It’s a simple fact that many homes in the U.S. have high ceilings, but many people don’t know to do the same thing in a Tiny House on Wheels. Many homeowners worry about their homes being cold, uncomfortable, and impractical because of the high ceilings.
Living with a high ceiling can be challenging, but if you consider these aspects beforehand, it will become easier for you.
If you’ve bought a tiny home and know a loft floor in your tiny house that contains two stories, are you forced to live with a high ceiling? If so, there are others in this. After all, who wants to walk on the second floor?
But in case you find it uncomfortable to do so. This article will help you become familiar with some aspects you can consider when buying a house with a high ceiling, such as ceilings above ground level, the size of rooms, and more.
1. They Can Increase Your House Worth
Raising the height of a ceiling adds value to your home, increasing its attractiveness and appeal. Studies suggest raising ceilings can add up to 25 percent more financial worth than an already-high price tag.
An analysis by Build Direct revealed that homes with high ceilings sell for $2,619 more than their lower-ceilinged counterparts—bringing in average property values of $344,486 versus $341,000 in the same neighborhood.
According to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders,
Nevertheless, high ceilings are more common in high-end homes than low to mid-range ones. In the latter, it may be harder for a homeowner to sell someone on extra space at ceiling level if it was separate from their original design plan.
High ceilings can make your home more appealing to potential buyers, but their importance depends on the type of house and neighborhood.
2. High Ceilings Can Amplify Your Decor Plan
You can enhance high ceilings making them look stunning with more space and feel more extensive.
- For an elegant yet relaxed look, hang curtains that extend to the floor.
- Install pendants or chandeliers to create drama.
- Breasting a fireplace wall can make an otherwise low-ceilinged room feel tight.
- To create moods in various rooms, you can mix and match the heights of your ceilings. For example, a high ceiling will make guests feel grand when they arrive at your home but may seem cold if used throughout an entire house—a standard or low ceiling works better for this purpose.
3. High Ceilings Make a Room Bigger and Radiant
Rooms with high ceilings seem grander and more spacious, making them ideal for large gatherings like formal dinners or parties. The extra space overhead also makes traditionally small spaces feel less cramped—like a study or reading room.
According to research published in the Journal of Consumer Research, high ceilings can contribute to a sense of freedom and boost our exploratory tendencies.
High ceilings also allow more sunlight to flood the environment, brightening and ventilating it.
4. They Make it Difficult for Climatic Change Control
Rooms with taller ceilings sap more energy from heating and cooling systems because the HVAC system must work harder to heat or cool a larger space.
This disparity can contribute to higher heating and cooling costs but may also result from an inefficient air distribution system. Hot air rises, collecting close to the roof while leaving the ground level crisp—cold air sinks, possibly leaving floors excessively warm.
Replace inefficient heaters and air conditioners with more efficient models that run less often to distribute heat or cool air throughout the house.
To keep heat from escaping and to make it easier for people to feel, have your HVAC installer route the ductwork near the floor rather than on an upper wall.
If you use your air conditioner for more months of the year, consider installing ductwork in your ceiling to deliver cool air where it’s most needed.
5. The Cost of Erecting High Ceiling Building is High
High ceilings require framing, drywall, and insulation modifications, along with alterations in electrical wiring, plumbing, and heating/air-conditioning systems.
Adding a loft to your tiny home requires more materials and labor than building it with one story, including drywall, primer, and paint—which means higher costs.
Raising a standard 20-by-20-feet room level from 8 feet to 9 or 10 feet can cost between $18,000 and 25,000.
If you’re looking for a roomier feel at an affordable cost, consider removing the ceiling to expose beams and other architectural elements.
If your rooftop has enormous pillars and rafters (more normal in pre-1920s homes), adding a subsequent story is conceivable.
However, if the ceiling joists and rafters of modern homes are narrow, adding another floor would damage them too much.
Exposed ceilings in 20-by-20-feet rooms can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $3,200.
6. High Ceilings Are Not Compatible with All Roof Structures
Raising ceilings in an existing home can be tricky and may require the help of a structural engineer. However, raising them is possible because builders can readily place the roof structures needed to support higher ceilings when constructing new buildings.
It is possible to raise the ceiling of a standard stick-built roof, with framing made up of joists and rafters because this type of construction provides an opening through which builders can adjust these components to support the high ceilings.
Raising the existing ceiling isn’t recommended if you have a truss-framed roof with prefabricated triangular units called trusses that make up your ceiling’s crisscross pattern.
It would be tough to alter the roof structure because there needs to be more space between trusses.
Alterations can adversely affect the structural integrity of a ceiling because you are not supposed to modify trusses after installation.
Conclusion
Don’t let high ceilings scare you away from a potential home. Many people find high ceilings helpful in making a space feel larger, so if you’re going for an open, lofty feel, that might be your ticket.