Cons apartments on the attic floor. Installation and repair work

More recently, attics used only to store unnecessary things. Today, they are converted into cozy and bright attic, the benefits of which are appreciated by many. But a non-standard constructive solution to the space of an apartment on the attic floor requires compliance with certain interior design rules. Today we will talk about them in more detail.

Features of apartments on the attic floor

Apartments on the attic floor are found in many houses. These are quite complex spaces for design and decoration. They have non-standard windows, low ceilings in places where the roof goes on the slope, indirect corners. Often a few skates of the roof converge in one place of the ceiling. But in a good house with a beautiful view from the window, located in a convenient place, all these shortcomings are compensated by a competent layout and design.

How to choose an apartment?

If you are going to buy an apartment in the attic, do not forget to check whether it is transferred to the housing stock. Unlike in Europe, where all attics and basements are usually considered residential, this will cause difficulties in Russia.

Also pay attention to the windows. Often in the attic they go into the roof, that is, they are beyond the level of visibility. Preference should be given to those apartments where the windows are located at an acceptable height - so that the angle of the ramp would give an opportunity to go to the window and it was not above your head.

In some countries, it is allowed to cut through additional skylights. But sometimes with this there are problems. You may be offered a spacious apartment with an insufficient level of lighting and advise you to fix this problem yourself later. In these cases, we recommend increasing the existing windows, leading them down.

Also note the height of the ceiling and the angle of the slope. If the latter is too sharp, part of the room may remain dark and inconvenient to use.

What can not be done in the attic apartments?

• When planning to split up the complex space of the attic into small rooms. It is impossible to create deaf corridors, passages, separate small rooms. A large number of partitions will turn the room into a dark and uncomfortable.
• Use stucco because of the complex architecture of the ceiling.
• To paste over all the rooms with wallpaper, as their drawing is difficult to place correctly. Wallpapers and panels in this case can be used in English attic interiors.
• To paint the ceiling and walls in bright colors - this will complicate the room and make it less comfortable. Mansard room is recommended to issue only in bright colors.
• Use bulky furniture. Heavy stylized objects will not look in a room with low walls and sloping ceilings. They require only the right forms.
• Hanging pelmet or even ordinary curtains - they will hang ugly down because of the angled windows. All additional decor will prevent the doors from moving freely.
• For flooring use heavy tiles. Replace it with a light parquet.

To balance the complexity of the room, you should be guided by the principles of minimalism. That is, everything that makes the space one, similar to a part of a house is appropriate.

Room layout

Usually small apartments with low ceilings are bought for or by the sea. Planning in them can be quite free. It is enough to select one large bedroom and isolate several necessary rooms. Wherein:

• In apartments with low ceilings partitions should not be brought to the ceiling - they should not interfere with the lighting due to the unusual arrangement of the windows.
• You can replace the upper part of the partitions with glass inserts, then sunlight will fall into all rooms.

Another case - two-level apartments. Unlike conventional attic rooms, where the ceiling is almost at an acute angle connected to the floor, their walls have the usual height, and the ridge converges in the middle. At the location of the skate apartment has a maximum height. Such a room is usually divided into two levels: a bedroom is placed on top, and a living room and an office at the bottom. The rest of the layout can be free. You can combine the living room, dining rooms, offices, highlighting only the large bedroom, bathrooms and kitchen. For all rooms to be lit, glass partitions can be used to separate the upper floor or not to overlap the ceilings. The ridge of the roof is always left open.

Well, if the apartment will look like a fairly spacious workshop. It has enough one bathroom, one dressing room and a small transition. The kitchen can be placed in an inconspicuous part of the room.

Finish

The walls and ceilings are better decorated in one color and material - this will help to visually increase the height of the room. Low walls and the overhanging roof of the roof will not be so "push" on the person. Most often, the walls and ceiling painted in white or light gray tones.

To enhance the effect, you can increase the window. Other complications of the premises will be unnecessary. In addition, do not align the wrong angles. This is the main feature of the attic space, from which you can not get rid of.

For the attic floors, parquet flooring with a concise graphic pattern is suitable. Due to the unevenness of the corners of the room, its installation may cause difficulties, so in each specific case it is better to contact the designers. They can offer a simple single version of laying parquet or break it into pieces in each room. Particular attention should be paid to the drawing and its direction. The best solution in this case is the French styling of the Christmas tree.

