Projects of one-story houses with an attic are far from being in short supply in the age of modern technology, but finding a truly good and worthwhile plan is sometimes difficult. First you need to consider several beautiful options for construction, decide how you want to see your future home, and only then make the final decision regarding its layout and architectural solution.
Features of the
Houses with an attic are a trend in recent years. After beautiful photographs of the interiors of rooms with sloping roofs began to appear on the Internet, many wanted to have the same room for their needs.
In addition to the fact that the attic is fashionable and beautiful, it is also a real salvation for those who have one-story houses. It can be equipped not only as a side room, but also as a living room: a bedroom, a living room, a nursery.
One-story houses with an attic have a number of advantages:
- the attic allows you to increase the usable area in the house, as it can be used as a full-fledged living space;
- if there is no money for the construction of the second floor, the presence of an attic in the house is an alternative;
- it is easier to build a one-story house with an attic than a two-story one;
- much less money is required for lighting and heating the attic space than for maintaining a full floor;
- the presence of an attic allows you to additionally fence off the roof from the house, thereby insulating it.
This design has only two drawbacks. Firstly, one of them is that planning an attic is not an easy task, especially if the house is small. There are many factors to consider. For example, the height of the roof should be such that 50-70% of the future attic space is 2.5 m high.
Secondly, you will need to spend additional funds on the arrangement of the roof. It must be properly insulated, have good waterproofing, so that the attic can be properly operated.
Building materials
One-story houses can be built from a variety of materials. The same applies to attics. They can be organized in any house, even frame houses. This is due to the fact that the attic is not properly a floor, so its construction and arrangement is much easier.
Roofing material is of great importance. Not all options will work here. It is necessary that the material is light, but at the same time protects the roof well from all kinds of atmospheric influences. To date, two materials are best suited for this: ondulin and metal tiles. They have all the required characteristics.
Regardless of what material the house will be built from, it will be necessary to construct a roof in a special way. It is imperative to arrange a Mauerlat, especially on buildings made of foam blocks. The very shape of the roof should be gable, hip (with four slopes) or half-hip. Depending on what material is chosen for the roof, preference is given to either a metal profile or a wooden bar for arranging the Mauerlat.
Foam blocks
When building one-story houses, foam blocks are often chosen. Such popularity is due not only to the cheapness of the building material, but also to the fact that the construction can be carried out independently, since the blocks are very light. When erecting an attic, the load-bearing walls will need to be reinforced with reinforcement, since they will not be able to withstand the added weight.
Roofing material should be as light as possible for the same reason.
The walls will require additional insulation. Foam blocks do not tolerate frost well, so it will be necessary to revet the walls with decorative bricks or other material that guarantees a good thermal insulation effect. The walls of the attic will need to be carefully insulated, as well as additionally processed the joints between the walls and the roof. However, despite all the measures taken, there is a high probability that there will still be drafts in the attic extension.
Beams
Wooden houses are timeless classics. It doesn't matter what this house will be - 1-storey or with three floors, with an area of 50 m2 or 200 m2. A beautiful view of the building is guaranteed. Only the layout will differ. Even the simplest looking wooden structures look solid and presentable.
All the qualities of wood as a building material are at a high level. Excellent heat and sound insulating qualities, aesthetic appearance, high resistance to various climatic influences - all this is about wood. However, there is one significant drawback - the cost. Not everyone can afford such a building.
However, it is the abandonment of the second floor in favor of the attic that can make the dream of a log house a reality. Wooden attics look great. They can serve not only as a living room, but also as a terrace, a winter garden, and a children's playroom. Many people prefer to set aside such cozy rooms for libraries due to the fact that the tree releases resins into the air, making the air fragrant. So, brain activity improves, and what you read is remembered better.
Brick
Brick houses with an attic can be found everywhere. We are talking not only about residential buildings, but also about dacha-type buildings. Brick has a number of characteristics that distinguish it favorably from other materials. These include heat and sound insulating quality, speed of construction, considerable strength, as well as the cost per material, which is democratic in comparison with wood.
Brick lofts are best suited for living in them. Drafts are practically excluded here, and noise from the street will not interfere. One caveat: it also depends on how well the roof insulation is organized.
Brick perfectly "adjoins" both wooden and metal roofs. Brick walls can withstand a lot of weight, so you can safely make a high roof for a small house, without fear that the structure will not withstand and will crack.
However, the attic will require high-quality interior decoration, as well as care for sufficient ventilation so that there is no greenhouse effect.
Frame
Frame houses are the simplest and cheapest to build. In addition, these structures are being built in the shortest possible time, while frame cottages have a representative and solid appearance. Any drawing can be made. Frame construction technology allows you to embody any ideas.
For cladding a frame structure, you can choose any material, but wood is very popular. It is important to remember that the whole house needs additional insulation.
If you want a house with an attic, make sure that it is included in it at the stage of drawing up the plan. It is required to carefully calculate the load so that the frame walls can withstand the weight of the additional room on top.
This also includes the construction of sandwich or SIP panels. This technology allows you to acquire a house in the shortest possible time, but it will take remarkable efforts and funds to make the space under the roof suitable for living.
Thus, one-story houses with an attic can be built from a wide variety of materials. The main thing is careful planning and project preparation.
Project
When thinking about designing your dream home, it is important to clearly understand what it will be like. Perhaps you have chosen the project of a one-storey cottage with an attic due to lack of funds, or perhaps you have been dreaming of a chalet with a small attic room, which will house a cozy library, since childhood. Nevertheless, when drawing up a project, it is necessary to build on several characteristics.
