I am proposing to HGTV a TV project to show how to add a second story to an existing concrete block home quickly and economically. I have not heard back from HGTV yet, but everyone around Central Florida I have spoken with is VERY interested. I know that most contractors would rather tear down and start fresh, but there are plenty of viable structures around that could be salvaged if the proper solution was suggested.

If you know of any successful or unsuccessful projects where someone has already added a second story to an existing building, please give me their contact information....Thanks!

We are getting ready to add on a 2nd story above our CBS home in Port Orange, Florida. How do I get your email address from this forum?

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Originally posted by ArchitectLINK:
I am proposing to HGTV a TV project to show how to add a second story to an existing concrete block home quickly and economically. I have not heard back from HGTV yet, but everyone around Central Florida I have spoken with is VERY interested. I know that most contractors would rather tear down and start fresh, but there are plenty of viable structures around that could be salvaged if the proper solution was suggested.

If you know of any successful or unsuccessful projects where someone has already added a second story to an existing building, please give me their contact information....Thanks!

We are looking into adding a second story onto our ranch style home. I'm curious how your addition is going.

Thanks

We are in Orlandoa and have just begun to think about the possibility of adding a second story to our small home in the downtown area. Does anyone have a good contractor that they have used?

I think this is a great idea especially since real estate has really boomed. A friend of mine did a 2nd level on a lake home for 75k and added at least 150k value.

I think this is the single most profitable way to create value in todays RE market. Because nobody is really doing it!

I have a cinder block home and we are considering adding a second story, but we haven't yet. I just posted another message about this before I found this post.
Does anyone know what I should look out for? My house is about 60 years old.

I've designed several of them. The two main problems are the ability of the center girder in the basement (if any) to carry another story (which it seldom can do) and the placement of the stairs. Many houses are 24 feet deep, and a stair plus a landing will require at least 13 feet of length, thus requiring modification of the center bearing wall or girder.

The center girder issue can be dealt with by clear-spanning the entire house using composite joists. Even if the girder can be strengthened easily, one never knows what the capacity of the footings are below it.

Well our company has did a few of them, in fact we are finishing one right now but one thing is for sure - not one of them has been quick or economical. There are so many variables in doing this type of project and I wish I had more time to get into them. In short here are some things to consider;
- Electrical runs, vent pipes, exhaust fans in the roof you are about to tear off
- how will you heat the new space, is the current system enough, usually not. Is there room in the current mechanical space for the upgrades?
- How do you get all the weight of a second story safely transferred to the ground (as Richard mentioned)
- does the current stucture, inluding foundation, have the ability to carry the new loads
- protecting the existing structure from weather once the roof is torn off.
- is the existing house old enough that asbestos may be an issue?

Obviously the newer the house, the easier it should go. I've never seen one yet that went as smooth as hoped though. Good luck on your project.

One way to overcome some of the afore mentioned problems when adding a 2nd story to any structure would be to also expand the footprint on the ground so you can provide a new exterior bearing wall with all new footings for the main loads.
Of course this is not always possible (because of setbacks etc.) or even desired but it in the past it has been the solution on a few renovations.
dal

I am in the process of adding a second story loft master suite to my split level home. I was quoted some exorbitant pricing from the design/build company that I have contracted. They originally told me my $200K budget was in line and now they say it will be a minimum of $250-350K!!! I am in Annapolis MD and I have seen tons of 2nd story split level renovations in the DC/MD/VA area but no idea what they cost. Was I so out of line with my cost estimates?

To kariejk: As a contractor in PA I would say that this does seem high. It maybe the area pricing. I would like to know more info about your addition. Comtact me through me business at billy@rjyasovskyservices.com. Check out our website at www.rjyasovskyservices.com, Thanks popztoolz.

WHY a design-build company? Wouldn't you rather have the architect working for YOU and ONLY you? An architect who is working for the builder will naturally prepare plans and write specifications to favor the builder, and this may not be in your best interest.

Why are they quoting such a wide range? Even before plans are prepared, they should know their costs better than that.

What is the floor area involved? How lavish will the Master Bath be? A bath can run anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000, and that is on top of any rule-of-thumb per-square-foot cost.

Richard, I'm unclear as to what you mean by "favor the builder"? By the way, I think you answered your second paragraph with your third. The range may be because of the unknowns or undecided aspects of the project.
As for the question from Kariejk, there is no way anyone can say if this is high or low based on the information provided. It doesn't take long for the bottom line to take off once people start making choices and selections. This is the exact reason why I won't "ballpark it" when someone asks what they think their project will cost. No matter how much they say they won't hold it against you, they always seem to. I'd like to have a dollar for everytime someone filled their kitchen with granite countertops and then asked why they are overbudget. I'm not saying this is the case with you, but if the original $200k was a guess in the beginning, then you have to take that with a grain of salt, especially with a remodel. It may be beneficial if you gave a little more detail on the numbers the builder gave you.

I'm in the Charleston, SC area and am also interested in adding a second floor to provide a master bedroom suite. My home is about 1200 sq. ft. on crawl space foundation. If it can be done, is the house basically unlivable until completion? I am not going lavish, Not interested in dormers and want a simple bath, no tub, shower with seat. I also want to replace the current shingle roof with metal. I would like to hear of possible problems to avoid. Just curious, what do they do with the AC system in the current attic?

If this addition is over the entire house, then you won't be able to live there during construction. I've put second stories on before where we were able to keep the ceiling of the first floor and add a floor system over the top of that, and the homeowners still wouldn't have been able to live there, trust me - find somewhere else to live in the meantime, you won't regret it.

As for the AC unit in the attic, I'm not aware of any type of ac unit that would reside in an attic but if you mean the air handler itself, then it will have to be relocated somewhere. Usually you alot a room in the new 2nd floor for additional mechanicals, we do this so we don't have to tear apart the first floor gaining access for mechanical & electrical tie-ins.

I have done several second-story additions, and in every one of them, the owner has been able to live in the house while the work is being done.

Your air-conditioning unit may be usable for your new second floor, located in the new attic. Then you'll have to find a place in your basement, if you have one, for a unit to handle the first floor. If the A/C unit is elderly, it may pay to start with all new ones.

How do you live in a house with no roof or ceiling?

What I usualy design is to drop pieces of 2x4 or 2x6 (depending on wall thickness) on top of the top plate between the ceiling joists. This raises the bottom of the new floor joists 1 1/2 inches and allows the ceiling and its framing to remain. It has a side benefit that floor and ceiling framing are independent, so sound is not transmitted through the framing from the floor above.

Sure, somebody always slips and puts a foot through the ceiling, but other than that, the families have all been able to live in the house while the second floor is constructed. I've done probably seven or eight of them, all the same way. Thank goodness for those big blue tarps!

Is it true that it is not cost efficient to add a second floor, I can add space by extending the end, just didn't want to use up all my side yard. My house is about 1100 sq. ft.

No, under normal conditions, a second-story addition is more cost-effective than building out, because one does not need to excavate or build a foundation. However, if all one needs is one room, then adding a full second story will not be cheaper, and building a partial second story, in most cases, looks pretty awful. Mostly, it depends what one's needs are.