Ceiling height in a private house

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Established standards

According to the legal construction norms and rules (SNiP), the ceiling height in residential premises should be at least 2.5 meters. These standards were put into operation for a long time, so this is exactly the height of the ceilings in buildings of the old construction.
In the new SanPin from 2010, ceiling height standards are NOT indicated, which allows the owner to vary these figures at his discretion.

Optimum Ceiling Height

When designing the height of ceilings in a private house under construction, it is necessary to rely on the area of future premises.

Ceilings with a height of 3 meters will be inappropriate for small rooms, as well as a height of 2.5 meters in a spacious hall.

How to be? You should remember a simple rule - the larger the room, the higher the ceiling.

The average figures for ceiling heights vary between 2.7-3.2 m. But do not chase a higher height.

Yes, spacious rooms with high ceilings are beautiful and allow you to feel free.

But there are some disadvantages:

First of all, high ceilings will significantly increase the cost of building and operating a house.
Heating a spacious room will be difficult and expensive.
Any repair or even replacement of a bulb on a very high ceiling can be a problem.

The best option would be to choose the average ceiling height - from 2.6 to 3 meters. Such figures will help maintain the spaciousness of the rooms, and construction costs will be minimal.

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Respect for proportions

Deciding what height of the ceilings to make in a private house is necessary even at the time of designing the future structure. At the same time, modern standards take into account all the parameters within the building. Also, the purpose of the room should be taken into account.

For a bath, for example, very high ceilings are completely unsuitable. But for living rooms it is necessary to choose such a value of this parameter so that people would be comfortable inside.

Moreover, the owners should have enough space both in the process of arranging the interior, and in servicing the room. After all, cleaning and repair is easier to do in medium or small rooms than in huge rooms.

Normative

Modern construction applies various standards in the design process of the building's interior space. The standard ceiling height in a private house is 2.7 m. This is enough to fully carry out cleaning and repair of the premises.

The minimum distance from the floor to the ceiling should not be less than 2.5 m. This indicator value is more often used in country houses where the owners stay temporarily. For a summer cottage, a cottage, where it is not intended to use various sophisticated design techniques when arranging the interior, this will also be quite enough. If you plan to simply paint the ceiling, a height of 2.5 is more than convenient for a summer country house.

Standard requirements

The ceiling height in a private house, among other things, is also regulated by SNiP and the principles of fire safety. According to their requirements, in a building where people live permanently, certain parameters should be adhered to when designing. In this case, the minimum height should be at least 2.6 m.

The generally accepted opinion is the need to equip the internal space with fairly spacious dimensions. The higher the ceilings, the more comfortable the room. Therefore, many owners of private houses still in the process of designing a home seem to be the right decision to make the height of the ceilings inside the rooms about 3 m.

This approach allows you to create an original design. But the cubic capacity of rooms at the same time also increases, and at the same time in the cold period you will have to spend more energy on heating such rooms. If the rooms with high ceilings are not warm enough, being here will be very uncomfortable. Such a room seems gloomy.

Room Parameters

According to the recommendations of experts, the optimal ceiling height in a private house should be in the range of 2.6 to 3 m. To correctly select the required value of the indicator from this spectrum, you need to refer to the plan of the entire structure.

The private house can be operated year-round or seasonally. A small summer cottage is characterized by small rooms. It is rare for such houses to equip a huge hall, living room, etc. The summer house has several medium or small bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a common hall. Therefore, in such small rooms, the high ceiling will look unnatural. So, the ideal solution would be to choose this parameter at the level of 2.6 m.

The house in which the family lives year-round can have several very spacious rooms. And in them a low ceiling, in turn, seems ridiculous. Therefore, in such conditions, its level is maximized.

How to visually increase the ceiling level?

A sufficiently high ceiling height in a private house is not accessible to every owner. If you want to visually expand the space, you can take advantage of several expert advice. They will tell you how to properly equip the interior in a small room:

If the ceiling is bright, it will visually expand the space.
A similar effect is obtained by painting the ceiling in tone with the walls or only their upper part.
Vertical lines in the interior visually increase the space. To do this, use wallpaper with the corresponding pattern.
The specular sheen of the stretch ceiling also draws space. This is a rather interesting trick. By the way, the room at the same time looks elegant and solemn.

Stretch ceiling

The height of the ceilings in a private house can be significantly reduced if the owners decide to make a stretch or multi-level ceiling. To ensure that the space of the room is not reduced at least visually, several recommendations should be taken into account.

