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We are adding a bonus and closet to our ranch house using space in our unfinished attic. I'm in the throws of getting bids.
My question is this:
The lowest ceiling height in the space would be 5 feet 10 inches and the highest would be 8 or 9ft. The builder is suggesting a 8ft ceiling height and I wanted 9ft. Any recommendations or suggestions?
We are adding a bonus and closet to our ranch house using space in our unfinished attic. I'm in the throws of getting bids.
My question is this:
The lowest ceiling height in the space would be 5 feet 10 inches and the highest would be 8 or 9ft. The builder is suggesting a 8ft ceiling height and I wanted 9ft. Any recommendations or suggestions?
personally I would too. I'd take it as high as I could. People LOVE an impressive ceiling height, and when you are talking about an attic space, you want it to have to appearance of as much room as possible....
How wide will the ceiling be for each height? What is the ceiling height in the rest of the house?
One thing to ask yourself is how are you going to light the room. Are you going to use a ceiling fan at all? If you do that, make sure the ceiling is wide enough.
I agree that people like the openess of a high ceiling. However, if that ceiling is only 1 foot wide it may look a little funny and would not really allow for any ceiling mounted light fixtures. Taking it a foot lower will allow for a wider flat portion of ceiling which may help with the overall feel.
If you can get 4+ feet of flat space at 9 feet high, I would definitely do that. If you think you are going to be less than 3 or 4 feet wide, you should think about how it will look and what type of lighting you plan on using.
The higher, the better...it will make the room seem bigger. But I would not go less than 8ft, that is pretty much the standard.
You would be ok going 8, but the costs should not be that much more for the extra foot and it will make a difference. Just make sure that it will be able to be adequately insulated with that height...that may be why he is recommending 8 ft?
We are adding a bonus and closet to our ranch house using space in our unfinished attic. I'm in the throws of getting bids.
My question is this:
The lowest ceiling height in the space would be 5 feet 10 inches and the highest would be 8 or 9ft. The builder is suggesting a 8ft ceiling height and I wanted 9ft. Any recommendations or suggestions?
You said you are using unfinished space in your attic. Yet everyone tells you what height to make the ceiling. If it is an existing ceiling then do you have any choice? The ceiling is already there isn't it?
Besides... what you or I would want makes no difference. Your local building code says 8' is a minimum as well as door openings to be no less then 6'8".
You said you are using unfinished space in your attic. Yet everyone tells you what height to make the ceiling. If it is an existing ceiling then do you have any choice? The ceiling is already there isn't it?
Besides... what you or I would want makes no difference. Your local building code says 8' is a minimum as well as door openings to be no less then 6'8".
This is a ranch home, we are building out the second floor which is right now considered an attic. And yes, I can make the choice as those ceilings go as high as 12ft (they are just rafters right now) which is why I asked the original question - I am sorry I didn't indicate that. I would never consider anything below 8ft. I have already pulled the permits and the ceiling heights were permitted at 9ft but the county said that it didn't matter if I wanted to go higher or to 8ft.
This is a ranch home, we are building out the second floor which is right now considered an attic. And yes, I can make the choice as those ceilings go as high as 12ft (they are just rafters right now) which is why I asked the original question - I am sorry I didn't indicate that. I would never consider anything below 8ft. I have already pulled the permits and the ceiling heights were permitted at 9ft but the county said that it didn't matter if I wanted to go higher or to 8ft.
Thank you for your suggestions.
Ok a ranch home. But ranch homes dont have a second floor but since you are obviously finishing that attic then 3 thumbs up to you. Lets call it a second floor now. I love the idea by the way.
So you have basicly a triangle shape up there with ceiling joists which will now double as floor joists in the new living area. Then the raftersg go to the ridge beam but below that you should have collar ties which will now become your new ceiling. You just want to know how high that should be.
I want to shout out 9' but would that make the collar ties too high to perform their function which is to prevent the rafters from spreading outward? This will not matter if you...and Im sure you are...going to build pony walls or jack walls 3' high along each side which will now help support the rafter spans. Now the rafters will also become your new ceiling with the collar ties.
So in the end what you have is a cape cod type upstairs. In cape cod home construction, closets are built into the center area usually right behind the stair landing. The stairs will nomally be in the center directly under the ridge. One side of the stair landing will be a closet without full height. The other side will be a hallways leading to a nice full bedroom. Is this the basic plan? The closet has to be in the center for the height.
So yes after all my babbling, if this is the basic plan then go with the 9'.
Oh yes... when you install the batt insulation in those rafters, DO NOT do it without putting in those foam breather panels first. You can not stop airflow from the ridge vent or the gable vent from being continuous with the soffit vent or your roof sheathing will rot in 2 short years.
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