Basement ceiling height Post Reply

[sw18er]

We're close to pressing the button on a basement extension. Has anyone whose done one got any thoughts on what ceiling height we should go for. The plans are currently for 2.8m, but I'm nervous even this might not be enough to avoid it feeling enclosed. Obviously deeper is more expensive though!

Any thoughts hugely appreciated - for what it's worth the house is pretty wide, which may make a difference to the sense of proportion.

[LaMush]

Definitely deeper if you can, we did 3m

[pie81]

Depends what you want to use it for. If it's going to be your main living area or kitchen then I think it is worth going deeper. If it's a playroom, gym, spare bedroom then perhaps not so worth it.

Also it depends how big the basement rooms are going to be - I find it odd when the ceiling height of a room is taller than the width/length of the room, it can actually make the room feel smaller. So if it's going to be one or two big rooms then deeper but if you're carving the space into lots of smaller rooms then not so deep.

Just my view!

[sw18er]

Thanks very much. The room at the back is going to be quite large so it sounds like 3.0m makes sense

[Run Projects]

Hi SW18er,

I think you have to weigh up the additional cost vs benefit. 2.7/2.8m is already a great ceiling height and often going very high can actually make the space feel more like a corridor than a room (especially if the rooms are not that wide). Every extra 100mm depth carries the additional cost of excavating and also deeper foundations/retaining walls.

Another way to look at making it feel less 'enclosed' is through clever lighting that brings a daylight feel to it, perhaps through hidden diffused LED's or stretched panels to diffuse the light.

Good luck with the project.

Andy
Run Projects

[this_is_cat]

What is the height of the upstairs rooms?
We went for 2.8m because that was the same height as the original rooms, but also because there was a leap in price for the deeper ones - something to do with the way they underpin the house, I think?

As long as you've got enough light coming into the room, it shouldn't feel cramped with 2.8m ceilings!

[sw18er]

Interesting, thanks

The house is pretty wide - 7 metres - so hopefully that would avoid the corridor effect, as I agree it can look a bit odd

The ground floor is about 3.25m ceiling height and the first floor is 2.85m. The first floor rooms feel spacious which is why we originally thought 2.8m, though obviously the windows add to the effect. I've just spoken to a couple of people who went higher and recommended doing that. It's difficult to get a firm feel to how much extra another 200mm will cost (I'm guessing 10% to the construction cost, but perhaps it introduces another layer of complexity?

Sounds like some kind of recessed led lighting can make quite a difference. Will definitely look into that

Thanks everyone for the advice

[Ensoul.co.uk]

Hi SW18er, it's a great question and one clearly to get right now before the primary basement contractor is instructed as the internal finished ceiling height is directly related to not only excavation costs, but also the structural integrity/construction method.

Our own home has a 3M ceiling height (you are very welcome to come over and see it if you wish to give you a feeling for the space) and another one we are working on with a client has 2.8M.

We have just released a new guide to basements here http://www.ensoul.co.uk/about/downloads ... basements/ but i think you are past this stage. Anyway, feel free to call me on 020 3637 0700 if you'd like to discuss, best regards, Mike Lander, Director, www.ensoul.co.uk