question re: ceiling height storey 1/2 house

ella28

Hello,

I'm a long time browser and near the end of planning process and due to a lack of knowledge on my part and limited communication on the part of the architect I'm worried again.

Here's the background and my question(s)
We have planning for a storey1/2 house 2500 square feet on a sloping site.
We originally want ed 2 storey and were advised as on sloping site we would probablyh not get it, this was all fine happy to cut it down to storey and half.

We said that is grand but we still want to use the originally floor plans and make a couple of changes upstairs.
the ceiling height in the oroginal plan was 9ft downstairs and 8ft 3' up.
I had hoped to drop the floor level to 8Ft down and to give the upstairs the extra height.
Didn't check height on plan.... until now (why I hear you ask) I stupidly assumed that the plan would be the same, heights and all and I assumed also that any changes to the original plan would be voiced to make us aware that certain changes were necessary.
Anyway heights are 8ft 3' down and 8ft 3' up.

Is there anything I can do to raise the ceiling height upstairs?
Am I worrying about nothing? Is this standard height?
I keep thinking that I don't want to regret in years to come not looking for extra height.
there was also a lot more glass in the original plan. Now all my bedrooms have one dormer window, no side gable windows. Is this suffucuebt for light.

I know I sound like a real half wit and I'm very annoyed at myself for not looking into this better, I just made assumptions.

Any advice on what to do ???

Oh just wanted to add that I'm, located in Donegal

muffler

Strictly speaking you are now stuck with the height as that is what you have got permission for. Nothing wrong with the heights you mentioned but perhaps visit a friend or two and have a look at their ceiling heights. You could add a couple of inches to the bottom and take it off the top if you wished.

Regarding light - there are rules in relation to this. Glazing = min. 10% of room area.

Really and truly you should be discussing these matters with your architect. You are paying him for this you know. Dont forget that you are the employer and are entitled to ask questions and receive replies.

ella28

muffler wrote: »

Strictly speaking you are now stuck with the height as that is what you have got permission for. Nothing wrong with the heights you mentioned but perhaps visit a friend or two and have a look at their ceiling heights. You could add a couple of inches to the bottom and take it off the top if you wished.

Regarding light - there are rules in relation to this. Glazing = min. 10% of room area.

Really and truly you should be discussing these matters with your architect. You are paying him for this you know. Dont forget that you are the employer and are entitled to ask questions and receive replies.

I know I should be talking to the architect, I just wanted to get some feedback here first. the experience that I hve had with my architect is that unless I ask questions he doesn't volunteer any info. I always seen to figure things out myself a little too late and wonder 'why wasn't I told that' most people only use an architect once in thier lives and have nothing to compare to so I don't know what is the norm.

Muffler, I have read a lot of your posts and highly regard your opinion.
when you say to take inches off the top. Do you mean to reduce downstairs height by 3' and add it upstairs to make it 8 6'.

I am just wondering if I could have had 9ft height downstairs if I had requested it. Is this becuase I am not on the ball enough.
That was the ceiling height on the original plan I requested to be copied.
I assumed if that height was not possible I'd be told....

thanks for all advice. I feel fobbed off a lot and I can get honest opinions here.

muffler

As I said you are technically stuck with the overall height of the house from a planning point of view. You could always reapply for increased roof height.

The min. required for ceilings is 8 ft. on ground floor and (to make it simple) 8 ft on first floor for at least half the width of the rooms. There is a way of determining heights directly below the roof and you should ask your architect about this.

Changing 2 x 8' - 3" arrangement to a 1 x 8' and a 1 x 8' - 6" is fine as it wont affect the overall height.

newname

.

BadCharlie

Well you can make any change in your house as long as you don't change outside doors windows and roof height ect. What you went for planning on the outside must stay the same.

I my self added an extra roof window on my house during construction. I did not talk to the architect or inform the local council. After it was done i then sent them a letter saying i added a roof light and do you require me to go for planning retention "i sent them drawings of what it should have been & then a picture of what it was now". They gave me the all clear which i was very glad about.

Changing the roof height is kind of a bigone i would think. Prob would need to change pitch off roof to give you extra height inside. Im not going to tell you to just go and do it and worrie about it later

Im very sure i saw in planning, that your house must substantially comply with your planning application once completed.

If im wrong someone can say so but i don't think i am.

muffler

BadCharlie wrote: »

Im very sure i saw in planning, that your house must substantially comply with your planning application once completed.

If im wrong someone can say so but i don't think i am.

You wont see that in planning permissions that are granted. The usual wording would be along the lines of "The development shall be carried out strictly in accordance with the plans submitted".

However its not unusual to see that wording in a cert. compliance issued by the supervising architect/engineer/technician.

muffler

@ newname. Thanks

Quazzie

If its a story and a half it might be possible to raise the first floor ceiling height by a few inches without interfering with anything structural. ya'd really have to suggest it to your architect and see if it has any implications.

Talwin

You could see about raising the collars on the rafters but check that it will be okay structurally

Mellor

Talwin wrote: »

You could see about raising the collars on the rafters but check that it will be okay structurally

That won't have a huge impact, its the sloped portion that "defines" ceiling height. both from a regulation point of view and from a position of comfort

Talwin

true true

ella28

It was suggested that I just 'add a block' and this would raise the height upstairs. I'm told this will result in the height of the wall, before it begins to slope into the middle of the room to be raised, therefore giving more head room in at the wall.

This I assume is not something that can be signed off by the supervising architect?

Will look into other ways of adding a little. We have three big rooms upstairs so by no means psuhed but the study with feel very small with the sloped ceiling. hard to imagine