Comfortable ceiling height in the house. Comfortable ceiling height in a private house. Standards and Practices

Every owner of a private house under construction is faced with the question - what is the optimal ceiling height in it?

This figure depends not only on the preferences of the owner, but also on building codes, as well as basic ergonomic rules.

Let's consider what numbers you need to start from.

Established standards

According to legalized building codes and regulations (SNiP), the height of ceilings in residential premises must be at least 2.5 meters.

These standards were put into operation quite a long time ago, so this is exactly the height of the ceilings in old buildings.

In the new SanPin of 2010, ceiling height standards are not specified, which allows the owner to vary these figures at his own discretion.

Optimal ceiling height

When designing the height of ceilings in a private house under construction, it is necessary to rely on the area of ​​the future premises. Ceilings 3 meters high will be inappropriate for small rooms, just as a height of 2.5 meters will be a little oppressive in a spacious hall.

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

Average ceiling heights vary between 2.7-3.2 meters. But you shouldn't chase greater heights. Yes, spacious rooms with high ceilings are beautiful and make you feel free.

But there are also some disadvantages:

1. First of all, high ceilings will significantly increase the cost of building and operating a house.

2. Heating a spacious room will be difficult and expensive.

3. Any repair or even replacing a light bulb on a very high ceiling can be a problem.

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

Every developer, even at the stage of dreaming about his future home, asks himself a question about the height of the ceilings. The forums are full of topics about life in cramped “Khrushchev” apartments with 2.5 m ceilings and advice not to skimp on this little joy. Let's figure out where the golden mean is between two and a half meter high ceilings and the second light of the houses that look so temptingly at us from the pages of glossy magazines.

First, you need to understand for yourself that in this house you will not only enjoy life, but also that the house needs to be built, and then all this beauty needs to be maintained.

Disadvantages of low ceilings.

Of course, the main disadvantage of low ceilings is the psychological component, which will not allow a person in good health to start a construction site in the twenty-first century with ceilings of 2.10 m, and then knock his forehead on the door frames and burn his head with a light bulb. The house should be comfortable, spacious and bright.

Pros of low ceilings

The cost of construction and further maintenance of such a house. The lower the ceiling in the house and the lower the walls, the less material will be spent on their construction, the less material will be spent on finishing these walls, smaller window sizes will be needed, the volume of rooms will be reduced, and heating costs will accordingly decrease. Agree, heating 37.5 cubic meters of air in a room with an area of ​​15 meters is cheaper and faster than 52.5 cubic meters in a room with 3.5 meter ceilings of the same area.

Cons of high ceilings

The disadvantages of high ceilings naturally follow from the advantages of low ceilings described above in this article, so we will not dwell on them too much.

Pros of high ceilings

The advantage of high ceilings is the unique atmosphere and freedom of a private home, which many people move to after “making money” in cramped high-rise buildings. It is impossible to imagine a cozy, large living room with low ceilings. You will not be left with the feeling of something oppressive or that you are in an old building. A wall design containing vertical stripes can eventually somehow smooth out the insufficient ceiling height, but this is not the best option at the thinking stage of the future developer.

Optimal ceiling height in a private house

If you are not yet completely confused, let's compare the ceiling heights in various buildings known to us.

Thus, the optimal ceiling height for a private house is 2.70 - 3.10 meters. A house with such ceilings will delight its owners with its cozy atmosphere and will not ruin them with gas bills or any alternative fuel.

When building a private house, the owner must be guided not only by his preferences, but also comply with current standards. This is especially true for the height of premises for various purposes. The height of the ceilings is also important in apartments, because it affects the comfort of living and the design possibilities of the rooms. In different eras of construction, different standards were in effect. Indicators also differ depending on the purpose of the room. We will tell you what the optimal ceiling height is in a private house or apartment, and we will also describe what determines and what the height of the bathhouse should be from floor to ceiling.

As for the height of ceilings in an apartment, these standards are regulated by a document called SNiP, in particular its series 01/31/2003. You can read more about this indicator in paragraph 5.8 of this document.

