Utilizing space under stairs

For those of you with a house built with the area under the stairs enclosed with drywall, have you ever been tempted by the possibilities? The potential I refer to is the promise of reclaimed space – space that was probably only used by the homebuilder to dispose of extra insulation, scraps of drywall, used tubes of construction adhesive, etc. Couldn’t you figure out something much more useful? In just four easy steps, you could have a space for whatever purpose you choose.

Step 1. Cut the opening. You’ll have to examine the wall closely to determine if there are any electrical concerns. In my case, there was an outlet that at first blush looked to need relocation. But, there’s also a half bath under my stairwell and after some careful measuring, I determined the outlet was actually out of the way. If you are taking measurements and trying to determine if another space under your stairs may interfere, remember to add 5 inches to your room depth for the wall. Using a keyhole saw, I then cut a peek hole just large enough to look around in my new space. Although rather distressing, all I saw under the stairs was the requisite trash leftover from construction. No plumbing, electrical, or HVAC ducting to interfere! At that point, I used a reciprocating saw to cut the rough opening, including cutting out the studs.

Step 2. Once you’ve cut out the studs, you may realize the stairs are no longer as supported as they once were. Since I only had to take out two studs, there was no need to worry about support immediately – and you should never take out all the studs under a staircase! Odds are at least part of the space under the stairs is already in use for a closet or bath, so this space you’re creating would only be a matter of removing 2 or 3 of the vertical studs so there’s not much reason to panic over structure. At this point, I placed a header across the top of the opening I just created adding jack studs down to the foundation to fully support the stairwell again. Once the studs are all in place, everything gets a healthy dose of construction adhesive and screws long enough to engage each riser solidly into the new header.

Step 3. Now that your space is roughed, you will need to enclose it. In my case, I chose to tile three walls and place dry wall on the ceiling. I added studs where necessary to screw the cement board or drywall into place and soon had a surface for paint or tiles. I also added electrical and plumbing to my enclosure, but very few applications will require this step so I’m going to skip the explanation of how this was accomplished.

Step 4. Install flooring. In some cases, you’ll need to add subfloor – which is nothing more than sheets of plywood – but if you’re lucky and are on a slab, you’ll just need to prepare the surface for whatever flooring you’ve chosen. I never recommend DIYers lay their own carpet, but you can if you wish. I chose to tile the floor to match it to the hallway that ran alongside the new room. Thankfully, I had some left over from that project and did not have to try and find more!

Now you have a new room to use for shoes, hooks can be placed for jackets, or sports equipment bags can be deposited for safe keeping. This is especially handy for families with lots of children engaged in after school sports. Those football and softball bags can take up an insane amount of space in one’s coat closet after all! All you really need is the desire to utilize wasted space and an adventurous spirit. This is a relatively cheap project that can be completed by anyone with a modicum of handyman skills. Good luck!