First you need to figure out what an attic is and how it differs from an attic. Both of these rooms in the house are located under the roof. Many often confuse them, because they do not see the difference. The attic floor is the last in the house, it is located directly under the roof, but is designed for people at any time of the year. It is necessarily insulated, supplied with electricity, water and heating. The facades of the attic and attic are fully or partially formed by the roof. The main difference between the premises from the second or third floor in a cottage or a country house is the height of the walls. It means the distance from the floor to the intersection of the facade with the roof. It should not exceed 1.5 m, according to the conditions prescribed in SNiP. If the height is a little more, then this is a full floor.
Attic - cold, non-residential premises. It can be equipped for summer vacations, but it is not possible to winter in such a room.Usually in the attics there are storages for unnecessary things. However, the practice of storing trash gradually disappears. If the room is intended for the location of communications, boiler room, engineering equipment, then the attic is called the technical floor. They are more common in apartment buildings. Another important difference between the attic and the attic is the presence of large windows, sometimes even built into the roof. For non-residential premises, lighting is not very important. Projects of houses with an attic can be purchased ready-made at design bureaus. The only way to get a free plan is to prepare it yourself, which will require a certain amount of knowledge. Let's talk about the design features of the attic floors, options for their arrangement and popular styles that embody under the roofs of houses.
The project of a house with an attic is ideal for those who want to use the building area to the maximum. In this regard, the additional living space is similar to the basement. In the past, basements were used exclusively for storing trash and placing equipment. Now in socles equip game rooms, home cinemas, garages, saunas or laundries (as in typical American homes). It is impossible to build an attic without a blueprint. Everyone can really cope with the construction work, although here too they often turn to companies that practice turnkey construction of facilities.But it is right to make calculations of the loads on the foundation, to consider the location of all structural elements, to calculate the consumption of materials, can only be a professional, who has behind him the experience and baggage of specialized knowledge.
Before construction, several outline sketches are prepared - in section and from different points of view, and at the same time indicate the scale. The drawing must mark the location of window openings, stairs, entrance, communication lines, indicate the shape and indicate the size. The most popular configuration among the attics is rectangular or square. A simple task seems only in words. Getting down to business, the layman is lost and does not even know where to start. The attic attracts an abundance of light and fresh air. Its outer “box” includes two components:
Vertical (gable) walls. They are usually made of the same material as the facade of the house, since they are its logical continuation.
Inclined wall (side). It "begins" with a vertical surface (attic wall), and then the roof rafter system serves as its frame. The roof acts as the outer skin of the ceiling. To increase the area of the attic, change the angle of the roof and increase the height of the attic walls.
In wooden log houses, vertical walls are constructed of wood. If the building is brick, then a brick is used for the attic. Sometimes vertical walls are sheathed with decorative materials to match the rest of the facade. This is necessary in cases where it is necessary to update the exterior to fit it into the landscape design of a summer cottage, or when the structure itself has a plain appearance. For example, it was built from expanded clay concrete, gas silicate, expanded clay, cinder blocks or gas blocks. Such materials have an unattractive appearance and are necessarily masked under a layer of finish. For these purposes, use granite, siding, decorative panels "brick" or stone.Sometimes outside the walls are trimmed with wood. The material looks very nice, but less practical than the more durable counterparts. An obligatory condition for the arrangement of the attic is warming. Part of the task of preserving the heat in the room is assigned to the decorative lining, which protects the walls from the outside. Inside, they are closed with heat and vapor barrier, between the layers of which mineral wool is placed, polystyrene. Then they carry out communications and carry out finishing. Next, the design and distribution of the functional areas on the attic, furniture placement, decoration comes into play.
There is still such a thing as a half-attic. This is originally a residential floor, which is combined with a roof. The design has an expressive architecture and original appearance. The semi-attic floor is also used for permanent residence. The height of its walls does not exceed 0.8 m.
Advantages and disadvantages of attic houses
The attic floor has both a number of advantages and a small list of disadvantages. The pluses include the following aspects:
If the arrangement of the attic was not originally included in the plans for the construction of the house, then due to it the living space can be increased even without leaving the boundaries of the cottage or cottage. The construction will go on its own, and the rest of the rooms can still be operated, that is, the construction is carried out independently. This practice is quite common when the family grows, and housing becomes too crowded over time. This, perhaps, is the main advantage of the additional mezzanine.
