ᐅ New Construction: Is the Attic Suitable for Conversion or Not?
Created on: 9 Apr 2017 09:35
T
Thomas1980
Hi,
we are planning to build a single-family house with two full floors plus a pitched roof (as a third floor) without a basement (due to groundwater).
So far, we have planned the attic as an unheated roof space without knee walls, with a roof pitch of 35 degrees (roof pitches must be at least 35 degrees according to the development plan, and knee walls are allowed up to 1.20 meters (4 feet)).
The upper floor ceiling will be made of wood – insulation will be installed there. The attic will be designed to withstand loads up to 2 kN/sqm (42 psf), so it can be used well for storage of non-sensitive items.
We are covering about 100 sqm (1,076 sq ft) of ground area and will have approximately 165 sqm (1,776 sq ft) of living space spread over the two floors. That is actually sufficient for our needs.
However, we are now reconsidering whether it might be better to design the attic so that it can be used as living space:
* Upper floor ceiling made of concrete
* Underfloor heating installed / electrical provisions made
* Insulation in the pitched roof
* Knee walls installed
* Roof pitch increased from 35 to 38 degrees
We probably would not have this option later on.
We do not urgently need the space right now, but we could imagine setting up a “relaxation/leisure area” there. In addition, this would create space where our heating system could be relocated, and it would provide genuine storage (storing things in an unheated attic is quite difficult).
Thanks for your thoughts/opinions on this question.
we are planning to build a single-family house with two full floors plus a pitched roof (as a third floor) without a basement (due to groundwater).
So far, we have planned the attic as an unheated roof space without knee walls, with a roof pitch of 35 degrees (roof pitches must be at least 35 degrees according to the development plan, and knee walls are allowed up to 1.20 meters (4 feet)).
The upper floor ceiling will be made of wood – insulation will be installed there. The attic will be designed to withstand loads up to 2 kN/sqm (42 psf), so it can be used well for storage of non-sensitive items.
We are covering about 100 sqm (1,076 sq ft) of ground area and will have approximately 165 sqm (1,776 sq ft) of living space spread over the two floors. That is actually sufficient for our needs.
However, we are now reconsidering whether it might be better to design the attic so that it can be used as living space:
* Upper floor ceiling made of concrete
* Underfloor heating installed / electrical provisions made
* Insulation in the pitched roof
* Knee walls installed
* Roof pitch increased from 35 to 38 degrees
We probably would not have this option later on.
We do not urgently need the space right now, but we could imagine setting up a “relaxation/leisure area” there. In addition, this would create space where our heating system could be relocated, and it would provide genuine storage (storing things in an unheated attic is quite difficult).
Thanks for your thoughts/opinions on this question.
Thomas1980 schrieb:
@11ant: Am I understanding you correctly – in our situation, you would go with a roof pitch of 38 degrees instead of 35 degrees? (We have already dismissed the additional effort of a knee wall)No. I had two points in mind. First, I calculated for you what the planned 38 degrees instead of the minimum 35 degrees roof pitch means in terms of height.
1) Then I warned you that legally this could possibly create a third full story, and
2) from that, I suggested deliberately doing exactly that: turning the attic into a second full story. That means using a roof pitch of even 40° and a knee wall to make the roof the top residential floor, thus using the space efficiently without adding another floor between the ground floor and the attic.
A knee wall is not extra effort. You usually want to avoid attic areas with "zero usable height" if you plan to use the roof space. For that reason, you would actually need a knee wall if you didn’t build one. I would always prefer the knee wall.
Only if you don’t need the attic space at all and are just building to satisfy a development plan that requires a specific roof pitch, then you would rather build without a knee wall (so you don’t have to factor in the insulation costs for a pointless short exterior wall).
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
I summarize:
Do not build two stories with vertical walls plus a useless attic with a steep roof pitch designed only for storing Christmas decorations, even without a knee wall;
instead, build a single story with vertical walls plus an attic with a roof pitch that, together with the knee wall, creates a truly full usable floor.
You compensate for the missing basement by increasing the footprint of the house or the garage. This is definitely a better solution than forcing a non-functional attic space under the illusion of usefulness.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Do not build two stories with vertical walls plus a useless attic with a steep roof pitch designed only for storing Christmas decorations, even without a knee wall;
instead, build a single story with vertical walls plus an attic with a roof pitch that, together with the knee wall, creates a truly full usable floor.
You compensate for the missing basement by increasing the footprint of the house or the garage. This is definitely a better solution than forcing a non-functional attic space under the illusion of usefulness.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Build a concrete ceiling, a proper roof (not trusses or attic trusses), install a few roof windows, and preferably use a knee wall instead of increasing the roof pitch. Otherwise, it might look rather disappointing. And definitely include a proper staircase.
If the space is intended as a recreational room, consider underfloor heating. Otherwise, it could serve as an unheated utility room for technical equipment, storage, and hobbies. Either way, you can still integrate it into the ventilation system (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery).
If the space is intended as a recreational room, consider underfloor heating. Otherwise, it could serve as an unheated utility room for technical equipment, storage, and hobbies. Either way, you can still integrate it into the ventilation system (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery).
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