Hudson Remodeling

The benefits of bumping out

Posted 27 September 2019 by Team Hudson

Here’s the scenario:

You’ve got a bathroom that’s about one walk-in shower too small, but you don’t want to take space from the neighboring bedroom to get it there.

Or perhaps your galley kitchen is just begging for a more comfortable working triangle, but with other important parts of the house surrounding it, you’d rather not steal from Peter to pay Paul.

A creative bump-out addition — or a micro-addition, as they’re sometimes called — can be the difference-maker here. Moving a section of exterior wall out a few feet is often the best way to gain additional space indoors, with the only loss being a little yard or garden space.

What could you do with a bump out?

A strategic bump out could add an eating area to your kitchen, a stand-alone shower to your bathroom, a reading nook or home office to the living room, a powder room to a hallway or walk-in closet to a bedroom, among other things. The choices are many. Heck, if you’re one of those people who still uses your garage to park cars, you could add bump-out space in the garage that gives you a workbench and tool storage.

Hudson Remodeling completed a bump-out addition recently that gave our clients a second-floor lounge area, complete with fireplace and small deck. The new room takes advantage of the home’s stellar Lake Whatcom views while integrating seamlessly into the rest of the home, both inside and out.

How big can a bump out be?

How big your new space can be depends largely on how you build it. If you’re supporting the addition with a foundation or footings, you can typically go out as far as your yard size will allow. If the bump out is cantilevered — with no support underneath — then you’ll be limited by the length of the joists inside the home. Cantilevering is done by attaching new joists to existing ones, and in most cases the length of the joist outside the home can’t be more than half of the length inside.

You also want to keep in mind the aesthetics of the home when designing your addition; ideally, as it did with the Lake Whatcom home we worked on, the add-on will fit seamlessly into the look of the rest of the home. Hiring a design/build contractor can really save you here, as you’ll get someone who will take into account not only the aesthetics of the addition but also its feasibility and fit with your budget.

Of course, the size of your little addition also will depend on what it’s being used for. You could go out as little as two feet to add needed kitchen space, six feet to turn your powder room into a master bath, or even 10 or 12 feet to add an entirely new room. The choice is yours!

Whatever your plans, the design/build team here at Hudson Remodeling can handle it. To discuss your upcoming bump-out project and how it might add much-needed space to your home, give the pros at Hudson a call.

Tags: additions, bump-outs
Posted in Bathroom Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling, Remodeling Design | Comments Off on The benefits of bumping out