Simple designs with the installation of a single chandelier in the center reduce the height by a few centimeters. This is practically not noticeable to others. But if the ceiling design involves the installation of a complex lighting system, it will take about 10 cm in height. Under the panel you will have to put wires and special fasteners. Therefore, it is better to equip such systems in spacious rooms where the ceiling height is at least 2.8 m.

In modern conditions, many owners mount various fire and security equipment under a stretch ceiling. It is characterized by a reduction in space of 15 cm. Therefore, all previous methods of visually increasing the height of ceilings will be relevant in such conditions.

Having considered the standards and selection criteria for such an indicator as the ceiling height in a private house, each property owner will be able to create the most comfortable living space for himself. Using the advice of professional designers, you can visually expand the room, which makes it comfortable for the owners and their guests.

Accepted standards

First of all, some existing norms and standards should be taken into account. In addition to purely practical standards, depending on the complexity of the work and cost, there is a legally issued code of Construction Norms and Regulations (construction norms and rules). This document establishes the minimum permissible height of the premises, based on fire safety and the safety of the structure.

According to him:

the height of rooms and kitchens should not be lower than 2.5 m,
the height of the corridors and halls - 2.1 m,
the height of the attic depends on the angle of inclination and is 1.3 m at an angle of 30 ° and is not standardized at an angle of 45 ° or more.

Making height less will be not only uncomfortable, but also unsafe.

The minimum height normalized by the rules is not always optimal. The builders have their own standards, supported by experience and knowledge. Of course, it all depends on each specific case.

For example, for a luxurious stone mansion, you should not make ceilings of the same height as for a modest wooden house in the village, but, based on the average size of a brick or wooden cottage, the standard height is 2.7-2.9 m.

This number allows you to find a balance between squeezing low ceilings and expensive high. Most country houses are built following this standard. And for good reason: standard height has huge advantages that many do not notice.

Advantages and disadvantages of standard height

The average value in the construction of a private country house is most often optimal. When the goal is to build comfortable housing without unnecessary costs and frills, then the best solution is to follow the standards.

Disadvantages of high ceilings

The construction of rooms with high ceilings is much more expensive, they take more material. This is especially true for two-story houses, so the ceilings on the second floor are usually made lower than on the first.
Due to the increase in the volume of the room, the cost of heating also increases.
Very often this makes no sense: a few dozen upper centimeters remain uninvolved, overhanging unnecessary space.

Disadvantages of low ceilings

Psychological feeling of oppression and discomfort.
The complexity of the choice of furniture and accessories. It is necessary to choose furniture so that it does not squeeze the space and does not cause inconvenience.

Choosing a standard height will circumvent all these shortcomings and make your stay in the house as pleasant as possible.

Features

There are different nuances, and not always the standard height is the best. For the construction of a simple, cheap, but at the same time comfortable and cozy house - of course, but in cases where it is important to make the house also unusual, eye-catching, intricate, it is better to act differently.

Standard height is optimal, average for all indicatorsbut this is its main drawback if the goal is to build something unique. In addition, for various special cases, there are particular approaches.

In the case of building a frame house, the height is usually made smaller, reducing the ceilings to 2.3-2.5 m.

For example, in Finland, most houses are built in this way. This is explained by the speed of construction and saving. Nevertheless, life in such houses is no less enjoyable: it becomes more crowded, housing becomes more comfortable.

It’s quite easy to build and increase brick houses by a couple of tens of centimeters, besides with the right insulation, they are easy to heat, so the ceilings in such houses can be made higher. Raising the height to 3-3.2 m, you can attract interesting design solutions and achieve a beautiful modern interior design.

In timber houses, an increase in height can fly into a pretty penny, both in terms of construction and in terms of maintenance. Therefore, it is for such houses that the standard version of the height of the ceilings will be the most ergonomic. Timber is a difficult material and special care is needed, therefore, it is important to take into account its features during construction.

For attic, as well as two-story houses, as mentioned earlier, there are other standards. In order to save on construction and heating, the ceilings on the second floor are usually made 10-20 centimeters lower than on the first. If there is an attic, then everything depends on the angle of inclination. The main thing is that the low ceilings do not cause discomfortand everything else is a matter of price. It should take into account the area of the room and the functionality of the space. For large living rooms, higher ceilings should be made, and for bathrooms and corridors - low.

With individual design projects, the laws are completely different and depend on the personal wishes of the customer and the designer.