It states that the minimum height of a room or ancillary space is determined depending on:

• its type and purpose;
• construction region.

Important! Standards for the height of premises exist to ensure optimal natural air circulation in housing and a favorable microclimate.

To find out which climatic region a particular place belongs to, just refer to SNiP number 23-01-99. The entire territory of our country is divided into climatic regions, taking into account the average monthly temperature, air humidity and the direction of the prevailing winds. The territory of the Russian Federation is divided into 4 climatic regions. All of them are further divided into 16 districts. Zone IA is considered the coldest.

Depending on the climatic region, the following room height standards apply:

1. In areas belonging to zones IA, IB, IG, ID, and VA, the minimum permissible height from floor to ceiling is 2700 mm.
2. In all other zones, the norm is 2500 mm.

Norms for residential premises

Today, new apartments with high ceilings are not often found. This is explained by the fact that at the moment there are standards in force according to which the optimal distance from the ceiling surface to the finished floor in an apartment is taken to be 2400-2800 mm. It is prohibited to design apartments with a height of less than 2.4 m. A lower value will not only adversely affect the microclimate in the room, but will also not allow a person to feel comfortable in a low room.

These standards do not apply to the construction of individual houses. If desired, the owner of such a building can arrange rooms with a height of 3000-3500 mm. But in pursuit of a comfortable room, do not forget that tall rooms take longer to heat up and require significant heating costs.

Today the following standards for the height of residential premises are in force:

• children's room, bedroom, living room and office - at least 2500 mm;
• kitchen – also no less than 250 cm;
• if mezzanines are installed in the corridor or hallway, then underneath them the optimal distance from the floor to the ceiling surface is 2100 mm;
• the height of the ceilings in a private house with an attic can be reduced by half in a room with a pitched roof (that is, the junction of the wall and the sloping ceiling should be at least 1.4 m-1.6 m from the floor).

The maximum maximum value for this parameter in private buildings is not specified. Most often, rooms in houses are made no higher than 3200 mm, and in buildings of the last century - 4000 mm.

Standards for non-residential premises

When designing non-residential premises, we are guided by the following standards for this indicator:

• public buildings and sanatoriums - not lower than 3000 mm;
• auxiliary premises and corridors - at least 1900 mm;
• production shops and dry cleaners - at least 3600 mm;
• the height of technical floors depends on the utilities passing there, but should not be lower than 1600 mm;
• Preschools, schools, medical institutions - at least 3000 mm;
• offices, shopping centers and administrative institutions - at least 3 meters.

Standard ceiling height in houses

Apartment buildings built in a certain era have different height parameters for the premises. Moreover, the difference depends on the purpose of the structure and the time of its construction. Apartments built in different parts of our country are characterized by the same dimensions.

Stalinka

Such apartments belong to the old housing stock and are characterized by impressive sizes. This era is characterized by a lack of savings on space and materials, because there was no mass construction of housing. The distance from the ceiling surface to the floor in such apartments is 3300-3600 mm. On the ceiling there is often decor in the form of stucco molding and decorative cornices.

Advice! To adjust the parameters of high “Stalin” buildings, suspended or suspended ceilings are installed. As for painting, wallpapering or whitewashing, they are inappropriate in such apartments.

Khrushchevka

During the reign of Khrushchev, the task was to provide housing for every family. Since the project implementation time and costs were quite limited, small-sized apartments were designed. On average, the distance from floor to ceiling was 2480-2600 mm, but in northern latitudes apartments with a height of at least 2700 mm were built.

Important! The ceiling surface in Khrushchev is not decorated with suspended structures, which steal valuable centimeters. To visually expand the space, it is recommended to use light glossy finishing materials.

Brezhnevka

Houses built during the time of Brezhnev are distinguished by improved sizes, because after the massive construction of “Khrushchev’s” small-sized apartments, the time has come to think about the comfort of housing. The apartments are spacious, each room has a separate entrance, the kitchen is quite spacious, the hallway has built-in cabinets and mezzanines. As for the height, in Brezhnevkas this parameter is 2600-2700 mm.

