Dear Forum,
Please excuse my lack of knowledge – I have read through many threads but often feel completely lost, and I’m worried that local companies here might not give the best advice, as the roofers in our area generally don’t have a great reputation. So, before the first appointment, I would at least like to be prepared to ask all the right questions.
Here’s the situation: We have a 160 m² (1,722 sq ft) attic with a cold roof. OSB boards are installed, and there is a vapor barrier. The thermal separation from the living space is through an attic hatch that can be pulled down from below. We have been thinking: Since I’m starting my own business, we actually need a room in the house to use as an office. Therefore, we considered partially insulating the cold roof to create an office space. Is there any practical solution for this, or would it be equivalent to a full conversion that would cost a fortune? I have also attached a few photos.
Thank you for any information!
Best regards, David
Please excuse my lack of knowledge – I have read through many threads but often feel completely lost, and I’m worried that local companies here might not give the best advice, as the roofers in our area generally don’t have a great reputation. So, before the first appointment, I would at least like to be prepared to ask all the right questions.
Here’s the situation: We have a 160 m² (1,722 sq ft) attic with a cold roof. OSB boards are installed, and there is a vapor barrier. The thermal separation from the living space is through an attic hatch that can be pulled down from below. We have been thinking: Since I’m starting my own business, we actually need a room in the house to use as an office. Therefore, we considered partially insulating the cold roof to create an office space. Is there any practical solution for this, or would it be equivalent to a full conversion that would cost a fortune? I have also attached a few photos.
Thank you for any information!
Best regards, David
W
WilderSueden8 Dec 2022 10:11Bauherr001 schrieb:
What’s also on my mind: In summer, it will probably get unbearably hot there without ventilation, even with insulation. So I guess I won’t be able to avoid having at least one window... or else a fan or something like that.There are significant differences between various insulation materials when it comes to protection against heat. Mineral wool, for example, is much less effective than wood fiber in this regard. However, I wouldn’t design a home office without any windows at all. Spending the whole day under artificial light just isn’t good.
M
Mach_es_selbst8 Dec 2022 10:53Bauherr001 schrieb:
Everything is lit up like a living room, that’s not a problem—we over-dimensioned the lighting upstairs. Regarding the wiring, you’re right, I think there’s actually only one outlet upstairs. Would using a power strip for the monitor, laptop, and possibly a printer really be too much? I would have thought one circuit could handle that. I have internet via a 5G mobile hotspot upstairs.
Access is probably only possible through the attic hatch; I would insulate that area as well. The only other realistic option would be to install a spiral staircase (or ladder) and a door from outside. Inside, because of ceiling cooling, it’s almost impossible to integrate a staircase, unfortunately. However, finishing the space would generally relieve pressure elsewhere, so I would accept the attic hatch.
Whether I can get down from there alone is another good question… I’ll have to try it out. My wife is usually home right now due to parental leave, but later I would of course need the possibility to get down on my own. How can anyone plan something like this:
More than enough light/lamps but only ONE SINGLE outlet planned?
You really have to plan enough outlets and reserves for such a conversion.
How old is the house?
B
Bauherr0018 Dec 2022 11:23Mach_es_selbst schrieb:
@ypg
Everything has already been said here...
Or are there still any questions?
But thanks for thinking of me.
We had already planned to use our "attic" or first floor, so we insulated properly from the start with 6cm (2.4 inches) wood fiberboards + 20cm (8 inches) blown-in insulation + a vapor barrier. Right now, we hardly need to heat upstairs at all.For me as a layperson:Have windows installed in the gable for better ventilation and, of course, for the "indoor climate." For example, carpet tiles will be laid on top of the OSB boards. Insulate the ceiling with mineral wool, for example. If everything is insulated well and professionally, heating can be done with an electric heater when I’m upstairs. Ventilate through the windows. Is there anything else I absolutely need to pay attention to?
Mach_es_selbst schrieb:
!!!
How can you possibly plan something like this:
Plenty of light/lamps but only ONE single power outlet?
Especially with such a build-out, you have to plan enough outlets and reserves.
How old is the house anyway???2 years old. Yeah, probably not the smartest architect or electrician, or maybe me as the builder. By the way, it’s a double outlet, but most likely on the same circuit, I suppose.
W
WilderSueden8 Dec 2022 11:32For an attic, I find one light fixture and one power outlet completely sufficient. A cold attic is explicitly not intended as a future living space; otherwise, it would make more sense to insulate the roof itself rather than the ceiling of the upper floor. A future living space involves more than just a few electrical connections—it also includes windows, water supply, and drainage. In that respect, I think the current setup is okay; plans do change after all.
As for insulation, I would prefer not to use mineral wool but rather something with better heat protection, such as wood fiber.
As for insulation, I would prefer not to use mineral wool but rather something with better heat protection, such as wood fiber.
X
xMisterDx14 Dec 2022 22:55hanse987 schrieb:
Do you have a sufficiently sized electrical cable running upwards? Usually, only a single cable for a light and at most one outlet goes up there.
Also, you need internet in the office, right? There probably isn’t any network cable installed in the attic, is there?
How will access be arranged? If the attic ladder is open, it will surely be in the way somehow, won’t it?Try placing a 2kW (kilowatt) fan heater in a reasonably well-insulated room... after four hours, it will be so hot inside you won’t be able to breathe.
Our gas heating system provides 9kW (kilowatts) for 150m² (1,615 ft²).
So a 2kW (kilowatt) fan heater should be sufficient for a 25m² (270 ft²) office. But it will be expensive, that’s clear.
Internet... Wi-Fi? If there is no reinforced concrete ceiling between the attic and the floor below, Wi-Fi will work without problems.
The folding attic ladder can also be folded down from “above”; there are models that allow this. You don’t leave your office every five minutes anyway.
Similar topics