ᐅ Using the Attic Space in a New Urban Villa

Hello,

we are currently planning the construction of a 170m² (1830 ft²) townhouse with a hipped roof and a roof pitch of 30°. Is it even possible to use the attic space considering the roof structure? We would only use it for storage (boxes, furniture, etc.). But if there is a beam approximately every 1m (3 ft), is that actually feasible? The attic will, of course, be insulated, and the insulation still needs to be covered with panels...

Best regards,
Jan

Not really – why do you want to insulate and also cover the attic at all? You won’t even be able to stand there.

We have a 35° pitched roof, and there is less than 1.50m (5 feet) of standing height up to the ridge... It is insulated with Pavatex boards, but there is no rafter insulation or integration into the airtight envelope. You can really skip that.

In our 125m² (1345 sq ft) town villa, we covered about 30m² (323 sq ft) with tongue-and-groove boards. However, you can only fully stand on about 16m² (172 sq ft), but you can easily slide boxes under the sloping roof. On two sides, we also installed half-height Ikea shelves. If you want to store furniture, the staircase might be more of an issue. With your 170m² (1830 sq ft), the usable area should be significantly larger.

If you need more space, you should avoid choosing a truss roof structure.

Regarding laying out the attic: If you have a cold roof, keep in mind that OSB boards act as a vapor barrier. Therefore, it is better to use tongue-and-groove boards or properly ventilate the OSB boards.

Or OSB boards

Musketier schrieb:
In our 125m² (1,345 sq ft) city villa, we covered about 30m² (320 sq ft) of the attic floor with tongue and groove boards. However, you can only stand fully upright on about 16m² (170 sq ft), but the storage boxes can easily be slid under the sloping roof. On two sides, we also installed half-height Ikea shelves. If you want to store furniture, the staircase might be more of an issue. With your 170m² (1,830 sq ft), the usable space should be considerably larger.
If you need more space, you should avoid a truss roof construction.

Regarding attic flooring: If you have a cold roof, you should keep in mind that OSB boards act as a vapor barrier. Therefore, it’s better to use tongue and groove boards or properly ventilate behind the OSB boards.

Ah, that’s something to go on. So it’s not impossible to use the attic in a city villa...
Currently, we access our attic through a hatch – it’s workable for a few bulky items, but definitely not comfortable.

What would be an alternative to a truss roof construction?

kielersprotte schrieb:
Aha, that’s something already. So it’s not impossible to use the attic in a city villa...

It is definitely not impossible. At first, I only expected about 16m² (172 sq ft) and was actually surprised by how much space I managed to create up there.
If you plan to store heavy items there, you should address that during the planning phase.

kielersprotte schrieb:
Currently, we access our attic through a hatch – it works for a few bulky items, but it’s definitely not comfortable.

Take a close look at a retractable attic ladder in person. You’ll have trouble carrying large boxes up because the ladder itself, springs, or your own hands tend to get in the way. I’m not even talking about moving entire pieces of furniture. I’m not sure if there are different hatch sizes available to make it easier. For long items, the roof might also get in the way again.

kielersprotte schrieb:
What is an alternative to the truss roof structure?

According to Google, I’d say a collar beam roof. But I have no expertise on this.