Tips

To make the living space of a private house more aesthetically pleasing, there are many interior solutions that most people simply do not know about. For people who have chosen ceilings of standard height, the following recommendations can be given to add visual beauty and volume to the room:

it is worth using shiny stretch ceilings - they stretch the space, saturating it with reflected light,
in the decoration of the walls you need to add more vertical lines and mirrors - this will make the space deeper and visually higher,
it is desirable to paint the walls and ceiling in one tone, and the floor a tone lower, that is, darker,
it’s better to make the ceiling light
the windows should be placed closer to the ceiling so that more light falls on it than on the floor.

Design

The choice of standard-height ceilings opens up prospects for a diverse and inexpensive design: from banal wallpapers (it is better to prefer wallpaper with stripes, as they make the appearance more sophisticated) to intricate author's patterns that can bring interesting ideas to the interior of the room. Using a small ladder, you can independently get to the highest sections of the walls and decorate them.

A room with a standard ceiling height can be compared with a standard sheet of paper, so familiar to creativity. Of course, there are large formats, and small ones, but it is the standard one that is so familiar and convenient for creating something of your own.

Psychology

Houses are being built for people and people to live in them, their feelings and impressions of living in a particular house are the main things to be guided by. Normal height is one that does not cause unpleasant emotions: it does not crush, does not make you feel uncomfortable, but at the same time it does not create the feeling of being in a public place.

The house is a place where you need to relax, feel in your place, relax.Strange as it may seem, a lot depends on the ceiling height.

It must be remembered that the rooms can be very multifunctional. For noisy parties you need one thing, for quiet libraries - another. The plus of the standard height is that it can be adapted to anything. In addition, this is definitely a win-win option in the case when the exact purpose of the room is not known. The feelings that the room makes you experience are the main thing that the room can give to a person.

The layout of a country cottage is an important process and it is worth approaching from all sides, but first of all from the side of one’s own feelings. To make ceilings of standard height or not is the builder's choice, which is important to approach responsibly and seriously, since there is most likely no possibility of remodeling. It is necessary to correctly analyze everything, assess the prospects, so that upon completion of construction and occupation, the impressions are only the most pleasant.

You will find some more information about choosing the height of the rooms in the house in the next video.

Ceiling height depends on the purpose of the room

The decision on the height of the ceilings should be made at the stage of approval of the project of the house. There are no standards as such for its size. However, it will depend on the purpose of the room. For example, for saunas and baths it is absolutely not appropriate to choose high ceilings, since the consumed heat will be distributed inappropriately, and all the steam will be concentrated at the top.

For smaller living rooms, increasing the ceiling will lead to an uncomfortable feeling. Rooms with low ceilings are ideal for children, bathrooms and kitchens in which a huge area is not required. But the living rooms and halls, rooms reserved for the library or warehouse - will look great with the highest ceiling level in large houses.

Generally accepted norms and requirements of standards

A height of 2.7 m in a private house is taken as a common value. It will be quite enough for a comfortable stay, as well as cleaning and repairing the premises. At this height, it is quite easy to design multilevel ceilings, both hinged and suspended. However, if you do not want to clutter the surface of the ceiling with various designs, but simply paint it, a height of 2.5 m is quite suitable. These are particular generally accepted standards.

Standards for the construction of modern buildings are governed by various norms of sanitary rules and the requirements of state standards. They can be found in the building regulations - SNiPakh. In houses where people live permanently, these rules set a minimum value of 2.6 m. Being guided by these standards, you should know that many of them have already lost their force and are recognized not by laws, but only by codes of practice. Despite this, many designers still use them. In the new urban planning rules of architectural design, the ceiling height is not regulated. Therefore, you can choose it at your discretion, without violating the fire safety requirements.

There is an opinion of owners of private houses that the greater the height of the ceilings, the better. It is believed that in this case you can equip the room in various ways and to your liking. But this is far from the case. Imagine a room in a residential building, the walls of which are more than three meters. The total cubic meter of such a room will be larger, which will make it more spacious. But in the winter time it will take a lot of money to heat such areas.

According to the laws of physics, warm air always tends to rise, and cold air spreads on the floor. And even with the abundant use of heating devices, heat will be consumed for other purposes. In addition, the heat accumulating at the top of the room will destroy the attic and the roof itself. If it is wooden, then the material will soon dry out and crack.

The standard normal height in a brick, frame or timber house, as well as in a two-story country cottage, must meet SNiP. These rules are the same as in the first. So on the second floor.