Properly equipped attic will help reduce heat loss of the building. This will lead to lower loads on the heating system and more economical energy consumption.
The original architectonics of the ceiling is ideally suited to unusual modern directions, where the configuration is the basis of the composition.
The best insolation.Since the attic is a priori higher than any other room in the house, it receives more light. If the windows are built into the roof, then the sun's rays enter the room directly even at noon.
The attic opens up great opportunities for planning rooms. Initially, the floor does not have internal walls, so the decision on the placement of rooms, their sizes (width and length) is made only by the owners of the house. The layout does not require demolition of partitions or significant changes. You can create zoning literally from a "clean slate".
Good ventilation. The height at which the attic is located promotes rapid air exchange.
The disadvantages include the following factors:
Need for conditioning in hot summers. The roof heats up very quickly and gives off heat to the attic, located closer to the rest of the rooms. Unfortunately, in hot weather, in the absence of air conditioning, there will be a real “steam room”, as in a bathhouse.
Some psychologists believe that without a traditional “even” ceiling over their heads, many people may experience discomfort. The complex architecture of a sloping roof looks very unusual and beautiful, however, excessive piling up of parts can indeed cause irritation over time. The configuration is easily corrected with a special finish, decor, color scheme.
The high cost of special skylights, which will have to be bought for spacious rooms, where some openings on the gables will not be enough.
With errors in construction, decoration, thermal insulation, you can get a "cold" attic, which even the most powerful heating boiler will not save in the winter.
Accumulation of snow in the winter season on the windows of dormers, which will create an obstacle for light to enter the room.
No type of sound insulation can completely exclude rain "rustles" - the sounds of the collision of drops with the roof. Moreover, it does not matter which type of coating is selected (soft or hard).Although psychologists believe that the noise of water has a healing, calming effect, sometimes it can be very annoying.
By the way, another advantage can be considered simplicity when placing a fireplace or stove. Stove heating can also be considered as an option. This will save on the consumption of other resources (gas, electricity) and create comfortable conditions in the attic in the winter with the help of "live fire" from coal or firewood.
Attic floor device
To correctly plan, you must consider a number of the following factors:
Living space. Its dimensions directly depend on the type of roof. Some species create too many zones that cannot be used appropriately. The most economical option is the hip roof. Its rafter system, in contrast to the gable, allows you to use every meter of the attic without "blind" zones.
Budget. If it is very modest, then you have to be content with a shed roof, as it belongs to the cheapest options.
Snow and wind load. Precipitation should freely slide off the roof, and not accumulate on it. In this case, bias matters. If it is calculated incorrectly, then precipitation will create an additional load on the roof, which it may not be able to withstand.
Choosing the right material for the rafter system. Many mistakenly believe that wood falls under the taboo. In fact, SNiP allows the use of wood if it has been pre-processed properly. Here, the condition regarding the maximum building height is also observed - no more than 75 m, that is, increased number of storeys. Of course, for private households such figures are considered sky-high. On average, even for every three-story house, there are more than twenty ordinary one-story buildings.
The condition of the foundation and facade. It takes into account not only the material from which the house was built, but also the terms of its operation, additional loads, general appearance (the presence of cracks or other damage). Based on this, choose a certain rafter system and material for the roof.
Loads on the walls of the house and the foundation.Some types of roofs (single-pitched) distribute loads unevenly, that is, one side of the building may need to be further strengthened. Without knowledge in this area, it is easy to make a mistake that threatens to turn into a collapse.
All these nuances are necessarily taken into account when designing the attic. Extra floors with bay windows or terraces look luxurious. In the second case, the home has access to the open air overlooking the courtyard, reliably protected by a canopy. Such verandas are sometimes glazed. Bay windows often follow similar protrusions on the lower floors in shape.
