ᐅ New Single-Family House Construction – Gable Roof, Concrete Staircase to the Attic?
Created on: 15 Feb 2014 06:08
L
LacosHello everyone,
we are planning to build a new single-family house (KFW70). The contractor has suggested installing a tiled concrete staircase all the way up to the attic for an additional cost. At the top in the attic, a boxed-in area with a suitable door would be made, and the open spaces around the boxing would be insulated according to KFW70 standards. Additionally, a screed floor would be installed.
As a layperson, I would really appreciate if someone could answer my questions:
a) What do you think of this proposal? Is this a common practice? Would you do it? (Additional cost roughly 5,000–6,000)
b) We want to convert the attic at some point. Unfortunately, the budget is a bit tight, so we need to weigh our options now. Installing a pull-down ladder later will probably be much more complex, right? How much effort should one expect for a retrofit (presumably with a wooden staircase—concrete wouldn’t be possible then)?
c) Heating pipes would be laid up to the attic (ground floor & upper floor = underfloor heating). If the screed is installed in the attic, doesn’t that mean the underfloor heating would no longer work there?
I would be very grateful for any advice or opinions,
Lacos
we are planning to build a new single-family house (KFW70). The contractor has suggested installing a tiled concrete staircase all the way up to the attic for an additional cost. At the top in the attic, a boxed-in area with a suitable door would be made, and the open spaces around the boxing would be insulated according to KFW70 standards. Additionally, a screed floor would be installed.
As a layperson, I would really appreciate if someone could answer my questions:
a) What do you think of this proposal? Is this a common practice? Would you do it? (Additional cost roughly 5,000–6,000)
b) We want to convert the attic at some point. Unfortunately, the budget is a bit tight, so we need to weigh our options now. Installing a pull-down ladder later will probably be much more complex, right? How much effort should one expect for a retrofit (presumably with a wooden staircase—concrete wouldn’t be possible then)?
c) Heating pipes would be laid up to the attic (ground floor & upper floor = underfloor heating). If the screed is installed in the attic, doesn’t that mean the underfloor heating would no longer work there?
I would be very grateful for any advice or opinions,
Lacos
Hello Laco, I am still quite a beginner when it comes to building matters, so I can’t offer much experience or advice yet, but we are considering a similar situation. We were definitely convinced by the argument to lead the staircase all the way up to the attic (you can find that in the thread with floor plan ideas for a 140m2 (1500 sq ft) single-family house in this subforum).
Our architect suggested continuing the regular staircase to the attic as a wooden staircase—concrete at the bottom and wood at the top. I can’t quite imagine yet whether and how that would work or look good, but for cost reasons I am currently leaning more toward switching entirely to a wooden staircase.
So far, there has been no discussion about screed and underfloor heating upstairs, but rather wooden floors and radiators. I don’t know which option offers the better price-performance ratio or is more energy-efficient, but I would be very interested to learn more about that!
Best regards,
Kazazi
Our architect suggested continuing the regular staircase to the attic as a wooden staircase—concrete at the bottom and wood at the top. I can’t quite imagine yet whether and how that would work or look good, but for cost reasons I am currently leaning more toward switching entirely to a wooden staircase.
So far, there has been no discussion about screed and underfloor heating upstairs, but rather wooden floors and radiators. I don’t know which option offers the better price-performance ratio or is more energy-efficient, but I would be very interested to learn more about that!
Best regards,
Kazazi
B
Bauexperte15 Feb 2014 11:18Hello,
Since you plan to convert the attic yourselves later, this question shouldn’t really come up. A staircase installed during the construction phase, leading directly to the attic, will cost far less in money, mess, and hassle compared to a later installation. To save costs, using the supplier’s standardized wooden staircase can help reduce expenses – but it will start from the ground floor. Personally, I don’t find mixed materials appealing for staircases, especially if it’s not just leading down to a basement.
If you want a concrete staircase, the type of ceiling above the last insulated floor needs to be considered. If it is a beam-and-block ceiling, connecting a concrete staircase is quite complicated and expensive; in this case, it is recommended to have the entire floor slab made of concrete. If you stick to a standard wooden staircase, the construction of the floor slab doesn’t matter; everything will also be more affordable.
If you purchase the attic as “conversion-ready” only, the staircase opening will be continued, the enclosing walls framed with drywall, an interior door installed, all pipes capped above the finished floor, the required lighting adjusted, and insulation placed on the structural subfloor. Screed or underfloor heating is, in my opinion, not included; however, you can most likely order that as an extra service.
The builder should have informed you about the scope of the services, right?
Best regards, Bauexperte
Lacos schrieb:
a) What do you think about this proposal? Is this common practice? Would you do it? (Additional cost approximately 5-6K)
b) We plan to convert the attic at some point. Unfortunately, the budget is a bit tight right now, so we need to weigh our options.
Installing a pull-down staircase later will probably be much more complicated, right? How much effort should we expect afterwards
(of course with a wooden staircase – concrete wouldn’t be possible then, would it)?
Since you plan to convert the attic yourselves later, this question shouldn’t really come up. A staircase installed during the construction phase, leading directly to the attic, will cost far less in money, mess, and hassle compared to a later installation. To save costs, using the supplier’s standardized wooden staircase can help reduce expenses – but it will start from the ground floor. Personally, I don’t find mixed materials appealing for staircases, especially if it’s not just leading down to a basement.
If you want a concrete staircase, the type of ceiling above the last insulated floor needs to be considered. If it is a beam-and-block ceiling, connecting a concrete staircase is quite complicated and expensive; in this case, it is recommended to have the entire floor slab made of concrete. If you stick to a standard wooden staircase, the construction of the floor slab doesn’t matter; everything will also be more affordable.
Lacos schrieb:
c) Heating pipes would be routed up to the attic (ground floor and upper floor have underfloor heating). If the screed is installed in the attic, does that mean the underfloor heating is no longer possible?
If you purchase the attic as “conversion-ready” only, the staircase opening will be continued, the enclosing walls framed with drywall, an interior door installed, all pipes capped above the finished floor, the required lighting adjusted, and insulation placed on the structural subfloor. Screed or underfloor heating is, in my opinion, not included; however, you can most likely order that as an extra service.
The builder should have informed you about the scope of the services, right?
Best regards, Bauexperte
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