Cantilevered home design elements add a modern, unique interest to the exterior of a home, and provide the opportunity to create more space in the interior. A cantilever is a structural component that consists of a rigid extension past the vertical support. You may correlate the term with the noteworthy structural makeup of a cantilever bridge. The same principles that are active in the cantilever bridge support system can be applied to the home with cantilevered additions.
Cantilevered Additions and Remodels
Cantilevered additions are a great way to add more living space to your home and open up the rooms around the outer segments of a floorplan. Below are a few of the benefits that cantilevered additions and remodels have to offer.
Add More Living Space
Cantilevered additions can allow you to completely elongate a space without having to do the same thing to every level of the home. For example, if you wanted to elongate the main room on the second floor of your cottage overlooking the water, a cantilevered addition could be a great fit. Combined with floor-to-ceiling windows, this style of addition would provide gorgeous views and make you feel like your part of the landscape.
Create Architectural Interest
Cantilevered additions create a unique architectural interest, both in the interior and exterior of the home. Cantilevered additions are most often associated with modern home design, but can work well under a variety of conditions and with a diversity of home styles.
Cantilevered Micro-Additions
A cantilevered micro-addition, or a cantilevered bump-out, allows you to add a little more space to a room without having to undertake foundation work and therefore it is a more cost-effective solution for more living space. This is a particularly appropriate option if your property hosts mature trees, in which case the roots would otherwise be disturbed if you had to dig an extended foundation.
These bump-outs are prime for creating a new counter/storage space in the kitchen and creating a perfect spot for a wall installation or entertainment unit in the main living room, for example. Clients also choose cantilevered bump-outs for mudrooms, sunrooms, and other small additions to their existing homes.
Limits of Cantilevered Additions
It is important to note that while cantilevered additions are a great way to boost the available space in your home, there are limits to where and how they can be installed, and they may not suit every addition.
A major consideration before you take on a cantilevered addition – or any addition for that matter – is to make sure that your Contractor has the drawings done that are required to attain a building permit from the City for the proposed changes. Prior to submission for the BP, the Contractor will also utilize those drawings to acquire accurate pricing from their Trade Partners so you know exactly how much you will be looking at for costs. Cantilevered additions require a Contractor to pull back the existing structure and tie into the original framing which is structural work to say the least.
You also have to be mindful of where a cantilevered addition is placed. Dependent on the height off the ground and existing codes in place, a cantilever cannot be installed over a gas meter or gas shut-off, and due to the structural requirements of the cantilever frame, you cannot create a cantilever on the corner of the home.
Are you looking for home additions or renovations in Calgary? Considering a cantilevered addition or bump-out? Contact TriLink Builders for a free consultation today!
(403) 217-5916