Trusses
The truss truss is the core system on which the roof rests. In fact, this is the “backbone”, the skeleton of the attic, on which the layers of roofing, thermal insulation, communication lines, and interior decoration are “put on”. The rafter farm consists of a number of components, the competent combination of which allows you to evenly distribute the loads on the bearing walls of the house:
Mauerlat. It is a log or bar, which is laid on a supporting wall. In fact, this is the "foundation" of the truss truss.
Skate and side runs. These are beams that are located horizontally. The first is placed directly under the ridge, and the rest is slightly lower, perpendicular to the rafter “legs”.
Braces, struts, diagonal connections - a system of communicative elements.
Raised and hanging rafters.
Since the loads on the attic roof are quite large, the rafter truss should have a margin of safety. It provides a high-quality connection between the individual components of the system. Most often, bolts, screws, welding or the groove-comb type are used for these purposes. The frame scheme of the truss truss is selected depending on the type of roof, which will cover the attic floor. Also take into account the distance between the outer load-bearing walls. If it does not exceed the value of 6.5 m, then choose layered rafters.In other cases, resort to hanging supports. They are mounted on a tightening and on a Mauerlat. If necessary, the design is reinforced with additional connecting links.
Roof construction
The shape of the attic directly depends on the type of roof. The additional floors themselves can be rectangular, broken, triangular, asymmetric. Attic can be located above the whole house or only above its part. Roofs, depending on the form, are classified into the following types:
Slippery.
Gable.
Three-slope.
Dome (conical, pyramidal).
Four-pitched.
Attic roofs and domes are very rare due to the complex architecture. The former were popular back in tsarist Russia, when the refined home decoration was an indicator of the wealth of the family. Domes are a very complex structure with a no less “intricate” truss truss. Under the round roofs of transparent materials, greenhouses in rich mansions used to be hidden. Judging by the sophistication of architecture, such a roof is a grandiose structure, impressive and eye-catching. From a material point of view, such construction will be very expensive, and therefore not always justified. Four-slope are classified into four subspecies:
Hip.
Tent.
Half-hip
Hip-gable.
The tented horse is completely absent. The attics under the roofs of the three remaining species have broken architectonics, which are not so pronounced as in the gable roofs. For this reason, this nuance can be attributed to advantages, not disadvantages.
Single slope
The design of a shed roof is considered the simplest. The roof is fixed on the bearing walls at an angle. Such a roof architecture is concise and even borders on primitivism. For single-slope options, the angle of inclination is of great importance. If it is calculated incorrectly, then precipitation will accumulate, and the load on the roof will increase.Attic under the pitched roofs do not equip so often. The room will have an asymmetric shape due to the different heights of the opposite walls. But windows that look in the same row very neatly and consistently are easily integrated into the shed roof.
Gable
Gable or gable roofs are quite simple to install and are considered a classic option for arranging attic floors. As the name implies, such structures have two slopes that intersect at the top and abut the ridge. Both planes "look" in different directions. Gable roofs are classified into three subspecies:
Symmetric. The ramps diverge at the same angles and are mirror images of each other. The pediment has a simple configuration of an isosceles triangle, and the ridge is located in the center of the structure.
Asymmetrical. The ridge of such roofs is offset relative to the conditional center of the house. Slopes are of equal length. Sometimes they are also called: roofs "with a displaced ridge."
With broken ramps. This type of roof was specifically designed for attics and attics. Broken slopes allow you to increase the area of the roof space.
The most popular version of a gable roof is “convex” with broken ramps. The ridge is located strictly in the center, and the pediment has the shape of an irregular but symmetrical pentagon.
Roof choice
The assortment of roofing materials is truly amazing. If earlier they used to do with traditional slate laid on roofing material, now the average person's eyes run wide at the sight of a wide selection. Depending on the stiffness, the materials are classified into two types:
Soft (shingles).
Hard (slate, metal).