Room geometry

Expert opinion converges at a ceiling height of 2.6 to 3 meters. In order to correctly choose from this range, it is necessary to determine the layout of the structure and its use. An important role is played by the seasonal operation of the house. If you plan to build a cozy summer house with small rooms, feel free to choose a height of 2.6 meters. Such houses are not characterized by huge living rooms and spacious halls. Therefore, the ceilings do not need elevation.

If the house is intended for year-round use, spacious bedrooms and a large living room will look appropriate in it. In this case, you can not do without high walls, especially if the layout of the rooms provides for the placement of bunk beds.

Optimum ceiling height format

Each owner of a house under construction wants to choose the optimal height for the rooms of his house. It must be remembered that the house has yet to be built, and then maintained and looked after its space, and not just rejoice at its magnificence. To choose the best option, stick to three components:

your desires
ergonomics rules
building standards.

Everything is clear with our desires, and they are quite diverse, so they do not need to be discussed. But ergonomics should be introduced at least in general terms. This scientific discipline studies the effective interaction of a person with the space surrounding him to maximize his functions. Therefore, when choosing a height, you should have an idea about the purpose of the room, the location in it of household items and decor elements.

To choose the best option, you need to rely on the area of the rooms. There is a rule: the larger the area, the higher the wall. A small room with a huge ceiling will look ridiculous, and in a large room a ceiling of two and a half meters will put pressure on its space. There is another way to determine the desired height. To do this, you can choose the highest member of your family and ask him to extend his arms up. Add to its height 30-35 mm, and summarizing get the optimal value.

Cons and pros of high ceilings

the cost of designing and building a house will become more expensive. In addition, you will have to spend money on materials for interior decoration,
organizing a heating system will not be easy, but in the process of using it, it will begin to require large cash costs,
any repair work on the ceiling will require considerable effort. Workers will have to use additional facilities in their work, which will also affect the price and time of repair,
domestic difficulties. When cleaning the upper half of the room will require skill. Replacing a light bulb can be a big problem.

Despite this, high ceilings are widely spread thanks to their advantages:

high altitude has a special atmosphere and free sensation in the house,
boundless imagination in decorating the ceiling. High walls will create a unique ceiling design using two or three-tier drywall structures. The large-scale ceiling can be decorated with various decorative stucco molding, which will look luxurious with a classic style or medieval baroque.

Even such a huge space requires efficient use. Designers recommend applying the "rule of three" - visually break the walls into three sections. At the bottom, place additional trim, for example, sheathe it with stone or lining. Decorate the second section with paintings and shelves.

These items should not be placed above eye level to prevent a feeling of emptiness. Third - leave it untouched. With this layout, the ceiling will seem even higher! Be sure to use massive chandeliers in your lighting design. They emphasize the elegance and chic of the room.

So that space does not inspire boredom, make a bold decision - paint one of the walls in a contrasting bright color! Such an emphasis will add uniqueness.

Cons and pros of low ceilings

A feeling of crushing space will always accompany a room with a low ceiling. It will be uncomfortable to be in it.
Limited use of hanging chandeliers. There are houses where the ceiling height is limited to two meters. In such rooms, the chandelier will have to be avoided.
Limited ability to create architectural compositions. If you want to create a multi-level design in a room with a low ceiling, you will have to turn to professional designers for help. To create such a ceiling will be difficult, but possible.

The pros of low ceilings are the cons of high. Therefore, we will not repeat. Let's take a better look at what designers will advise in these cases. First, cross out the following from the interior:

chandeliers, lampshades and massive floor lamps,
stucco molding and volumetric decor elements,
massive wardrobes, tall tables and huge sofas,
painted curtains attached to the walls. The best option would be discreet plastic, mounted to the ceiling.

Bet on the texture and color of the room. White is the perfect solution. This color can work wonders, pushing the boundaries of space. Use its shades on the walls and ceiling. Add more gloss and mirrors to the interior. The shiny surface perfectly reflects objects, visually adding cubic meters to the room. Installing a glossy stretch ceiling will be an effective solution.

If you do not want to see your room in white tones, other light shades will do. With this option, you need to know that the color of the ceiling should not be darker than the walls. Otherwise, he will give himself away.

These tricks can give even a small ceiling a large space. And the last one. At the stage of building a house, note that the height of the ceiling will be designed in draft form. After finishing work, it will be reduced. Especially the height will change when installing heated floors or superstructures of multi-level structures.

All about the optimal ceiling height in a SIP-house, see the next video.