In the attic is appropriate everything that facilitates the architecture of the space: internal windows, low partitions with transoms, glass doors, low furniture. They make the room comfortable and comfortable.

How to pick up furniture and curtains?

Attic rooms are low. Furniture for them to choose the appropriate - light, low and concise, modern and without too much styling. You can install several antiques - sideboard, table or chair. Also suitable for modern sofa or chairs on thin black legs. All items should be placed quite spacious and not pressed against the walls. It is better to form separate groups: around the dinner table, sofa and cabinet.

Furniture upholstery should be as light as possible: white, light gray or pleasant pastel colors.

Windows should be protected from bright light with wooden blinds or curtains. It is better to choose the Roman blinds, which are stretched on the window itself and do not sag.

Graphics

Graphic lines will look good in the bright space of the attic room. These can be ceiling beams, which should not be painted in a contrasting color. Let them remain white, gray. Skylights can also be created by skylights if they are separated by frames.

If the space seems too homogeneous, then the graphics can be added with the help of furniture on black legs, drawings on carpets, paintings, paintings, geometric prints (cells or stripes) on pillows, blankets, furniture upholstery.

Discussions between supporters and opponents of mansards have been going on since, in the 17th century, François Mansart first came up with the idea to re-equip the attic for residential purposes. When choosing between the attic and a full second floor, one has to take into account the strengths and weaknesses of each decision.

  What is a loft

The attic floor is an attic room whose walls are sloping sloping or sloping roofs. The surface of the walls and the surface of the roof should be in contact at a height of no more than 150 cm from the level of the attic floor. That is how it defines the attic SNiP. According to sanitary regulations, residential premises should have a ceiling height of 250 cm. On the attic floor, this requirement must be fulfilled not less than 50% of the total area.

In order not to indulge in the description of numerous variations of arrangement of attic structures, it is worth noting that the structure of the external walls of the building includes two main elements:

1. The first is vertical. For its production is most often used the same building material as for the walls of the lower floor.
2. The second part is an inclined surface, the base of which is the roof system. Roofing material is used as the outer skin.

Attic floor inside

In different designs, the percentage of each element may be different.

  Pluses of a penthouse

All extensions, equipped after the construction of a single-story house, can be auxiliary or economic. The main housing remains limited initially laid by the bearing walls. Therefore, if you think about increasing the useful living space, for these purposes you should consider the attic.

The strengths of such a decision:

• Efficiency.  If you count the invested finances, the attic will be much cheaper than building a full floor. In the latter case, you have to pay for the material for the walls, decoration and insulation. The facade of the attic is the existing truss structure, equipped with thermal insulation and roofing material.

• Aesthetics.  Another reason for the popularity of country houses with mansard floors is their external attractiveness. Indeed, such buildings, with windows and small balconies oriented to the sky, look much more interesting than banal rectangular buildings.

• Functionality.  Attic rooms are currently being built according to the highest requirements. As a result, the extra space thus obtained is not inferior in terms of comfort to other parts of the house. This warm, bright and cozy area can be used for any task, depending on the needs. However, due to the proximity of the street there it is not recommended to place bedrooms that require silence, children's rooms and cabinets . Arrangement of a bathroom in the attic, taking into account modern technologies, does not cause any particular difficulties.

• Good light.  This is facilitated by the use of special skylights. Because of the inclined placement through them, twice as much light penetrates into the room than in traditional cases. This will require knowledge of some subtleties. For example, if the roof has a small angle of inclination, it is better to use narrow and long windows. This will allow the light to illuminate all corners of the room well. Due to its design features, attic windows are an important heat exchange link. They significantly limit heat loss, replenishing them due to solar radiation.

• The possibility of construction without the need for eviction.  With the necessary communications, everything is simple - they already exist in the house. It remains to make only a small reorganization.

  Attic Cons

Have a loft and weaknesses:

• Difficulties in the arrangement of thermal insulation and heating.  Due to the location of the room under the roof itself, it loses its natural protection by a number of growing trees. As a result, the first blow from the scorching sun, cold, strong wind or rain falls on the attic floor. The same goes for the noise of falling raindrops or moving birds. To ensure year-round comfortable living, it will take a lot of effort to equip the insulation and heating.

