Hello everyone,
we are planning to renovate our house. As part of this, we will install heating and insulation (there is none currently in the house). This will reduce the ceiling height to 2.30 meters (7 ft 7 in).
Our house has an extended attic floor above the ground floor. Question 1 is how we should design the ceiling between the ground floor and the upper floor.
Question 1, Option 1: To gain more headroom, we considered exposing the load-bearing beams between the ground floor and the upper floor. This would give us 2.30 meters (7 ft 7 in) up to the beams and 2.5 meters (8 ft 2 in) up to the top edge of the beams.
Advantages: Preserving the existing building structure.
Disadvantages: (1) Preventive measures required against creaking floors on the upper floor, (2) careful planning needed to improve acoustic performance, (3) only 2.3 meters (7 ft 7 in) ceiling height below the beams on the ground floor, (4) possible additional costs for acoustic and anti-creaking floor solutions.
Question 1, Option 2: Since we will be removing the upper floor/roof, another option would be to also remove the beams between the ground floor and upper floor, build one layer of bricks and then pour a concrete slab on top.
Advantages: Modern construction, acoustic performance can be planned in advance, ceiling height can be freely defined.
Disadvantages: Costs for the roof, dismantling of existing beams.
Have I overlooked anything here? So far, I have understood that Option 1 is possible but involves additional costs. Therefore, I am also asking whether Option 2 might be preferable, as it could be equally expensive but with clearly definable advantages.
Question 2:
My second question concerns the structure between the upper floor and the roof. Once the ground floor renovation is completed, a full upper floor will be added (no sloped ceilings). A roof will then be placed on top of the upper floor. My architect suggested that a ring beam reinforcement needs to be cast into the top row of the upper floor. Additionally, a steel-reinforced concrete slab should be installed to further stabilize the house. From what I know, flat steel straps are usually attached in the roof to ensure structural rigidity. Therefore, I don’t understand why an additional concrete slab should be placed between the upper floor and the roof. I personally find a ceiling made of wooden beams with insulation preferable, as this automatically creates an insulating layer between the roof and the upper floor. What do you think? Can you understand the architect’s reasoning?
Question 3:
Is it possibly an option to move the beams currently between the ground floor and upper floor later to between the upper floor and the roof, or would this not bring any cost advantages? I understand that carpenters do a lot of prefabrication and that working on the beams onsite with us might even be more expensive.
I would appreciate your feedback!
we are planning to renovate our house. As part of this, we will install heating and insulation (there is none currently in the house). This will reduce the ceiling height to 2.30 meters (7 ft 7 in).
Our house has an extended attic floor above the ground floor. Question 1 is how we should design the ceiling between the ground floor and the upper floor.
Question 1, Option 1: To gain more headroom, we considered exposing the load-bearing beams between the ground floor and the upper floor. This would give us 2.30 meters (7 ft 7 in) up to the beams and 2.5 meters (8 ft 2 in) up to the top edge of the beams.
Advantages: Preserving the existing building structure.
Disadvantages: (1) Preventive measures required against creaking floors on the upper floor, (2) careful planning needed to improve acoustic performance, (3) only 2.3 meters (7 ft 7 in) ceiling height below the beams on the ground floor, (4) possible additional costs for acoustic and anti-creaking floor solutions.
Question 1, Option 2: Since we will be removing the upper floor/roof, another option would be to also remove the beams between the ground floor and upper floor, build one layer of bricks and then pour a concrete slab on top.
Advantages: Modern construction, acoustic performance can be planned in advance, ceiling height can be freely defined.
Disadvantages: Costs for the roof, dismantling of existing beams.
Have I overlooked anything here? So far, I have understood that Option 1 is possible but involves additional costs. Therefore, I am also asking whether Option 2 might be preferable, as it could be equally expensive but with clearly definable advantages.
Question 2:
My second question concerns the structure between the upper floor and the roof. Once the ground floor renovation is completed, a full upper floor will be added (no sloped ceilings). A roof will then be placed on top of the upper floor. My architect suggested that a ring beam reinforcement needs to be cast into the top row of the upper floor. Additionally, a steel-reinforced concrete slab should be installed to further stabilize the house. From what I know, flat steel straps are usually attached in the roof to ensure structural rigidity. Therefore, I don’t understand why an additional concrete slab should be placed between the upper floor and the roof. I personally find a ceiling made of wooden beams with insulation preferable, as this automatically creates an insulating layer between the roof and the upper floor. What do you think? Can you understand the architect’s reasoning?
Question 3:
Is it possibly an option to move the beams currently between the ground floor and upper floor later to between the upper floor and the roof, or would this not bring any cost advantages? I understand that carpenters do a lot of prefabrication and that working on the beams onsite with us might even be more expensive.
I would appreciate your feedback!
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