Whats the difference between a 1.5 storey and a 2 storey house

sas

Am looking at a site. Have been told by vendor that the council will allow a 1.5 storey max on the site.

I've been told that a dormer is basically 7.5 metres high i.e. to the peak of the roof. Externally the roof appears to start at the first floor level.

In 1.5 storeys I've seen you meet the roof (looking from the bottom up) at about 1/2 way up the first floor windows. Is this a fixed height or would that be something particular to a specific county council? How much of the external wall of the house will be visible in an upstairs room before the roof starts to cut in? I've been told 5 feet but i'm looking for a little confirmation.

In a nutshell we'd prefer a 2 storey so I'm trying to determine the actual difference.

All help appreciated.

Viking House

7.5 metres from where? nobody ever gives you a benchmark height when you are building a house.
My point is that you could easily put in an extra line of blocks all round to give you more space upstairs.
We did this on a house in Portmarnock and got great space in the attic.

smashey

sas wrote:

Am looking at a site. Have been told by vendor that the council will allow a 1.5 storey max on the site.

I've been told that a dormer is basically 7.5 metres high i.e. to the peak of the roof. Externally the roof appears to start at the first floor level.

In 1.5 storeys I've seen you meet the roof (looking from the bottom up) at about 1/2 way up the first floor windows. Is this a fixed height or would that be something particular to a specific county council? How much of the external wall of the house will be visible in an upstairs room before the roof starts to cut in? I've been told 5 feet but i'm looking for a little confirmation.

In a nutshell we'd prefer a 2 storey so I'm trying to determine the actual difference.

All help appreciated.

1.5 storeys is a single storey dwelling that includes the attic space as living space with the inclusion of either velux or dormer windows. 2 storeys would be 2 storeys plus a separate attic.

tred

smashey wrote:

1.5 storeys is a single storey dwelling that includes the attic space as living space with the inclusion of either velux or dormer windows. 2 storeys would be 2 storeys plus a separate attic.

1.5 story is a style of dormer house, where the dormers windows are lower down towards the front and not high up on the roof if you follow what i mean. they are regarded as a tradition irish type of housein the new development plans. possible a bungalow wiht a roofspace might fall into this category but in development plan terms this would still be regarded as a bungalow. I will try and show u an example..
http://www.silkefinn.com/residential/galway_county/Oughterard/radharc_na_sleibhe.html
look at the middle house in the group of three....thats sold as 1.5 story. the others are normal dormers..

sas

Viking House wrote:

7.5 metres from where? nobody ever gives you a benchmark height when you are building a house.
My point is that you could easily put in an extra line of blocks all round to give you more space upstairs.
We did this on a house in Portmarnock and got great space in the attic.

I'm going to have to disagree on this. The following is a snippet from a planning application decision issued by laois county council.

---

2. Prior to the commencement of any work on this development applicant is requested to submit revised house plans for written approval of the Planning Authority. Plans to include:

1. Roof ridge height no greater than 7.5 metres.

---

smashey wrote:

1.5 storeys is a single storey dwelling that includes the attic space as living space with the inclusion of either velux or dormer windows. 2 storeys would be 2 storeys plus a separate attic.

A single storey dwelling that includes the attic as living space with the inclusion of either velux or dormer windows is refered to as a dormer in this end of the country. A 1.5 storey is a special case, the external wall is literally 1.5 storeys high. This is not a term I've made up, I have a book of house plans that distinguish between the 2. Also an architect I spoke to distinguished between bungalow, dormer, 1.5 storey and 2 storeys. A preplanning meeting with a planner on the site in question also specifically stated that they wouldn't allow a 2 storey, only up to 1.5 storeys.

This possibly begs the question then why did I ask the initial question. The reason is I specifically want to know if there are actual dimensions that say when a house is a 1.5 storey. Also I don't have much patience and wanted to know today instead of having to wait until later in the week to talk to someone.

When I get a chance to talk to the architect I'll find out what the difference actually is and post it.

Thanks for the feedback.

tribesman

smashey wrote:

1.5 storeys is a single storey dwelling that includes the attic space as living space with the inclusion of either velux or dormer windows. 2 storeys would be 2 storeys plus a separate attic.

This is called a dormer bungalow. The most important difference between this and a 1.5 storey is that the floor area of the first floor in the 1.5 storey is the same as the gound floor. In a dormer bungalow you lose some area near the eaves.

We built a 1.5 storey. The external walls on the first floor are approx 1.5 metres. I would say that if you can get planning it would be a cheaper to build a full two storey. A 1.5 storey with "dormer" windows complicates the roof, the slabbing, the plastering, fascia and soffit, & guttering. You can end up with lots of unsightly down-pipes for guttering if you have a few windows breaking the roof-line.

smashey

I was trying to simplify it.

muffler

This thread just caught my eye.

In my experience with Donegal County Council a house with a 1.50 metre high wallplate above the first floor would be classed as as a 1.5 storey house. i have submitted a few with wallplate up to 1.80 high and they got passed.

The term they (planners) tend to use here now is a "raised wallplate dormer" which I suppose is effectively the same as the above

sas

Thanks for all the feedback. Gives me something to go on.

muffler

Viking House wrote:

7.5 metres from where? nobody ever gives you a benchmark height when you are building a house..

The 7.5 metres is measured from the finished ground floor. Planners can then dictate the height of the FFL relative to existing ground levels or a TBM

PoolDude

22-04-06 House 43.jpg

This is a 1.5 storey according to Wexford CC where I'm building, I was also told I could not build a 2 storey. Upstairs I can walk to within a couple of inches of the wall without hitting my head, I'm circa 6ft. Hope it gives you a better idea.

muffler

PoolDude wrote:

22-04-06 House 43.jpg

This is a 1.5 storey according to Wexford CC where I'm building, I was also told I could not build a 2 storey. Upstairs I can walk to within a couple of inches of the wall without hitting my head, I'm circa 6ft. Hope it gives you a better idea.

Thats not a 6 footer walking at the front of the house

That picture is indeed a great example of a 1.5 storey house. The bottem of the roof (soffit) will normally come about half way down the first floor windows as shown in the photo

zafar_ad

does 2 storey house always have the same foot print, as the ground floor?

If the 2nd storey's foot print is less than its ground floor, would it still be considered 2 storey or 1 1/2 storey? Any references regarding this ?

(the house i am talking about, has its own attic, over 2nd floor, but, has lesser covered area, as compared to its ground floor)

thanks in advance
zf

RKQ

Perfect example Pooldude.
Wallplate in the centre of the first floor windows is a good example of a 1.5 storey. The 1st floor area is usually the same floor area as the ground floor - similar to a two storey!

A two stoey has two storey each 2.475mm high and then an attic.

A dormer is a bungalow with a converted attic, it can be quite wide as the roof construction is not limited by span, i.e use of collars, purlin etc. A dormer house has dormer windows.

A dormer rarely has the same 1st floor area as the ground floor area, as the 1st floor walls are stepped back 900mm to 1200 from the blockwork external walls. Dormers can also include Hipped roofs - again decreasing 1st floor area.

A 1.5 stoey house is usually tradition in form, it is rarely wider that 5.5m or so as it will probably have a purlin roof. This narrow width helps ensure a low ridge height even at a traditional pitch of 38 or 40 degrees.

A 1.5 storey house is not a dormer because it does not have dormer windows!
It can't have dormers because the windows are built into the wall, with the wallplate at the centre of the window height - hence the expression "Storey and a half".
This form can look quite tradition farmhouse cottage look.

If you want to build a two storey then find a site that will accommodate a two storey. People who like two storeys are rarely happy in a Dormer or 1.5 storey!