• The complexity of the internal design.  The presence of sloping walls and dormer windows causes certain difficulties in creating an internal interior. We have to abandon the traditional wall arrangement of furniture, applying more appropriate to this setting solutions.

• Expensive erection.  The economic effect of the arrangement of the attic is observed only in cases where the old one-story building is being converted. If we are talking about the construction of a new house, it is cheaper to implement the project with a full second floor.

• High energy costs.  Due to the large area of ​​surfaces in contact with the street, thermal losses noticeably increase. To replenish them, one has to spend more energy than in ordinary cases. In addition, the air volume in the attic space is almost 30% lower than in traditional rooms. This problem can be solved only by arranging high-quality supply air. ventilation . As a result, it further increases energy costs.

Air movement in the attic

• The complexity of maintenance and repair of the roof. Unlike the usual attic, there is no ventilated space in the attic. Because of this, the service life of the wooden elements of the truss structure is significantly reduced. In this case, the slopes of the roof are the place of laying the insulation. Next, a vapor barrier film is installed inside, which can be closed by finishing the room. Due to the complete closure of the truss structure, only water flows directly into the room will signal any problems. To carry out repairs, it is necessary to destroy the interior trim.

• Psychological pressure.  According to psychologists, the low parts of sloping ceilings inspire a person with a feeling of constant anxiety. Prolonged exposure to such conditions adversely affects health.

  Do I need an attic

Most of the above disadvantages of a house with an attic are caused by the absence of an attic. One of the incentives that motivate a mansard is supposedly emptying under-roof space. However, the history of garret roofs dates back thousands of years, and it was this design that was developed by chance.

Thanks to the attic, there is a full-fledged level of temperature and humidity for truss parts and premises. It is more convenient to observe and carry out repair activities for all the listed parts of the house. In the case of an attic roof loses the attic. All its elements are forced to function in markedly worse conditions, which negatively affects the duration of their service.

  Pluses of the full floor

In order to adequately weigh the pros and cons of the attic, it is important to understand what gives a full upper floor:

• Large volume of air.  Since the sloping ceilings in this case are absent, the rooms are more spacious. It is easier to find them both psychologically and physiologically, due to the greater amount of air.

• Sufficient area and comfortable layout.  The decoration of the rooms does not face known limitations in the form of broken surfaces and low ceilings.

A full floor is easier to equip, it is more spacious.

• Simplicity of arrangement of window systems.  In this case, you do not need to order expensive special systems. The usual double-glazed windows with a sufficient number of cameras, the installation of which does not experience structural difficulties.

• Easy repair and maintenance. In this case, all the main components of the house structure are easily visible and easy to reach in case of repairs. To build such a floor is much easier, because the risk of construction errors is minimized.

• Cheapness of the roof.  It has a simple traditional form: skylights and other expensive elements are missing here. It should be said that their presence not only makes the roof less airtight, but also creates niches where snow and leaves subsequently accumulate. The harder the roof, the faster it will leak. To repair it takes an order of magnitude more money than the traditional design.

The traditional shape of the roof is cheaper to maintain

• No complex frame walls.  The exceptions are fully frame houses.

• Adequate level of ventilation.  The paths of natural heat transfer on the full floor have sufficient height. In the attic, this parameter is very small, so the resulting thrust is not enough. In the hot summer season, the upper floor has a more comfortable microclimate, which reduces air conditioning costs. Whatever good insulation of the attic, the sun-hot roof makes itself felt.

  What to choose: attic or high-grade floor

To decide on what to build - attic or high-grade floor, it is recommended at the stage of drafting the project.

The following factors are taken into account:

• The area of ​​the building.  For example, there is a project of construction of 6x6 m. If you take into account the height of a full-fledged second floor and an attic with a ridge, the total goes to 8 m. Such a building would visually resemble a bell tower rather than a dwelling. It is recommended to equip houses of a small area with attic that looks more natural.

A small house is better to build a house with an attic

• Function built.  Mansards well proved in country construction. Even if you don’t invest big money in insulation and sound insulation, it will be comfortable to be in them. Capital structures are better equipped with high-grade floors. that will reduce the cost of heating and ventilation for year-round living.