Block and panel houses

Active construction of panel and block houses began in Khrushchev's times. The distance from the ceiling to the floor in the first panels built was 2500 mm. At the same time, the layout of small-sized Khrushchev buildings was completely preserved.

In the 80s, new block and panel apartment buildings with improved layouts began to be built. Here the height of the rooms is in the range of 2650-2750 mm. The layout of the apartments was radically different from Khrushchev’s buildings, and the height of the building exceeded 5 floors.

Outbuildings

There are no exact standards regarding the height of outbuildings. Facilities for utility purposes may differ in this parameter depending on the region of construction and the purpose of the premises. The shed for storing utensils and tools is made 1900 mm high. If it is necessary to store large items, the distance is increased to 2000-2200 mm.

Ceiling heights for auxiliary premises

Every apartment has auxiliary premises. These are places where a person does not reside constantly, that is, does not sleep, cook or eat. When designing them, they are also guided by certain standards.

Bathroom

In apartments and private houses, the bathroom is located under the same ceiling as the living rooms, so the height of the room is directly related to the standard height of the rest of the apartment or house. If the bathroom area is small, and the distance from floor to ceiling is significant, then the room seems disproportionate and uncomfortable. To correct this drawback, suspended or suspended ceilings are installed in the bathroom at the required distance from the floor.

Bath

Do you want to know the exact ceiling height in the bathhouse, the standard is 2300 mm. Typically, this is the parameter that is observed when constructing a one-story detached building. A ceiling height in a bathhouse of less than 2200 mm is unacceptable because it leads to poor circulation of heated air.

Attention! More precisely, the distance from the floor to the ceiling in the bathhouse is determined taking into account the number of shelves and the total number of rows.

However, if the bathhouse is made very high, then the room will take a very long time to warm up to the required temperature. Another disadvantage of a bath that is too high lies in the significant costs of raw materials or electricity for heating.

How to calculate ceiling height

To independently determine the optimal distance from the ceiling surface to the finished floor in the room, adhere to the following rules:

1. For living rooms and other premises of permanent residence, this parameter is selected taking into account the height of the tallest member of the household. A height reserve of 1 m is added to his height. A reserve of free space above human height is needed to protect against inhalation of dusty and very dry air that circulates a meter from the ceiling.
2. When determining the height of rooms, do not forget to take into account heating costs. A tall room takes longer to heat up and requires greater costs for heating the coolant.

Interesting fact! When the floor height increases by 30 cm, the cubic capacity of the house increases by 30 m³. As a result, to install autonomous heating you will need powerful, expensive equipment.

1. In multi-storey private houses, a significant distance from floor to ceiling requires the construction of a large staircase that takes up a lot of usable space. To save space, you can make a steeper staircase, but it is not safe to move along it.
2. When calculating this parameter, take into account the area of ​​individual rooms. Thus, a high ceiling in a small room looks disproportionate and causes an unpleasant feeling in the people who are there. A ceiling surface that is too low in a spacious room makes it visually even lower.

When is it permissible not to comply with the rules?

When building an individual house, you may not comply with current standards regarding the height of premises. However, do not forget that this often leads to undesirable consequences in the form of high costs for materials and heating of the house or an unfavorable microclimate in the home.

When constructing apartment buildings and public buildings, designers and builders are required to comply with current regulations regarding the height of premises.

The height of the ceilings is an integral component of comfortable living and the psychological feeling in the room. Generally accepted rules and regulations establish this value depending on the type of structure. In apartments there is no need to choose this height; it is established by building standards and on average is 2.5-2.7 m. And if we are talking about a private house at the construction and planning stages, then special attention is paid to this parameter.

Thanks to the correct calculations, you will not have problems installing multi-tiered ceilings and placing any decorative elements inside the rooms.