When choosing the material also pay attention to the configuration of the roof. For complex, broken structures, not every type of roof will fit. The most durable and beautiful option will be natural tiles, which are made from clay by firing.The material will be very expensive, but the service life - more than 150 years - fully pays for the cost. The second place in popularity is shared by asbestos-cement slate and metal tile. The first is a mixture of a cement base with asbestos reinforcing fibers. Although many competitors have emerged in recent years, it still holds a leading market position. Slate may be flat or wavy. Its classic color is gray, but some manufacturers paint the material in bright colors. The average life of a slate is 30 years. Metal - an imitation of the same name ceramic material made of galvanized steel, which is coated with a protective polymer film on both sides. The texture and colors of the material imitate the original in detail. The average life of a metal tile is 15 years. It is fireproof, easy to install, durable and inexpensive. Ondulin, corrugated board (corrugated steel sheets) and piece composite, shale, bitumen, cement-sand tiles are slightly less popular. For roofs of complex configuration, it is better to use soft roofing material.
Windows and methods of opening them
On the attic floors, they use both ordinary vertical windows (built into the gables) and special inclined windows. They are located on the roof. Windows are called “dormers”. In the literal sense of the word, they look “at the sky” and give an indescribable feeling in the rain or on starry nights when you can fall asleep while admiring the magnificent landscape. Distinguish them by type of opening. The usual swivel or tilt-and-turn mechanism in skylights does not occur. The exception will be only "hatches" in the roof. Due to the specifics of the arrangement (at an angle), more often such double-glazed windows are equipped only with folding or sliding systems. Panoramic windows located on the gables look luxuriously in the attics. There are also miniature "balconies" equipped with a folding mechanism.They open access to a small porch with a fence, a kind of mini-terrace.
One-storey houses with an attic
The problem of space shortages often worries owners of one-story houses. If the land is small and does not allow to increase the living space in width, you will have to look up. A full second floor is not cheap. Will have to significantly strengthen the structure and radically rebuild it. The attic can be equipped in an existing attic, having carried out repair, insulation and finishing work. As for the cost, reorganizing the finished space is much cheaper than building a new one.
Two-storey houses with an attic
In two-story houses, the attic will become an additional load on the structure. When arranging it, it is better to use non-massive furniture with low weight. If necessary, it is easy to rearrange it or replace it with another. As an option, you can consider wicker chairs and chairs, plastic tables, dressing rooms instead of full cabinets or even garden furniture. It is recommended to divide the entire floor into rooms or zones using lightweight drywall partitions.
Room Options
On the attic floor, you can equip absolutely any premises: bedrooms, living rooms, children’s and games rooms. If water is supplied here, then a bathroom or kitchen is allowed. In small attics, it is logical to arrange only one spacious room and carry out its zoning. If the floor is narrow, then two doorways are made from the staircase-entrance to different rooms, which abut against opposite gables. Most often, attics are decorated under the bedrooms. Space shortages are usually caused by an increase in family. Attic is a great option for arranging separate full-fledged children's rooms. This will allow the child to give personal space and at the same time not to sacrifice existing functional rooms.
Popular stylistic trends
In the design of the attic floors adhere to the principles of conciseness and lightness. The interior should be simple and unobtrusive. The stylistic trend necessarily emphasizes the extraordinary architecture of the ceiling, which is so often found on the attic floors and turns asymmetry into a virtue, not a disadvantage. Since it is undesirable to use massive furniture and an abundance of decor, the classics in all its manifestations should be excluded. Most often, designers practice using the following styles:
Chalet. Alpine direction is based on the use of wood. The array can be replaced with thin veneer sheets in the finish. They will be in harmony with the beam from which the house is built. The unusual architecture of the ceiling is complemented by decorative beams and logs. Furniture uses a minimum: wicker chairs, chairs, a bed with a wooden frame. From the decor, soft skins for the floor, deer horns on the walls and stylish lamps in a metal frame, hanging on chains from ceiling beams, are chosen.
Minimalism. This style easily adapts to both small spaces and spacious rooms. All furniture is compact. This direction fills the harmony of space, light and color. This option is ideal for economical repairs. In the color scheme, white and gray prevail. The decor is almost never used. Only a low coffee table, a group of chairs, a compact corner wardrobe, a wardrobe and a bed are left out of furniture.
