Oh, the more you think about it, the more ideas come up.
One of the rooms in the house we bought has a very low knee wall. Of course, we didn’t overlook that; it bothered us from the beginning, but you never find a 100% perfect property.
The room itself is only 11 sqm (118 sq ft), so its use is naturally quite limited. Because the slant of the roof starts so low, the room feels somewhat cramped and dark.
Our basic idea is to install a Velux roof window. This wouldn’t change the knee wall, but it would bring in natural light; the view is also very nice, and a brighter room immediately feels larger and less confined.
As an alternative, we are considering whether it might be possible to raise the knee wall through some structural modification. We have an appointment in two weeks regarding the roof windows, and we want to discuss this idea then, but we would appreciate an independent opinion here beforehand.
I will try to attach a photo of the room shortly.
One of the rooms in the house we bought has a very low knee wall. Of course, we didn’t overlook that; it bothered us from the beginning, but you never find a 100% perfect property.
The room itself is only 11 sqm (118 sq ft), so its use is naturally quite limited. Because the slant of the roof starts so low, the room feels somewhat cramped and dark.
Our basic idea is to install a Velux roof window. This wouldn’t change the knee wall, but it would bring in natural light; the view is also very nice, and a brighter room immediately feels larger and less confined.
As an alternative, we are considering whether it might be possible to raise the knee wall through some structural modification. We have an appointment in two weeks regarding the roof windows, and we want to discuss this idea then, but we would appreciate an independent opinion here beforehand.
I will try to attach a photo of the room shortly.
To be honest, I’m completely unsure about what I mean here.
I searched for images of a dwarf wall dormer on Google, and yes, I think that’s what we mean... but I don’t quite see the difference compared to a dormer.
What we want, and maybe it’s clearer to experts than it is for us amateurs to explain: We want the slope to start higher up, so the space along the wall before the slope begins can be used more effectively. Right now, the slope starts so low that you can’t really use those 40 cm (16 inches). You can’t place a bed or a shelf there... A knee wall of 1 m (3 feet 3 inches) would be ideal, or alternatively a dormer that’s tall enough to stand in comfortably.
I searched for images of a dwarf wall dormer on Google, and yes, I think that’s what we mean... but I don’t quite see the difference compared to a dormer.
What we want, and maybe it’s clearer to experts than it is for us amateurs to explain: We want the slope to start higher up, so the space along the wall before the slope begins can be used more effectively. Right now, the slope starts so low that you can’t really use those 40 cm (16 inches). You can’t place a bed or a shelf there... A knee wall of 1 m (3 feet 3 inches) would be ideal, or alternatively a dormer that’s tall enough to stand in comfortably.
I have described the structural relationships. A dormer is a building component that is legally considered "privileged" and must extend from the roof surface—typically at least 50cm (20 inches) behind the outer edge of the exterior wall—and expressly must not stand directly on the exterior wall. If it did, it would be what is known as a "cross gable" or called differently in some regions, which legally triggers completely different setback requirements and often cannot be realized for this reason.
If you want such detailed questions answered in a way that is approved and legally compliant, it is best to contact the citizen service of the responsible building authority or consult an architect.
Information found on the internet is rarely accurate without knowledge of the local conditions, including misunderstandings about terminology.
If you want such detailed questions answered in a way that is approved and legally compliant, it is best to contact the citizen service of the responsible building authority or consult an architect.
Information found on the internet is rarely accurate without knowledge of the local conditions, including misunderstandings about terminology.
Let’s assume that what rises from the floor of your attic is not an interior half wall (knee wall), but the exterior wall itself. In that case, if you want to add a dormer, you still need to set it back by about half a meter (around 20 inches) from that wall (or, if you get approval for a cross-gable, you may be allowed to extend the wall further there).
You probably won’t want to raise the entire roof, as the effort and cost would be significant, if it’s even possible or permitted. So let’s further assume you only want to place a bed along that wall, and just reduce the roof pitch enough for the lower edge to be higher. Then you will need to support and replace the roof structure over about three rafter bays (for example, a bed roughly a bit longer than 2 meters (around 7 feet)) in that area.
Once your carpenter and roofer have given you a cost estimate, you probably won’t want to ask your architect for anything more and will decide: that will just be our storage room.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
You probably won’t want to raise the entire roof, as the effort and cost would be significant, if it’s even possible or permitted. So let’s further assume you only want to place a bed along that wall, and just reduce the roof pitch enough for the lower edge to be higher. Then you will need to support and replace the roof structure over about three rafter bays (for example, a bed roughly a bit longer than 2 meters (around 7 feet)) in that area.
Once your carpenter and roofer have given you a cost estimate, you probably won’t want to ask your architect for anything more and will decide: that will just be our storage room.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
How is the room actually going to be used?
While a skylight provides more light, the nice view doesn’t really matter since you only ever see the sky.
I also don’t understand the repeated opinion that adding or installing shelves and cabinets is not an option. In that case, the room hardly needs any additional storage furniture. Instead of cluttering the floor area in question with small furniture, it’s better to have built-in units.
After all, every other alternative costs many times more than a few doors, piano hinges, and boards.
Best regards in brief
While a skylight provides more light, the nice view doesn’t really matter since you only ever see the sky.
I also don’t understand the repeated opinion that adding or installing shelves and cabinets is not an option. In that case, the room hardly needs any additional storage furniture. Instead of cluttering the floor area in question with small furniture, it’s better to have built-in units.
After all, every other alternative costs many times more than a few doors, piano hinges, and boards.
Best regards in brief
One could certainly say that having something is better than needing it. But you can also ask yourself, do I really need this room, and for what purpose? If it’s just for a storage closet, then leave it out. Otherwise, consider a built-in wardrobe with a Velux window above it. Everything else can wait. Sometimes you should let things develop naturally. Karsten
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