First, the total area of the house plays a role. So, for a large area it is easier to make an attic than for a compact one. This is due to the area of the roof and therefore the space underneath. Under the roof of a large house, you can equip several rooms at once, including a bathroom, while under a small roof you can only make one small room.
Secondly, the future purpose of the attic plays a role. Depending on what will be here, you need to plan and repair work. For example, if the attic will be used only in the warm season, then it is enough to equip only waterproofing, abandoning heating. Thus, it will be possible to save significant funds.
Thirdly, it is important how the first floor is arranged, what zones the cottage itself has.
Large
Houses with an area of 100-150 sq. m is easy enough to design. As a rule, they are equipped with all the attributes inherent in elite houses: a basement or basement, as well as several bathrooms. The attics here, too, are usually impressive. Designers are in the habit of dividing the space under the roof into rooms, organizing, as it were, an additional floor.
Often, even a separate bathroom and toilet are equipped here, here it is important that the bathroom is located exactly above the same room on the ground floor. In this case, problems with the organization of sewerage and water supply will not arise.
When planning the space under the roof of a large house, you need to remember the rules. It is imperative to draw up a clear drawing of the attic with an indication of the rooms, as well as attach an evacuation plan from it.
Here, the use of large end windows will be appropriate, since the height of the roof usually allows this. But you can also attach a small balcony, supporting it with columns, and not with the usual wall. Then the attic will not differ much from the second floor.
Little
Equip houses up to 120 sq. m is much more difficult. To a greater extent, this is due precisely to the insufficient roof height. Here it is difficult to ensure that the height of the ceilings in the attic being created is higher than human height. In small houses under the roof, it turns out to organize only a small room suitable for one person.
You can organize the space by making it entertaining. For example, setting up a home theater is a great idea to save money on installing windows. By the way, roof windows are not cheap pleasure.
The easiest option to implement is to re-equip the attic under a gable roof. When making your plan, consider choosing this type of roof. Then you can make the attic space as comfortable as possible, providing not only free space, but also getting rid of the difficulties with the insulation of an intricate hipped construction. And also consider eliminating year-round use of the attic, making it a seasonal space.
With terrace
Converting an attic into a terrace is an interesting idea. In this case, it will be necessary to ensure maximum access of light to the room, using panoramic windows for this. They should be not only in the end parts, but also in the roof.
It should be noted right away that in this case additional money may be needed, since it is not easy to complete all the details for such an open attic, and all the components are expensive.
It is best if you choose not blind windows, but opening ones … Then it will be possible to refuse additional ventilation. Condensation in the room will not accumulate, because at any time it will be possible to open the windows and ventilate.
When designing, it is imperative to indicate the location of the windows, as well as what they will be. For example, the latest design of balcony windows can be chosen.
This solution compensates for the lack of a veranda or terrace in a one-story house located on a small plot. At any time, you can go up under the roof to admire the surroundings and enjoy the peace and quiet.
With bay window
As a rule, architects try in every way to make the bay window more noticeable. One solution is to fit a roof overhang directly above it. This ledge can be used by making a small attic here.
As practice shows, the attic niche above the bay window turns out to be very small, and it is not enough for a full-fledged pastime here. However, the newly formed space can be used for household needs, for example, by storing things here that are not used. In this case, it is not necessary to provide for insulation. High-quality waterproofing will be enough.
If the bay window is large, and the attic above it is also impressive, then you have the opportunity to equip it at your own discretion. It will be interesting if you plan a rest room here. As a rule, bay window windows are directed to the most attractive place of the site, and this cannot be ignored. In the project, it will be necessary to lay panoramic windows on the roof-attic, which will allow you to fully enjoy the view.
With garage
The roof stretched over the attached garage does not always look detached. If you design a one-story house so that the garage is an extension of it, you will be able to make the roof a unifying element. In this case, the attic will also become larger, especially if a four-slope or half-hip roof was chosen. The newly-minted space can be used by the owners at their own discretion, however, that part of the attic, which is located directly above the garage, is highly discouraged to use as a place for permanent residence.
This can be explained very simply. Ordinary soundproofing is not able to completely drown out the sound of the car, and if it is started, it will be perfectly audible in the room upstairs. Arrangement of increased sound insulation is irrational: it will turn out to be too expensive. Therefore, try to organize the space in some other way, for example, by making a playroom for children here.
Advice
Interior designers and architects share a few guidelines, which will help you decide on the layout, as well as choose or draw up the best project for a one-story house with an attic.
Despite the fact that the attic can be attached at any time, it is best to think about its presence even at the stage of drawing up the project. This way you can build your roof in the best possible way, making the most of the space under it
It is important that the attic is sufficiently lit. The presence of dark corners only emphasizes the limited space. Of course, there is nothing better than natural lighting, but if there is a lack of it, it is necessary to make an artificial lighting system, placing the lamps so that each part of the attic structure is illuminated
If a teenager lives in the house, then the best idea is to give the attic completely at his disposal. So a growing family member will have a personal space, he will quench his thirst for independence, and you will be able to unobtrusively look after him
Beautiful examples
Below is a photo gallery of examples of how a one-story house with an attic might look like.
The attic looks beautiful under the roof of a complex structure. In this case, it is complemented by a balcony supported by columns. It simultaneously serves as a canopy over the porch.
A large attic above a large house can be a full-fledged second floor, especially when the ceiling height allows it.
In this case, fully glazed walls are used in the attic above the bay window, which open up an overview of the entire surrounding space.
The original roof structure implies the presence of several attic rooms, provided for year-round use. In particular, there is a room above the garage.
For the advantages of a one-story house with an attic, see the following video.
