ᐅ Insulation of the upper floor ceiling above the intermediate ceiling
Created on: 8 Jan 2026 18:21
T
thodu580Hello Forum,
We have purchased a house built in the 1950s (former East Germany) with 4 residential units in a block.
Currently, the following renovation measures are planned:
The building structure is as follows:
Basement level: 45cm (18 inches) walls, ceiling 34cm (13 inches) (ceiling panels + construction currently unclear), approximately two-thirds below ground level
Ground floor: 47.5cm (19 inches) walls including about 5-6cm (2-2.5 inches) build-up (wood paneling + slate), ceiling 36cm (14 inches)
Upper floor: 36cm (14 inches) walls including about 5-6cm (2-2.5 inches) build-up (wood paneling + slate), ceiling 36cm (14 inches). All ceilings are flat without slopes.
Attic gable walls: 33.5cm (13 inches) walls including about 5-6cm (2-2.5 inches) build-up (wood paneling + slate), knee wall height 0 (zero), roof is fully paneled and also covered with slate.
All floors are connected by a large staircase with a footprint of 2.50 x 4m (8 x 13 feet), which is separated from the attic by a stud wall to connect the two upper residential units.
To properly install the electrical and media cabling, an additional suspended ceiling of about 15cm (6 inches) will be added in both floors, with a current room height of 2.65m (8 feet 8 inches).
There is a possible future plan to convert half of the attic into living space and transform the other half into a roof terrace. This, however, depends on the final budget, the structural engineer’s assessment, and an approved building permit / planning permission. It is also possible that everything will remain as is and we will continue to use the attic for storage.
To keep this option open, insulating the upper floor ceiling from above is not really an option. The current idea is to insulate the two suspended ceilings instead.
Any opinions?
Best regards
We have purchased a house built in the 1950s (former East Germany) with 4 residential units in a block.
Currently, the following renovation measures are planned:
- Underfloor heating on 2 floors, heat pump + the 20-year-old oil heating system, or only a heat pump
- New electrical and plumbing (water/sewage) installations
- Various room changes (combining spaces)
- Roller shutters on the double-glazed windows from the 1990s
The building structure is as follows:
Basement level: 45cm (18 inches) walls, ceiling 34cm (13 inches) (ceiling panels + construction currently unclear), approximately two-thirds below ground level
Ground floor: 47.5cm (19 inches) walls including about 5-6cm (2-2.5 inches) build-up (wood paneling + slate), ceiling 36cm (14 inches)
Upper floor: 36cm (14 inches) walls including about 5-6cm (2-2.5 inches) build-up (wood paneling + slate), ceiling 36cm (14 inches). All ceilings are flat without slopes.
Attic gable walls: 33.5cm (13 inches) walls including about 5-6cm (2-2.5 inches) build-up (wood paneling + slate), knee wall height 0 (zero), roof is fully paneled and also covered with slate.
All floors are connected by a large staircase with a footprint of 2.50 x 4m (8 x 13 feet), which is separated from the attic by a stud wall to connect the two upper residential units.
To properly install the electrical and media cabling, an additional suspended ceiling of about 15cm (6 inches) will be added in both floors, with a current room height of 2.65m (8 feet 8 inches).
There is a possible future plan to convert half of the attic into living space and transform the other half into a roof terrace. This, however, depends on the final budget, the structural engineer’s assessment, and an approved building permit / planning permission. It is also possible that everything will remain as is and we will continue to use the attic for storage.
To keep this option open, insulating the upper floor ceiling from above is not really an option. The current idea is to insulate the two suspended ceilings instead.
Any opinions?
Best regards
Similar topics