Split level residence renovations bring both special opportunities and exceptional challenges. The 1st step in evaluating the possibilities and challenges is understanding what form of split level you plan to renovate. There are basically five sorts of split level house styles:

1. Split Foyer or Bi-Level – Composed of two levels, with the entry on a level midway in between the two floors. A quick flight of stairs (usually four-8) goes up and a further short flight of stairs goes down. If the lower level of the home is built level with the ground, there will be stairs to the entrance. The reduced level may well be at least partly beneath ground level.

two. Split Level – This sort has either three or four levels and two or 3 short sets of stairs. The entrance is usually on a middle level and opens directly into a formal living room.

3. Stacked Split Level – The stacked variety has 5 or far more levels with 4 or five short sets of stairs. The entry is on a middle floor, ordinarily opening to a foyer with stairs going each up and down. The name is derived from the truth that additional bedrooms are “stacked” on leading of the second living region. Quite a few townhouses are of this form.

4. Split Entry – The entry to this variety of home is among floors and is commonly located in an entry location off the key residence. Like the split foyer, methods lead each up and down from the entry.

five. Raised Ranch – This kind of split level has two levels with a full flight of stairs and the entry into the reduced floor. The living region is normally on the leading floor, accessible by a staircase close to the entry.

Split Level Residences had been incredibly well-known in the 1950s, particularly in the East and the Midwest. The house design and style is an adaptation that performs nicely in building of a property on uneven home. The house can be constructed into the side of a hill or slope extremely conveniently. These residences have been designed to separate living locations from sleeping areas and to present formal and informal living areas. They offer additional privacy and quiet. Disadvantages include uneven heating and cooling and many stairs. The heating and cooling challenge can be met by installing a zoned program. The quantity of stairs can be a unique challenge for the elderly and disabled. The challenge can, even so, be met by installing a glide chair.

Project Management of the sort of design contain a decrease level laundry area, no main level bathroom, shared bathroom on the upper floor with the bedrooms, and a lack of openness in the living area (specifically as compared to a lot of contemporary designs).

Remodeling challenges distinct to Split Level Homes are:

o Excellent care should be exercised in opening up the formal living region with regards to weight-bearing walls

o Quite a few split levels have compact rooms

o The steps involving levels cannot be removed

o It is challenging to develop a defined entry region

o Moving the location of the kitchen makes this kind of renovation pricey

o It can be complicated to add a level to some sorts of split levels devoid of losing balance and external appeal

Most of these challenges can be overcome with creative thinking, careful organizing, and detailed interest to the design and style. For the most part, it is very best to accept and function with the standard floor strategy and modify access, flow amongst rooms, and a feeling of openness. It is also ordinarily a bad thought to attempt to add another floor to a split level or to add on to the length of the current house.