How to Add a Side Addition to a Ranch-Style House

The ranch style of house was in existence before World War II, but it zoomed into wide use in the building boom following the return of soldiers to their new families after the war. A ranch home is not one built on a ranch -- though the open range is where such a floor plan came into fruition. A ranch home is characterized by an open floor plan and a low-pitch gable roof.

A ranch home is usually one story, though it's possible to find a ranch with a multilevel single floor plan, a basement or even a partial or full second story. A ranch usually has a kitchen and living areas on one end and bedrooms off a hallway on the other end, typically with front and back doors off the living area.

Many ranch owners eventually want more space but do not want to give up a garage to make a room. In that case an addition is in order. Simply put, that's a major remodeling job.

2-by-4-inch framing lumber
16d framing nails
Hammer
Prefabricated roof trusses
Metal flashing
Roof decking and roofing
Drywall
Drywall tape and joint compound
Exterior corner trim and other trim

Instructions

- 1
  Add to your ranch-style house by building out from the back side. Ranches typically are set with the roof parallel to the street, with gables on either end, so the back has the most space to build onto. Design an addition to fit your needs, such as adding a bedroom, creating an office or expanding a family room. Plan an entry from the existing back door, if possible.
- 2
  Decide on a type of foundation. Build a new slab if the basic house is set on a slab, or dig footings and pour concrete stem walls to hold floor joists. Keep the new floor level with the existing house unless you want to add a double-level addition; some ranches are expanded by digging a half-basement and framing two floors, with steps up and down out of the original house.
- 3
  Use standard 2-by-4-inch wall framing, with manufactured frames for new doors and windows. Tie new walls to the original house by removing the original siding to expose the studs on the outside. Nail new walls to old walls with 16d framing nails and a hammer to studs in the original walls.
- 4
  Frame your addition's roof with prefabricated roof trusses that match the pitch of the original. Connect the addition roof by removing enough roofing from the original to expose its rafters. Reinforce old rafters on the sides where any rafters must be cut for the new roof. Tie old and new roofs together with short "jack" rafters cut to fit between new and old rafters.
- 5
  Cover the addition roof with oriented strand board sheathing; nail metal flashing on the edges of the new roof and in the valleys where the two roofs connect. Deck the new roof with oriented strand board panels, then cover it with roofing paper and shingle it to match the existing roof.
- 6
  Install any windows or doors in the addition. Put siding on the addition to match the original house, and add exterior corner trim and other trim to match that of the old house. Replace the old exterior door with an interior door or reframe the doorway into a fixed entry.
- 7
  Hang drywall on the walls and ceiling of the addition, including re-covering any existing walls or wall portions exposed during construction. Finish the drywall job by taping and sealing seams and corners with drywall tape and joint compound. Paint inside and outside to complete the addition.

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