• Aesthetic factor.  For fans of original solutions for interior design solution with a loft looks preferable. Externally, a cottage with an attic floor looks more natural against the backdrop of nature.

• The cost of construction. The attic, strictly speaking, is a warmed under-roofing space: it is more difficult to build it in order. For example, if large blocks are used as a building material, then to ensure two slopes on the gables, block elements will have to be cut. This entails an increase in waste and rapid wear of equipment. Inherent complex attic windows and balconies increase the financial burden.

Total

As a conclusion, we can say that from a financial point of view, the use of penthouses is justified only in cases when the reconstruction of an existing house is carried out. When building from scratch, it is more profitable to build a full floor. With regard to functionality, the best attic proved to be in small houses of country type with seasonal accommodation.

What is good attic and how bad it is, what is better - attic or high-grade floor

People living on the very last upper floors of high-rise buildings often think about the possibility of using untapped attic to expand living space. After all, a penthouse in an apartment building is so tempting! There is a temptation to punch a hole in the ceiling of the apartment, put a ladder and improve the unused attic space for housing.

Many people think that it is much cheaper than buying or exchanging an existing apartment for another, whose area is much larger. This opinion is erroneous, as you have to allocate funds for complete reconstruction  premises or part thereof, new furniture, as a rule, made to order and on the documentary side of the issue of interest.

Attic in the apartment can be very, very stylish

The legal side of the issue of reconstruction of the attic

If you nevertheless decided to reconstruct a part of the attic space under the attic, the difficulty will arise not during construction and repair work, or even in the extraction of a permit for construction, difficulties will arise when you come across the legal side of the issue. To do this you need detail study the Housing Code. According to this document:

• the attic is the space enclosed between the walls, the roof and the overlap of the uppermost floor;
• attic space is an attic space, the facade of which consists of a broken, sloping or other attic roof;
• reconstruction is a complete rework of the object with a change in communication structures;
• the attic space and the plot of land on which the high-rise building stands are the cumulative equally-sized property of all tenants;
• common property in a high-rise building may be subject to reconstruction, which would entail a change in the size of common ownership downward only with the consent of all living in the house;
• the general meeting of property owners has the right to make the final decision;
• the final decision on the reconstruction, which entails a change in the size of the property, is made by a large number of votes (at least two-thirds of the votes), is recorded in the protocol;
• the decision made by the meeting will be binding on all residents, even if they were not present;
• the decision of the meeting is subject to appeal if the rights of the apartment owners have been violated or the Housing Code has been violated;
• the deadline for filing a claim in court is 6 months from the date of the decision.

Exist two ways of joining  unused attic space: full registration of property and without registration (rent, free use). But it is clear to everyone that if you invest money and time, then it is preferable that the apartment with an attic become your property.

Attic in an apartment building - the perfect solution

From all of the above, we can conclude that there are great difficulties in resolving this issue, but still, there are cases when there are mansard rooms above the upper floors of apartment buildings.

Installation and repair work

If all the documentary aspects of the issue have been resolved, and you have ownership of the unused portion of the attic or not the whole attic, proceed to survey of the desired object. The first step will be a survey of the truss system (if any) and the load-bearing walls.

For this, it is best to attract specialists, since only they can determine the real state of the main elements of the future structure. If damaged items are found, they must be replaced immediately. It is also necessary to examine the whole house, namely the condition of the foundation, load-bearing walls, communications. Can they handle the extra load?

The next step is to draft a future attic space. The project needs laying work on weatherization  and insulation of the room (vapor barrier, sound insulation), installation of a communication system.

Independently connect the heating, water, sewage, you can not. Improper work can lead to significant disruptions or even breakdowns in the supply of the entire house. So you need to contact a specialist again.

Stylish loft located in the attic of a high-rise building

It should be borne in mind that the house is multi-storey, so choose lightweight constructions, processed fireproof solution. The issue of mounting the entrance to the attic room from your apartment is decided by a specialist, do not forget that other apartments with tenants are located under your apartment, and you are responsible for their safety.

After all the assembly work has been completed, it is necessary to agree on the operation of the attic, make all the changes that have occurred to the administrative and technical documentation.

Attic design

The design of the attic room will depend on its purpose. It can be adapted for a library, a sports room, a recreation area, a work area, a winter garden. There are cases when part of the attic room for workshops, or made part of an open area. Interesting will be the equipment of a transparent ceiling to observe the starry sky.

