ᐅ Reinforced concrete or timber beam ceiling/floor structure

In a two-story house, what type of ceiling do you have? Reinforced concrete or wooden beam ceiling? My main concern is to retain as much heat as possible during the summer so that it doesn’t enter the house. What would you recommend?

As a top ceiling? Concrete can store more heat, but otherwise it mainly depends on choosing insulation materials (which are necessary anyway for cold insulation) that also provide good thermal insulation. I believe the roof and insulation are more important than the ceiling material. The choice of ceiling material is more about its intended use (attic?) and structural considerations (a wooden ceiling is definitely lighter). Potential solar panels on the roof could cause some shading.

Sent from mobile

Yes, as the top ceiling. The architect originally planned for a wooden beam ceiling, but the building services engineer has now proposed a reinforced concrete ceiling for the space. The structural engineer is still calculating. The attic will be used as a storage room. The house will have two full stories and a roof with a 20-30 degree pitch. What should be specifically considered regarding thermal insulation for the roof, apart from the possible solar panels?

Our architect is designing a concrete slab ceiling with us – also for two full stories. He believes that especially in summer, less heat enters the living spaces through the roof areas, and in winter, naturally, less heat is lost.

I am now facing this choice as well.

My gut feeling favors a concrete ceiling since I grew up in a panel building in the eastern part of the country.
Also, I’m not really a fan of wood. Wood can be affected by pests, is flammable, can creak, and so on.
However, with a concrete ceiling, there is the issue of insulation between floors.
The attic is expected to be used only for storage, so it still needs to be accessible. What costs should I expect for this? Which materials are suitable?
How did you decide?

Best regards
Judyyy

Why don’t you simply wait and see what the structural engineer recommends in combination with the soil conditions/seismic zone? If it is not structurally necessary, *to me* a concrete ceiling just for peace of mind wouldn’t be worth the money. Especially if the space under the roof is used solely for storage.