AT T I C S
UPSTAIRS UPDATE
Renovating older attics requires special considerations
T
raditionally viewed as a storage space, attics are being revived in new and creative ways to accommodate homeowners’ lifestyles. Susan Denk, owner and principal of White Crane Construction in Minneapolis, says her company entered the new year with more projects on the books than ever before. “It’s not just robust for (us); it’s robust across the country,” she says. Although White Crane works on a variety of design projects, the firm’s specialty is remodeling homes built during the pre-war and World War II eras. Denk says homeowners considering an attic renovation should make sure the general contractor, architect or designer they hire is thor-
98 HOME | 2021
oughly knowledgeable about building codes, especially for decades-old structures. There are many challenges involved in renovating an older space that has not previously been updated or has been renovated in a more piecemeal way over time. If a project is not properly planned and executed by a professional with considerable experience
in that sector, it could cost the homeowner extra money and time, says Denk, who has 40 years of construction experience. Many structures from this era were built with “dormers” — a loftlike room with windows that project beyond the plane of the roof, adding height to the attic space. That’s an architectural element designers have to
GETTY IMAGES; JESSE HARRIS/WHITE CRANE CONSTRUCTION
BY JENNIFER E. MABRY
