planning is expanding your home.
The main advantage to building out is that it involves the least disruption in your existing space and to your daily activities. Specifically, building out doesn’t involve the structural framing or foundation of your property. That said, building out has one caveat; you lose some of your yard as a consequence of expanding your home.
Building Up
If you don’t want to sacrifice your yard, or if you don’t have the space anyway, then building up is the way to go. On top of that, you won’t bump into zoning restrictions and floor-area-ratio limits when you use this method. The most common home building services we provide for build-ups are room additions on the upper floors.
Keep in mind that while building up doesn’t require you to sacrifice your yard, you will have to increase the strength and load support of your foundation and wall structure. After all, you need to make sure that the base is able to support your new add-ons on the upper floors.
At Empire State Builders and Contractors, Inc., we can help you decide which method of home additions if the right one for your home. You can count on us to provide you expert home remodeling and carpentry services.
Call us today at (844) 682-2990 to learn more about our services. We offer home building services throughout White Plains, NY and other parts of New York.