The essential issue is the provision of good lighting. To do this, you must install light holes for the windows of the attic. The walls of the attic should be light in order to avoid dark corners under the slopes. In the attic rooms do not recommend the use of chandeliers and large lamps. To protect from the sun is best to adjust the windows roll shutters.

Designer loft made in bright colors

Pros and cons of penthouses on high-rise buildings

Previously, poor artists and students were interested in mansard premises. But life has changed dramatically, and the equipment of two-level premises for housing has become the privilege of the wealthy part of the population.

Attic rooms in apartment buildings have their advantages:

• significant expansion of the usable area;
• magnificent view of the city from above;
• the ability to walk on the roof, sunbathe in the summer;
• equip a playground (flat roof);
• the possibility of equipment of this fireplace with wood and hood.

The disadvantages of attic space are as follows:

• most often there is no heating, but this question can be thought out and provide attic space with a heating system independently (the same fireplace);
• mounting all communication systems independently;
• climb the stairs several times a day. This cannot be done by an aged man. Hence, the attic room will be used by a young layer of the population;
• If the attic is in the apartment, i.e. above it, you need to think about the entrance to it. If he is out of the apartment, the staircase will turn out steep, which makes it difficult to climb to the attic;
• delivery of furniture in the attic or wood for the fireplace in it;
• furniture for this type of premises does not fit the usual, in most cases it must be made to order;
• if an elevator motor is located in the attic, this will inconvenience from constant noise;
• the need to take care of the safety of the roof yourself, especially when it leaks.

So, before deciding to join the attic room to the apartment, weigh the pros and cons.

  Before starting to collect documents and draw an attic plan on paper, it is necessary to determine if the attic is possible in principle. It is necessary to find out whether communications are passing right above the apartment, to which the public servants should have unhindered access. If some of them can be moved, then housing inspection will not allow building partitions near the elevator shaft or pipeline. In addition, the connection is possible only if the building structure allows it - the demolition of bearing beams and main walls is prohibited.

"There are a number of restrictions - joining is possible at a certain degree of roof slope (from 35 to 55 degrees), the carrying capacity of the ceiling (150 kgf / sq.) And the required height from floor to ceiling of 2.3 m. Also attach the attic will not be allowed, if the house is part of a major renovation plan, ”said Inna Ignatkina, Director of the MIC Real Estate on Presnya.

Photo: www.globallookpress.com

If, after the first inspection, there are no obvious reasons preventing the accession of the attic, you should order a technical expertise, as a result of which an official conclusion should be given.

Step two. Negotiate with the owners

First of all, it is necessary to determine whether the attic is someone’s property. You can find out in the state register of rights to real estate and transactions with it. If the attic is already purchased by someone, then you need to negotiate a price with its owner. “But, as a rule, attics in apartment buildings are the common property of the owners of premises in an apartment building,” said AiF.ru Elena Zemtsova, Managing Partner of Delta estate. - The definition of common property is given in Part 1 of Art. 36 LCD RF. These are premises in this house that are not parts of apartments and are designed to serve more than one room in this house, including inter-apartment staircases, stairs, elevators, elevator and other mines, corridors, technical floors, attics, basements. ” So, in order to attach the attic, the owner of the apartment will have to get the consent of all apartment owners.

“One of the most difficult stages is to get permission to join the attic from all residents of the house, as prescribed by law. Surely there will be dissent, which will have to "negotiate". In addition, sometimes it is necessary not only to identify all the owners of the premises located in the house, but also to organize a meeting of owners, register the HOA, draw out common-share ownership of non-residential premises of an apartment building, ”says Dmitry Shvetsov, Director of Construction Department, TEKTA GROUP.

Step three. Project

The development of the attic project is not an easy task not only from a technical point of view, but also because it must be coordinated in many instances: THAT TU of Rospotrebnadzor, State Ministry of Emergency Situations, Architectural Management, Mosgaz, State Fire Inspectorate, Moscow City Architecture Committee, regional architect, author of the house project (Mosproekt , MoszhilNIIproekt, etc.). Moszhilinspektsiya gives final permission for the reorganization. The BTI plan or technical passport for the apartment, copies of title documents, the consent of the apartment owners must also be attached to the reconstruction project.

Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Issue price

Attaching the attic - the event is not cheap. “It’s difficult to say the exact amount, because in the process of joining additional costs may arise regarding the residents’ consent to use the attic. Regarding the technical opinion on the possibility of connecting the attic, its average cost is 30-50 thousand rubles, ”said Maria Litinetskaya, CEO of Metrium Group.

The project of joining the attic will cost twice as much. A few thousand rubles will make state fees for approval in the supervisory instances. “Various mediatory and legal organizations offer their services in resolving this difficult issue. Their tariff starts from $ 500 per square. meter and can reach 4,600 dollars per square meter. m, if we are talking about luxury real estate ", - said Dmitry Shvetsov.

The cost of repairing and finishing the attic is limited only by the imagination and financial capabilities of its new owner.

Now life in the attic has begun to come into fashion again. Once it was the "privilege" of Bohemia. Poor artists and poets did not have enough money for normal housing, and they had to rent apartments and rooms under the roof. Today, people choose housing in the attic and attic rooms for various reasons. What should be known to those who think about this option?

Attic can attract primarily creative people. In living under the roof, they see something romantic. Often the penthouses are rented as workshops. Another category is people who cannot afford a normal apartment or want to expand an existing living space.

As a rule, in modern apartment buildings attic rooms are already in use, most often for utility purposes. There, as in the basements, engineering communications can be installed. If you can not afford to build or rent a mansion with a loft or a two-level apartment, then there remains only one thing - to look at the houses of the old buildings.

If you already live in an old house, it will be much easier to buy or rent an attic or attic, and it will be much cheaper than a regular apartment. However, it is necessary to obtain permission for redevelopment and for a long time to coordinate the project with the authorities. By the way, to combine the attic or attic with the floor below in an apartment building is prohibited by law. In addition, the attic in such a house is still not originally a living space, and this may limit the possibility of its restructuring.

Life in the attic, of course, has its advantages. These are magnificent views from the height, the opportunity to walk on the roof (and sunbathe in summer). If the roof of your house is flat, you can arrange on it a platform for games. Sloping roof will make the design of your home original and will create room for imagination. You can also arrange a fireplace - not decorative or electric, but a real one, with a pipe and there is a hood with a retractable screen. True, this is a complicated and expensive business. By installing partitions, you can make several rooms from one room and even an entire apartment with a living room, kitchen and bedroom.

And now about the minuses.Attic and attic most often not heated. Therefore, you need to think about the heating system. Electric heaters are unlikely to save you in the winter cold, besides, electricity still needs to be spent: there may not even be a power outlet in the attic. The same with other communications. After all, you will need plumbing, sewage, and the food will need to cook! Finally, you will need to think about ventilation. In the old days, when the attic was just coming into use, most of these problems did not stand, as there was no electricity or running water, and night pots were used instead of the restroom. Bohemian representatives ate most often in inexpensive cafes, which in the same Parisian Montmartre were abundant.

If you use a common staircase leading to the attic, it may be too steep and unsuitable for normal lifting. In our house, for example, the attic can be climbed only with the help of a ladder, which is unsafe ... So you have to install a special ladder with handrails on the site or climb into your dwelling in other ways (say, outside the house by the fire escape). Only a person in good physical condition is capable of this, and you will create great inconvenience for your visitors.

Attic windows can let through a little light, therefore, you will have to take care to break through the normal windows. And this is extra trouble and expense. If the house has an elevator, then its motor can be located just on the top floor, and you will constantly suffer from noise. By making the room soundproof, you can receive complaints from various services, including fire safety.

Do not forget that the roofs often flow, especially in spring, when the snow melts, and in the fall, after heavy rains.

Before you rent or buy a house in the attic, you should think carefully and weigh everything. First answer the question, are you actually going to live in the attic, or do you need it for some other purpose? If you are not going to live in the attic all the time, then perhaps you will do without radical restructuring and some communications. For example, you can not do in the attic kitchen or bathroom. If you plan to live there, be prepared for a significant investment.

Perhaps the best option would be to move to the attic, which had previously served someone as housing, or at least operated as an office or workshop. Most likely, the cost of the already equipped premises will be higher, but the arrangement “from scratch” will eventually cost even more.

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