Laconic Russian ethnic style. The colorful direction, which is associated with towers in dense Siberian forests. The interior decoration is not amazing with luxury: it uses simple furniture, made by handicraft with rough, poorly processed surfaces. Accessible wood prevails in the interior - a material typical of Russian villages. All shades of brown are used in the color palette: from dark chocolate to yellow.The room is decorated with homespun walkways, embroidered with curtains, groups of hand-painted dishes on stands. If there is a fireplace on the attic floor, then it is stylized as an old Russian stove and bleached.
Provence. This is one of the subspecies of the rustic style. Wooden surfaces also prevail in the room. Furniture is chosen from the old "grandmother" sets, which are repainted to give a more respectable look. The best decor will be fresh flowers in pots and porcelain vases. You can revive the room with the help of small sculptures, massive candelabra, curtains in a flirty flower and a group of soft pillows on a sofa or bed. White and pastel colors prevail in the color palette.
Also, when arranging the attic, they use a light Japanese style, laconic Scandinavian and high-tech high-tech. If the building is built of brick, then a loft is suitable for such walls. They do not even have to be trimmed further. Bare brickwork will become part of the interior.
Conclusion
Attic - the lot is not only private homes. High-rise buildings often sell apartments located directly under the roof. They usually have nothing to do with small-sized housing, striking with large spaces. Studios and workshops are equipped in these apartments. However, the real cosiness of a comfortable attic in a private house can not be compared with anything. Attic is a great option for large families on a budget.
First you need to figure out what an attic is and how it differs from an attic. Both of these rooms in the house are located under the roof. Many often confuse them, because they do not see the difference. The attic floor is the last in the house, it is located directly under the roof, but is designed for people at any time of the year. It is necessarily insulated, supplied with electricity, water and heating. The facades of the attic and attic are fully or partially formed by the roof. The main difference between the premises from the second or third floor in a cottage or a country house is the height of the walls. It means the distance from the floor to the intersection of the facade with the roof. It should not exceed 1.5 m, according to the conditions prescribed in SNiP. If the height is a little more, then this is a full floor.
Attic - cold, non-residential premises. It can be equipped for summer vacations, but it is not possible to winter in such a room.Usually in the attics there are storages for unnecessary things. However, the practice of storing trash gradually disappears. If the room is intended for the location of communications, boiler room, engineering equipment, then the attic is called the technical floor. They are more common in apartment buildings. Another important difference between the attic and the attic is the presence of large windows, sometimes even built into the roof. For non-residential premises, lighting is not very important. Projects of houses with an attic can be purchased ready-made at design bureaus. The only way to get a free plan is to prepare it yourself, which will require a certain amount of knowledge. Let's talk about the design features of the attic floors, options for their arrangement and popular styles that embody under the roofs of houses.
Content
Features of the attic floors
The project of a house with an attic is ideal for those who want to use the building area to the maximum. In this regard, the additional living space is similar to the basement. In the past, basements were used exclusively for storing trash and placing equipment. Now in socles equip game rooms, home cinemas, garages, saunas or laundries (as in typical American homes). It is impossible to build an attic without a blueprint. Everyone can really cope with the construction work, although here too they often turn to companies that practice turnkey construction of facilities.But it is right to make calculations of the loads on the foundation, to consider the location of all structural elements, to calculate the consumption of materials, can only be a professional, who has behind him the experience and baggage of specialized knowledge.
Before construction, several outline sketches are prepared - in section and from different points of view, and at the same time indicate the scale. The drawing must mark the location of window openings, stairs, entrance, communication lines, indicate the shape and indicate the size. The most popular configuration among the attics is rectangular or square. A simple task seems only in words. Getting down to business, the layman is lost and does not even know where to start. The attic attracts an abundance of light and fresh air. Its outer “box” includes two components:
In wooden log houses, vertical walls are constructed of wood. If the building is brick, then a brick is used for the attic. Sometimes vertical walls are sheathed with decorative materials to match the rest of the facade. This is necessary in cases where it is necessary to update the exterior to fit it into the landscape design of a summer cottage, or when the structure itself has a plain appearance. For example, it was built from expanded clay concrete, gas silicate, expanded clay, cinder blocks or gas blocks. Such materials have an unattractive appearance and are necessarily masked under a layer of finish. For these purposes, use granite, siding, decorative panels "brick" or stone.Sometimes outside the walls are trimmed with wood. The material looks very nice, but less practical than the more durable counterparts. An obligatory condition for the arrangement of the attic is warming. Part of the task of preserving the heat in the room is assigned to the decorative lining, which protects the walls from the outside. Inside, they are closed with heat and vapor barrier, between the layers of which mineral wool is placed, polystyrene. Then they carry out communications and carry out finishing. Next, the design and distribution of the functional areas on the attic, furniture placement, decoration comes into play.
