8 foot ceilings

[sm_jamieson]

Just an ordinary 1930s end terrace in the Midlands with standard 8 foot cei lings. We've had no plasterboard on the back room ceiling for at least a year, whi ch gave the effect of 8'7" ceilings. After plasterboarding today, it's real ly closed down the room, just reducing back to 8 feet. Its amazing how much difference it made. And going from a dark timber to the grey plasterboard.

At least in the kitchen we have the ceiling rising towards 10 feet which is nice. Its a shame the standard has become 8 feet rather than say 9 - which was th e standard for even small Victorian terraces.

When I have visited in Liverpool, in the older houses those high 10 and 11 foot ceilings are wonderful. I think if I ever built my own house the first thing I would specify would be "ceilings to be 3 metres".

For new build houses the standard seems now to have reduced to a metric 2.4 m rather than 8 feet, and with losing those extra few centimetres is really pushing it.

Given the chance I don't know why anyone would go for 8 foot ceilings. New "McMansions" - footballers houses etc. - judging by space above doorway s they often seem to have only 8 foot ceilings, which in large rooms result s in terrible proportions. OK they might have a double height entrace lobby etc, but the rest of the house ... Why would architects draw up such thing s ?

Anyway, plasterboarding ceilings really wears me out these days - and thats with 3x6 boards - I used to use 4x8. Simon.

[Max Demian]

Perhaps rooms should be as tall as they are wide. When you build your dream home, you could follow Inigo Jones and go for cube and double cube rooms, at least for the drawing room and the banqueting hall respectively.

[Steve Walker]

Our house has 8ft, my parents' has 9ft, which makes a big difference, as you say. My wife's former flat (in a converted Victorian detached) had

11ft - very nice! 9ft seems a reasonable compromise between openness and needing a lot more heating, but I've seen some modern houses where the ceiling is so low that people can't have a pendant light fitting on the ceiling!

SteveW

[RJH]

I think higher ceiling work best in larger rooms - say 6m +. They tend to make smaller rooms look a bit cubey. And of course higher ceilings make a room more of a chore to heat.

I've managed a few 4 x 8 sheets with the help of props, but it's a miserable thing to do.

I had some plasterers in to overboard three ceilings. All 3 of them used chopped up board - never more than 4 x 4. One of them used lots of much smaller pieces. Could be a moral there . . .

[Brian Gaff]

The reason is efficient heating of the living space. The higher the ceiling the more space one has to heat. Heat rises so you are heating a lot of the room before you get any heat lower down. Brian

[Tim Lamb]

As you say, 8 x 4 are 'kin heavy. I bought a board lifter for the cottage job. Around ?100 but available second hand, I happen to have one spare:-) Makes single handed boarding easy.

On the architects question, I think they must work in multiples of 400 and 600mm.

>

[spuorgelgoog]

(a) it's cheaper - every row of bricks/blocks to be laid has a cost

(b) reduces the ridge height, so easier to get past the planners, especially with mcmansions which often have convoluted roof outlines

Owain

[sm_jamieson]

lly with mcmansions which often have convoluted roof outlines

It is down the cost, but new builds seem to not really go below 2.4m - the size of sheet of plasterboard. I think anything below would seem oppressive and not sell. I also think that if a house builder made a point of saying "all our houses have 9 foot ceilings", they could sell for more and it woul d pay for itself. On the other hand, if extra foot is the profit margin ... but I don't believe that for a minute.

If I was confronted with a maximum ridge height, I'd try to get the planner s to specify an absolute height (in relation to a fixed datum), then dig th e site down a bit to allow a higher roof line. If they objected to that the y are just being awkward.

I saw an interesting one - a think a Lady dowager - moving out of the state ly home. She had built on the estate a "bungalow" stately home. It was a si ngle storey but with very high ceilings, and a set of pillars at the front. Inside it was just like a stately home, but with the notable absence of an y stairs. From the outside it looked really quite strange !

Simon.

[sm_jamieson]

Best to put downward blowing ceilings fans in. Or course there is still more volume to heat. Or a more sophisticated internal vent system so recirculate the air. Simon.

[Andy Burns]

My 1971 build has 7'6" ceilings - the height of the paramount boards used in the partition walls.

[Chris Green]

More of a chore? Are you pedalling the generator yourself (or lugging the coal)?

[harry]

hich gave the effect of 8'7" ceilings. After plasterboarding today, it's re ally closed down the room, just reducing back to 8 feet. Its amazing how mu ch difference it made. And going from a dark timber to the grey plasterboar d.

the standard for even small Victorian terraces.

1 foot ceilings are wonderful. I think if I ever built my own house the fir st thing I would specify would be "ceilings to be 3 metres".

.4m rather than 8 feet, and with losing those extra few centimetres is real ly pushing it.

ays they often seem to have only 8 foot ceilings, which in large rooms resu lts in terrible proportions. OK they might have a double height entrace lob by etc, but the rest of the house ... Why would architects draw up such thi ngs ?

ts with 3x6 boards - I used to use 4x8.

The reason terrace houses have high ceilings is that the windows have to be high to let sufficient light in.