Hello,
I have a question regarding the definition of "clear height."
We are planning a one-and-a-half-story single-family house (and we are not allowed to build more full stories). According to the building regulations in Lower Saxony, the upper floor may not have more than two-thirds of the ground floor area with a clear height above 2.20 m (7 ft 3 in); otherwise, it would count as a full story.
Can someone tell me exactly when the clear height is measured? For example, is it measured before the screed is applied, after the screed but before the final floor covering, or at the very end? Wikipedia says it is the room height between the top of the finished floor and the underside of the ceiling. Is that correct?
Thank you very much for your answers.
Regards,
Tatze
I have a question regarding the definition of "clear height."
We are planning a one-and-a-half-story single-family house (and we are not allowed to build more full stories). According to the building regulations in Lower Saxony, the upper floor may not have more than two-thirds of the ground floor area with a clear height above 2.20 m (7 ft 3 in); otherwise, it would count as a full story.
Can someone tell me exactly when the clear height is measured? For example, is it measured before the screed is applied, after the screed but before the final floor covering, or at the very end? Wikipedia says it is the room height between the top of the finished floor and the underside of the ceiling. Is that correct?
Thank you very much for your answers.
Regards,
Tatze
N
NorbertKoch19 Jan 2012 20:36Hello Tatze, _Excerpt from the building regulations.
(4) A full story is a floor with a clear height of at least 2.20 m (7 ft 3 in) over at least half of its floor area, and its ceiling underside must be on average at least 1.40 m (4 ft 7 in) above the ground surface. The top floor counts as a full story only if it has the clear height specified in sentence 1 over more than two-thirds of the floor area of the floor below. Interstitial ceilings or intermediate floors that separate non-accessible cavities from a story are not considered in the application of sentences 1 and 2. Cavities between the top ceiling and the roof covering, where living spaces are not possible due to the required clear height, are not regarded as top stories.
I would assume that the clear height of 2.20 m (7 ft 3 in) refers to the distance from the upper edge of the finished floor to the underside of the ceiling (including any cladding).
Best regards
(4) A full story is a floor with a clear height of at least 2.20 m (7 ft 3 in) over at least half of its floor area, and its ceiling underside must be on average at least 1.40 m (4 ft 7 in) above the ground surface. The top floor counts as a full story only if it has the clear height specified in sentence 1 over more than two-thirds of the floor area of the floor below. Interstitial ceilings or intermediate floors that separate non-accessible cavities from a story are not considered in the application of sentences 1 and 2. Cavities between the top ceiling and the roof covering, where living spaces are not possible due to the required clear height, are not regarded as top stories.
I would assume that the clear height of 2.20 m (7 ft 3 in) refers to the distance from the upper edge of the finished floor to the underside of the ceiling (including any cladding).
Best regards
B
Bauexperte20 Jan 2012 04:21Hello,
Before the screed is applied, it is referred to as the "rough structural clear height." When someone says "clear height" without further specification, it means the finished measurement—that is, the moment when the ceiling is ready for paint or wallpaper and the floor is prepared enough for you to choose the type of floor covering.
In a one-story building design—with the term "1.5-story" used colloquially—the living space above the full ground floor must not exceed 75% of the floor area of the full story below. For example, if the ground floor is 100 sqm (1,076 sq ft), the attic may only have 75 sqm (807 sq ft) minus any sloped areas. If, due to features like a raised knee wall or a dormer, the floor area is larger, building authorities consider it a theoretical two-story building.
Some building authorities are willing to make compromises within limits, as long as the exterior appearance of the house still corresponds to that of a single-story building. Just tell your architect to put their best foot forward.
If your construction project is a detached single-family house, a skilled architect can sometimes work around the regulations of the development plan—provided requirements regarding ridge height, roof shape, and pitch allow it—by planning a full second story covering 63% of the ground floor area instead of an attic with sloped ceilings.
Best regards
Tatze schrieb:
Can someone tell me exactly when the clear height is measured, for example before the screed is applied, or after the screed but before the floor covering, or at the very end?
Before the screed is applied, it is referred to as the "rough structural clear height." When someone says "clear height" without further specification, it means the finished measurement—that is, the moment when the ceiling is ready for paint or wallpaper and the floor is prepared enough for you to choose the type of floor covering.
In a one-story building design—with the term "1.5-story" used colloquially—the living space above the full ground floor must not exceed 75% of the floor area of the full story below. For example, if the ground floor is 100 sqm (1,076 sq ft), the attic may only have 75 sqm (807 sq ft) minus any sloped areas. If, due to features like a raised knee wall or a dormer, the floor area is larger, building authorities consider it a theoretical two-story building.
Some building authorities are willing to make compromises within limits, as long as the exterior appearance of the house still corresponds to that of a single-story building. Just tell your architect to put their best foot forward.
If your construction project is a detached single-family house, a skilled architect can sometimes work around the regulations of the development plan—provided requirements regarding ridge height, roof shape, and pitch allow it—by planning a full second story covering 63% of the ground floor area instead of an attic with sloped ceilings.
Best regards
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