Advantages and disadvantages of attic houses
The attic floor has both a number of advantages and a small list of disadvantages. The pluses include the following aspects:
The disadvantages include the following factors:
By the way, another advantage can be considered simplicity when placing a fireplace or stove. Stove heating can also be considered as an option. This will save on the consumption of other resources (gas, electricity) and create comfortable conditions in the attic in the winter with the help of "live fire" from coal or firewood.
Attic floor device
To correctly plan, you must consider a number of the following factors:
All these nuances are necessarily taken into account when designing the attic. Extra floors with bay windows or terraces look luxurious. In the second case, the home has access to the open air overlooking the courtyard, reliably protected by a canopy. Such verandas are sometimes glazed. Bay windows often follow similar protrusions on the lower floors in shape.
Trusses
The truss truss is the core system on which the roof rests. In fact, this is the “backbone”, the skeleton of the attic, on which the layers of roofing, thermal insulation, communication lines, and interior decoration are “put on”. The rafter farm consists of a number of components, the competent combination of which allows you to evenly distribute the loads on the bearing walls of the house:
Since the loads on the attic roof are quite large, the rafter truss should have a margin of safety. It provides a high-quality connection between the individual components of the system. Most often, bolts, screws, welding or the groove-comb type are used for these purposes. The frame scheme of the truss truss is selected depending on the type of roof, which will cover the attic floor. Also take into account the distance between the outer load-bearing walls. If it does not exceed the value of 6.5 m, then choose layered rafters.In other cases, resort to hanging supports. They are mounted on a tightening and on a Mauerlat. If necessary, the design is reinforced with additional connecting links.
Roof construction
The shape of the attic directly depends on the type of roof. The additional floors themselves can be rectangular, broken, triangular, asymmetric. Attic can be located above the whole house or only above its part. Roofs, depending on the form, are classified into the following types:
Attic roofs and domes are very rare due to the complex architecture. The former were popular back in tsarist Russia, when the refined home decoration was an indicator of the wealth of the family. Domes are a very complex structure with a no less “intricate” truss truss. Under the round roofs of transparent materials, greenhouses in rich mansions used to be hidden. Judging by the sophistication of architecture, such a roof is a grandiose structure, impressive and eye-catching. From a material point of view, such construction will be very expensive, and therefore not always justified. Four-slope are classified into four subspecies:
The tented horse is completely absent. The attics under the roofs of the three remaining species have broken architectonics, which are not so pronounced as in the gable roofs. For this reason, this nuance can be attributed to advantages, not disadvantages.
Single slope
The design of a shed roof is considered the simplest. The roof is fixed on the bearing walls at an angle. Such a roof architecture is concise and even borders on primitivism. For single-slope options, the angle of inclination is of great importance. If it is calculated incorrectly, then precipitation will accumulate, and the load on the roof will increase.Attic under the pitched roofs do not equip so often. The room will have an asymmetric shape due to the different heights of the opposite walls. But windows that look in the same row very neatly and consistently are easily integrated into the shed roof.
Gable
Gable or gable roofs are quite simple to install and are considered a classic option for arranging attic floors. As the name implies, such structures have two slopes that intersect at the top and abut the ridge. Both planes "look" in different directions. Gable roofs are classified into three subspecies:
The most popular version of a gable roof is “convex” with broken ramps. The ridge is located strictly in the center, and the pediment has the shape of an irregular but symmetrical pentagon.
