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lookintomyeyes83

Disguising 2 story as 1.5 story

lookintomyeyes83
9 years ago

Someone here (Renovator8?) has commented a few times about 'the old trick of disguising a 2 story as a 1.5 story', by making the 2nd story 90% of the floor space of first story, and using a steep roof pitch to carry down the roof.

I'm not sure I've 100% understood this method, but my questions are:
- does this mean you end up with angled walls on your 2nd story?
- doesn't this mean your second door requires dormers just to get light into the rooms?
- wouldn't this create more difficulty in insulating your 2nd story roof space (since you wouldn't really have a true attic anymore)? You'd basically be trying to insulate the ceiling as if it were a vaulted roof?

Thanks for explaining!

Comments (11)

  • bus_driver
    9 years ago

    Sounds as if you already understand very well.

  • Oaktown
    9 years ago

    We have a 2 story masquerading as a 1.5. The "dormers" are large. Slopes are in closets and stairwell. SIPs for the roof.

  • BrianKnight
    9 years ago

    Oaktown brings up an important point. Its not necessary to use SIPS for these rooflines but we think its very difficult to properly air seal and insulate a traditionally framed attic space. The knee walls and rafter cavities make for a very convoluted buliding envelope which is why we usually prefer SIPS for the roof in these situations.

    {{gwi:2134740}}

    This post was edited by BrianKnight on Sat, Dec 13, 14 at 15:16

  • energy_rater_la
    9 years ago

    love the house in your post Brian.
    well done.

  • bus_driver
    9 years ago

    I spent most of my years prior to adulthood in a "Cape Cod" house. And the upper floor plan for our present house was for a Cape Cod. But we decided to use that floor plan and make all the walls full height for full two-story. Would do the same thing again.

  • sombreuil_mongrel
    9 years ago

    {{gwi:2134741}}
    This is an example of taking a 2 story house with a gabled main roof and adding cornices and pent roof eaves to simulate a gambrel roof.
    There is a second way of simulating it (in greek revival style, with knee windows on the second floor) but that has knee walls (clipped ceilings possible if you accept having lower ceilings downstairs.) It would follow this idea:

    I would make this a gable roof as well so that full-size windows could be used on the gable walls, and a huge dormer on the rear so bathrooms.
    Casey

    This post was edited by sombreuil_mongrel on Sun, Dec 14, 14 at 9:09

  • robo (z6a)
    9 years ago

    Does a gablefront house count or is this a 1.5 story?

    {{gwi:2134743}}

  • sombreuil_mongrel
    9 years ago

    good question; since the plates for the rafters are well and truly above the upper floor level, I put that into the 1 3/4-story category. The rafters are essentially sitting in a knee wall, even though that's not exactly how it is built. They have to be either timber-framed or balloon framed.
    Casey

  • renovator8
    9 years ago

    A large shed dormer is a simple example of the idea. I like to use 2 cross gable dormers with a shed dormer between them so the end gables are one story. It does create a large attic but that is often desired in the Northeast.

  • renovator8
    9 years ago

    Here a a variation on that idea.