Hi, I am sketching a future well-insulated cabin, about 50 sqm. Initially, I thought of building a single-story house. But it seems like for almost the same money, I could build an extra floor. However, I don't really know the best way to do it construction-wise.
I made a sketch of approximately how I imagined it. The ceiling height on the upper floor is not absolute, as long as it is over two meters, I'm satisfied.
So looking at this sketch, what would be the best way to solve it? To build the walls 3925mm high and then add an "A-roof truss"?
I have no idea how it's usually done, so some tips would be greatly appreciated. The dimensions are not absolute, as mentioned, in case any wall needs to be thicker or something.
A cottage of 50 m² with the height you need - won't it look very strange?
Why not build a single-story cottage of 70 m² instead? What does the building permit look like? Are there restrictions on area or height?
Then we can discuss the "for almost the same money" issue. I can list many arguments against 1½-story if needed, but for now, I can say that it will probably be about the same cost per m² of living space.
I just want to point out that this is not a 1.5-level structure, it is by definition a 2-level.
This can make a big difference when it comes to building permits.
Even when you order roof trusses, there can be misunderstandings if you talk about 1.5-level and then want the appearance according to the sketch.
Roof trusses for 1.5-level normally look different.
Also, keep in mind that you cannot have 5.5-meter free-spanning roof trusses if you want living space on the upper floor. You must have a load-bearing wall on the ground floor.
I think I've seen other houses with a similar appearance to what I'm after, and they didn't look too bad. The idea is that for a newly built year-round house (which I have to build), I have to meet strict energy regulations, and I don't want to spend a lot of money on the house because I mainly want to build a garage. But if I build under 50sqm, the house can consume up to 90kwh/m2 and I avoid the energy declaration. Therefore, the idea is to limit the size to 50m2.
If you have to use a ladder to access the upper floor from the outside, I don't think it counts as living space, meaning I should be able to have a second floor like the described one without exceeding 50m2 of living space. The idea is to first just insulate the floor (which is the ceiling for the ground floor). But if I feel like it, I can easily create an extra room or two on the upper floor in the future and insulate it afterward.
The ceiling for the ground floor, which is the floor for the upper floor, I'm considering building from upright 220x45 construction timber, which is available in 6m lengths at Bauhaus. If I place these at 600mm centers and attach them to the walls, they should be able to be walked on and support the walls, right? I only know how to calculate stress and deflection in metal, so unfortunately I can't calculate this. But the upper floor won't be exposed to very heavy items, at most a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, etc., so upright 220x45 sounds stable to me.
On the walls that extend 1.2m above the floor surface, perhaps I can attach A-trusses, and in this way get a good space according to the picture.
According to my logic, I still have to buy upright studs that are 4.2m long for the exterior walls, so it costs the same to have the exterior wall 4m high as 2.5m. A-trusses should be a bit cheaper than the "standard" truss trusses, but the 220x45 might eat up that cost. So I don't see how it becomes much more expensive to get this upper floor.
What I'm wondering is if it's possible to build like this?
andersmc is correct that 5.5m long 220x45 c-c60 will be perceived as very wobbly.
Regarding your reasoning about the wall studs, I don't quite follow. Why would you need to buy 4.2m if you only need 2.5?
If I needed 2.5m lengths, I would buy 5.1m and thus get 2 out of each.
Overall, I agree with you that this type of 1, 3/4-story houses are often the most attractive and appear the most proportional.
Ah, when you write "almost the same money," you have only calculated for the studs, and you are assuming to extract them in a very uneconomical way for the single-story house, but a more economical way for the 1½-story house, so therefore the cost is almost the same.
Studs are not only available in 4.2 m; they come in a variety of lengths. 2.5 meters and then from 3 meters up to 5.4 with 0.3 meter intervals are standard.
But keep in mind that studs are a very small part of the total cost of a house.
Without getting into the actual truss construction, I have a few thoughts...
If the attic is not to be used daily, but more as a guest room and storage, an exterior staircase is excellent. This way, you avoid the stairwell inside, i.e., save floor space, and the heat doesn't unnecessarily rise to the attic.
But a few simple questions: How long is the house? How much space do you need in the attic? Roof angle?
Thanks for all the answers. I'm considering a slab on the ground that is 6x8.4m. I only went to Bauhaus to see what lengths they have there and it was basically just 4.2m, where can you find all the other lengths?
As I said, I haven't planned to furnish the upper floor now, just have it as a cold attic. But it feels proactive to plan for more space from the beginning, rather than building a 50sqm house and then realizing in 5 years that a little more space would be good. I need to build less than 50sqm of living space for the time being. It's cheaper and easier to build right from the start than to add on. Or at least do the groundwork.
I have no experience with house construction, which probably shows. So any tips I can get to solve this are appreciated. I think my idea above is good, except that it might need to be modified to actually work in practice. If the 5.5m floorboards are wobbly, do you think it would be appropriate with longitudinal walls somewhere underneath as support? I'll make a floor plan so you can see how I've envisioned the rooms and if these walls can function as load-bearing support.
An external staircase would probably be a good solution in the future, leading into a wind-protected porch so you don't have to walk in the wind. But if I make a permanent staircase now, it probably counts as living space, which is why I would now put a door in the short end and use a ladder to get there.
An external staircase seems like a sensible solution. An internal staircase will take up too much floor space.
You need a load-bearing wall (hjärtvägg) along the length of the house. It gets a bit tricky with the floor plan since the house is so narrow. But the wall doesn't have to be exactly in the middle, and it doesn't have to be made up of a single wall, if you know what I mean.
Regarding studs, you'll have to search among the hardware stores nearby. Now, I don't know what you have available, but generally, the specifically low-cost stores tend to have a poorer selection of lengths. For example, I have XL-bygg, which has a range of different lengths. What they don't have can be ordered or even custom-cut.
If you're building an entire house, don't go buying timber load by load. Get quotes from different hardware stores and lumber yards. Even if XL-bygg is a bit more expensive per meter, it can be cheaper overall due to less waste. Another big advantage is that you can return unused materials.
I'm thinking something like this; the floor/ceiling should be sturdy then? Between the bathroom wall and the bedroom wall, you could add a beam for extra stability there; I forgot to include that. How should one view the construction on the upper floor then? Is the concept with approximately 4m high wall studs and A-trusses as per the earlier image feasible?
EDIT: Oh, when I search for 1 3/4 story houses, those are the kind of houses I'm aiming for. Are they generally built the way I've shown, or is there another method?
With that floor plan, there are all possibilities for a stable intermediate floor.
Roof truss solutions in 1 3/4 stories can be solved in different ways. If you want to avoid "kattvindar" and thus have the opportunity for windows on the long sides of the upper floor, you can have a ridge beam with horizontal rafters/beams from the outer walls to the ridge beam. Alternatively, you can use scissor trusses.
I myself chose scissor trusses in my own 1 3/4 build, as I wanted to have 60cm insulation in the roof, so it didn't matter that they build up a bit in height. Here are some pictures from the build showing a bit of the roof construction.
Gabbe, that looks good! I want to be able to insulate well myself, at least 400mm. If I went with a scissor truss, it might feel more spacious too since there would be a bit more airy ceiling height. But how do you install the insulation from underneath? And do you cut out insulation and fit it into the cavities in the truss? Do you maybe have a construction thread of the build already?
It feels like if I built like this and insulated the floor for the upper floor and left the upper floor uninsulated, they can't say it's living space if you need a ladder to get up there?