Roof choice
The assortment of roofing materials is truly amazing. If earlier they used to do with traditional slate laid on roofing material, now the average person's eyes run wide at the sight of a wide selection. Depending on the stiffness, the materials are classified into two types:
When choosing the material also pay attention to the configuration of the roof. For complex, broken structures, not every type of roof will fit. The most durable and beautiful option will be natural tiles, which are made from clay by firing.The material will be very expensive, but the service life - more than 150 years - fully pays for the cost. The second place in popularity is shared by asbestos-cement slate and metal tile. The first is a mixture of a cement base with asbestos reinforcing fibers. Although many competitors have emerged in recent years, it still holds a leading market position. Slate may be flat or wavy. Its classic color is gray, but some manufacturers paint the material in bright colors. The average life of a slate is 30 years. Metal - an imitation of the same name ceramic material made of galvanized steel, which is coated with a protective polymer film on both sides. The texture and colors of the material imitate the original in detail. The average life of a metal tile is 15 years. It is fireproof, easy to install, durable and inexpensive. Ondulin, corrugated board (corrugated steel sheets) and piece composite, shale, bitumen, cement-sand tiles are slightly less popular. For roofs of complex configuration, it is better to use soft roofing material.
Windows and methods of opening them
On the attic floors, they use both ordinary vertical windows (built into the gables) and special inclined windows. They are located on the roof. Windows are called “dormers”. In the literal sense of the word, they look “at the sky” and give an indescribable feeling in the rain or on starry nights when you can fall asleep while admiring the magnificent landscape. Distinguish them by type of opening. The usual swivel or tilt-and-turn mechanism in skylights does not occur. The exception will be only "hatches" in the roof. Due to the specifics of the arrangement (at an angle), more often such double-glazed windows are equipped only with folding or sliding systems. Panoramic windows located on the gables look luxuriously in the attics. There are also miniature "balconies" equipped with a folding mechanism.They open access to a small porch with a fence, a kind of mini-terrace.
One-storey houses with an attic
The problem of space shortages often worries owners of one-story houses. If the land is small and does not allow to increase the living space in width, you will have to look up. A full second floor is not cheap. Will have to significantly strengthen the structure and radically rebuild it. The attic can be equipped in an existing attic, having carried out repair, insulation and finishing work. As for the cost, reorganizing the finished space is much cheaper than building a new one.
Two-storey houses with an attic
In two-story houses, the attic will become an additional load on the structure. When arranging it, it is better to use non-massive furniture with low weight. If necessary, it is easy to rearrange it or replace it with another. As an option, you can consider wicker chairs and chairs, plastic tables, dressing rooms instead of full cabinets or even garden furniture. It is recommended to divide the entire floor into rooms or zones using lightweight drywall partitions.
Room Options
On the attic floor, you can equip absolutely any premises: bedrooms, living rooms, children’s and games rooms. If water is supplied here, then a bathroom or kitchen is allowed. In small attics, it is logical to arrange only one spacious room and carry out its zoning. If the floor is narrow, then two doorways are made from the staircase-entrance to different rooms, which abut against opposite gables. Most often, attics are decorated under the bedrooms. Space shortages are usually caused by an increase in family. Attic is a great option for arranging separate full-fledged children's rooms. This will allow the child to give personal space and at the same time not to sacrifice existing functional rooms.
Popular stylistic trends
In the design of the attic floors adhere to the principles of conciseness and lightness. The interior should be simple and unobtrusive. The stylistic trend necessarily emphasizes the extraordinary architecture of the ceiling, which is so often found on the attic floors and turns asymmetry into a virtue, not a disadvantage. Since it is undesirable to use massive furniture and an abundance of decor, the classics in all its manifestations should be excluded. Most often, designers practice using the following styles:
Also, when arranging the attic, they use a light Japanese style, laconic Scandinavian and high-tech high-tech. If the building is built of brick, then a loft is suitable for such walls. They do not even have to be trimmed further. Bare brickwork will become part of the interior.
Conclusion
Attic - the lot is not only private homes. High-rise buildings often sell apartments located directly under the roof. They usually have nothing to do with small-sized housing, striking with large spaces. Studios and workshops are equipped in these apartments. However, the real cosiness of a comfortable attic in a private house can not be compared with anything. Attic is a great option for large families on a budget.