Does it cost more to add a top floor or an extension?

Thanks. I read somewhere that if you build a floor you also have to fortify the rest of the building to make sure it can carry the weight, and since I casually knocked out the wall btw hallway and front parlor on parlor floor, without adding an extra carrier beam, house probably wouldn't be able to carry another floor!

Posted by: gws at October 30, 2007 2:51 PM in response to Does it cost more to add a top floor or an extension?

Not necessarily, when I looked into it, one suggestion was to install beams accross the width of the building resting on the exterior walls. This would not really cost that much to do.

Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 10:09 AM in response to Does it cost more to add a top floor or an extension?

Beams can rest on the exterior walls if the walls can bear the weight. It all depends on your walls. An engineer can definitely tell you. Who knows, your buildings walls might be reaching its limit at 3 stories. Regarding your knocked out wall, that was -probably- not even a load-bearing wall, as your beams would be running the width of your house, which I will assume is about 17' and all loads on that floor should be transfered to the exterior walls.

Posted by: sxm at October 31, 2007 12:20 PM in response to Does it cost more to add a top floor or an extension?

i know when building up you can save on heating and electricity cost bc you are just bringing them up from the floor below...as opposed to new in an extension

Posted by: guest at November 1, 2007 8:28 AM in response to Does it cost more to add a top floor or an extension?