Norkirk, Kirkland · 2024
A second storey on a 1947 cottage
The roof came off a 1947 cottage, the main-floor walls were re-sheathed for shear, and a full second storey went on above.
How it went
A second storey is not an addition sitting on top of a house. It is a new load on walls that were never designed to carry it, which is why the main-floor walls had to be opened from inside and re-sheathed with structural panel before anything went up.
That was the surprise for the owners: a significant part of the budget went into the floor they already had and were not changing. We showed it in the estimate as its own line so it never read as a change order.
Weather protection ran for eleven weeks. A temporary roof on scaffolding over the entire footprint, monitored after every storm. Kirkland in February is not a forgiving place to have an open house.
The finished elevation keeps the cottage proportions: a steeper roof pitch than a modern build would use, and dormers sized to the original window rhythm rather than to the bedrooms behind them.
By the numbers
- 780 sq ftNew square footage
- 11Weeks under temporary roof
- 9Shear walls re-sheathed
- 19 weeksPermit review
Nobody enjoys paying to strengthen a floor they are not changing. They explained it once, showed the calculation, and we never argued about it again.
Next step
Start with a walk-through, not a price
Ninety minutes in your house. We look at the crawlspace, the attic and the panel before we look at the kitchen, and you leave with a budget band you can plan around.