Ceiling height depends on the purpose of the room

The decision on the height of the ceilings should be made at the approval stage of the house design. 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 inappropriate to choose high ceilings, since the heat consumed will be distributed inappropriately, and all the steam will be concentrated at the top.

For small living rooms, increasing the ceiling will lead to an uncomfortable feeling. Rooms with low ceilings are optimal for children's rooms, bathrooms and kitchens that do not require a huge area. But living rooms and halls, rooms reserved for a library or warehouse will look great with the highest possible ceiling level in large houses.

Generally accepted norms and standards requirements

A height of 2.7 m in a private house is taken as a generally accepted value. It will be quite enough for a comfortable stay, as well as cleaning and repairing the premises. With such a height, it is quite possible to design multi-level ceilings, both suspended and suspended. However, if you do not want to clutter the surface of the ceiling with various structures, but simply paint it, a height of 2.5 m is quite suitable. These are generally accepted standards.

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

There is an opinion among owners of private houses that the higher the ceiling height, the better. It is believed that in this case you can arrange the room in various ways and to your liking. But this is far from true. Imagine a room in a residential building, the walls of which are more than three meters. The total cubic footage of such a room will be larger, which will make it more spacious. But in winter, heating such areas will cost a lot of money.

According to the laws of physics, warm air always tends upward, and cold air spreads on the floor. And even with abundant use of heating devices, heat will be spent for other purposes. In addition, the heat accumulating at the top of the room will destroy the attic space 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 comply with SNiP. These rules are the same as in the first one. Same thing on the second floor.

Room geometry

Expert opinion agrees on ceiling heights from 2.6 to 3 meters. In order to choose correctly from this range, you need to decide on the layout of the building and its use. Seasonal use of the house plays an important role. If you are planning 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 to be raised.

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

Optimal ceiling height format

Every 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 still has to be built, and then maintained and cared for, and not just rejoiced in its splendor. To choose the best option, adhere to three components:

• your desires;
• ergonomic rules;
• construction standards.

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

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 walls. A small room with a huge ceiling will look ridiculous, but in a large hall a two and a half meter ceiling will put pressure on its space. There is another way to determine the desired height. To do this, you can choose the tallest member of your family and ask him to stretch his arms up. Add 30-35 mm to its height, and summing up, get the optimal value.

Pros and cons of high ceilings

Flaws:

1. the costs of designing and building a house will become more expensive. In addition, you will have to spend money on materials for interior decoration;
2. organizing a heating system will not be easy, and during use it will require large financial costs;
3. Any ceiling repair work will require considerable effort. Workers will have to use additional structures in their work, which will also affect the cost and time of repairs;
4. everyday difficulties. When cleaning the upper half of the room, skill will be required. Replacing a basic light bulb can be a big problem.

Despite this, high ceilings have become extremely widespread due to their advantages:

1. the high altitude creates a special atmosphere and a free feeling in the house;
2. limitless imagination in the design of ceiling decoration. High walls will allow you to create a unique ceiling design using two or three-tier plasterboard structures. A large-scale ceiling can be decorated with various decorative stucco moldings, which will look luxurious with a classical style or medieval baroque.

Even such a huge space requires efficient use. Designers recommend using the “rule of three” - visually dividing the walls into three sections. Place additional finishing on the bottom, for example, cover it with stone or clapboard. Decorate the second area with paintings and shelves.

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

To prevent your space from becoming boring, make a bold decision - paint one of the walls in a contrasting bright color! This accent will add uniqueness.

Pros and cons of low ceilings

Flaws.

1. A feeling of oppressive space will always accompany a room with a low ceiling. It will be uncomfortable to be in it.
2. 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 bypassed.
3. Limited opportunity to create architectural compositions. If you dream of creating a multi-level design in a room with a low ceiling, you will have to turn to professional designers for help. Creating such a ceiling will be difficult, but possible.

The advantages of low ceilings are the disadvantages of high ones. Therefore, we will not repeat ourselves. Let's take a better look at what designers advise in these cases.