Micro Additions: When You Just Want a Little More Room
Sometimes your existing house is just a little too small for what you want to do there. If only there were just another foot or two in that one room. You’ve talked it over, but you’re hesitant to add on as the cost and inconvenience is too great, and you really don’t want an “addition” per se. What can you do?
Try a cantilevered micro-addition. Essentially, this is a small “bump-out” located where you need the space and where the existing structure allows. In some ways, it’s like a bay window that spans wall to wall and floor to ceiling. And because the addition is cantilevered from the existing structure, it needs no foundation work, saving time and money — and possibly also a mature tree nearby.
From kitchens to bathrooms to family rooms, these kinds of additions can be used just about for anything where just a little more space is needed.
A cantilevered micro-addition is much like a bay window floating above the earth and expanding the footprint of the room. Just remember to insulate a floor exposed to the elements.
A small, cantilevered micro-addition can house an entertainment center, such as this one inside a 30-inch by 11-foot bump-out. The room feels much larger and functions much better with all the electronics, speakers, television and cabinetry out of the way. |
A cantilevered micro-addition can be used to increase the size of a master bath — so now you have room for that spa tub you’ve always wanted. The important consideration is keeping water pipes are out of the cold. |
Using a cantilevered micro-addition is a great way to add just right amount of space to a kitchen. In this project, a 5′ x 25′ cantilevered addition provided the room needed for this kitchen to have an island. |
By cantilevering this kitchen addition, the need for a foundation was eliminated. So the earth and tree roots weren’t disturbed, saving the mature oak tree directly outside the kitchen window. |
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Micro Additions: When You Just Want a Little More Room
