First Floor Addition Construction

 First floor addition construction is usually wood construction or concrete block construction. Most of the wood construction is in the colder northern climate & the concrete block is in the southern & warmer climate. Houses with basements prevail in the north & cement slab houses prevail in the south.

All you have to do is look around you & see what is prominent in your area. That is what you are going to be buying. Both lumber & concrete have their pluses & minuses so I think it is a draw between the two methods of construction.

Construction Tips & Advice

You can add a full basement if you want but I warn you, you are flirting with all kinds of problems. Soil conditions & terrain tend to exaggerate water problems & all in all adding a full basement is very expensive. So before adding a basement I would suggest you have a very good reason to do so. I added a few basements when I was in business & had large problems each time. I then refused to add a basement addition on all future requests from homeowners. This saved the homeowner money & saved me from an ulcer. Add a full basement at your own peril.

Siding
You should of course match the siding with whatever is on your house. There is one exception & that is if you have brick facing. Matching it is almost impossible & it is ridiculously expensive. Try Adding cedar or vinyl siding to the addition instead. I will blend nicely.

Roof Design
Roof design is important. Usual choices are Shed, Gable or Hip roof. Each one is more expensive than the next but remember if it does not blend in with the rest of the house it lessens the quality & value of the addition & in turn your home. If you have a few extra dollars a skylight doesn't hurt anything but adds a lot.

Windows
Windows & doors "make" the room so quality, style & location is very important. Be cautious with your selections.

Heat & Electric
Let the contractor suggest the best heating installation but you should give much thought to electric outlets & switches. If you don't the electrician will put them exactly where they should not be. I guarantee it!

Flooring
The least expensive way is to have the contractor leave you a plywood floor ready for carpet. If you want wood flooring or tile or ceramic that's fine but remember the price stars to climb quickly.

This is just a short list of things to consider of course. There are many, many construction items involved in any addition. I cover them al in my books. 

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