Installation 

Roof without attic. Cold attic or warm attic: what to choose? The choice of furniture to create a cozy atmosphere in the attic room

After a long break, it's time to start updating the blog. According to the results of voting for the most interesting topic, which hangs in the upper right corner of the blog, the greatest interest was shown in the topic "Which is better - a one-story or two-story house."

In fact, the “what is better” topic is quite individual and not new. It is easy to find materials on this topic, so I will not delve into it, focusing on an issue that is closely related to this topic, but much less covered. Namely - "what is cheaper to build, a two-story or one-story house"

But I will start in order, with what is better, because this issue will be partially related to what is cheaper.

Which is better - a one-story or two-story / attic house

Probably, the main argument, not related to price or subjective feelings, when choosing a one-story or two-story house is the area of ​​​​the site and building. Of course, it will be difficult to build a one-story house of 150 squares, on a plot of 6 acres. Therefore, for small plots, a two-story house will be a more sensible solution than a one-story one.

Otherwise, the question is largely individual and subjective. Someone likes to have a staircase and a second floor in the house, where you can retire from the family fuss that is happening on the first floor. Someone likes the sloping walls of the attic, especially with skylights that create a kind of cozy feeling of a "living attic".

On the other hand, a one-story house is more convenient in terms of living. Because constantly running up and down the stairs quickly gets boring. And not only boring. We will all grow old sooner or later, and climbing to the second floor can become not only annoying, but also a physically difficult operation. In addition, whatever one may say, but the stairs, even the most comfortable ones, are a traumatic place in the house. And not only for the elderly, but also for children, who basically love her. I think each of us, at least once in our lives, fell on the stairs, awkwardly turning, or twisting our leg. This must also be taken into account.

I met a lot of opinions of people who built a two-story house and said "if they were building now, they would have made a one-story house before." And in 90% of cases, this opinion was due precisely to the fact that running up and down the stairs gets boring pretty quickly. Whatever the ladder, consider how often you will have to climb it.

Therefore, when choosing a two-story (mansard, I will also rank as a two-story) house, one must be very careful about choosing a layout, in order to run up and down the stairs, it was necessary as little as possible. For example, one of the important conditions for a comfortable existence is the presence of at least one bedroom (guest room) on the first floor and the presence of a bathroom on the second floor, if we are talking about a house with all amenities.

A room on the first floor will be useful for the older generation, who find it difficult to climb the second floor, and suddenly in the middle of the day you yourself will want to take a nap or “read a book” alone and inside the house. And if you sleep on the second floor, and at night you suddenly feel the urge to go to the toilet, which is only on the first floor, then by the time you go upstairs, all the sleep will have passed. Or you will endure painfully, because you don’t want to get out of a warm cozy bed, for the sake of a long hike :).

On the other hand, a two-story house has its advantages. For example, a view of the surroundings, if the house is located in a picturesque place and the very feeling of being "torn off" from the ground gives a certain emotional comfort. Very often in disputes “one-story or two-story” the question of a balcony arises. The fact that many people want to have a balcony on the second floor in order to view the surroundings from it.

I’ll digress a little, to the question “do I need a balcony in a private house”. I remember one lady who made the following argument:

And I like to go out on the balcony in the morning with a cup of coffee and soak up the sun.

Is there such a thing? Of course yes. But do not compare the balcony in the apartment with the balcony in the house. Imagine the above situation in reality. You woke up, went down the stairs to the first floor, where the kitchen is located, poured yourself some coffee, and with a hot mug climbed up again for the sake of the coveted balcony. Will you do it? Especially if on the ground floor you have, say, an open terrace where you can just soak up the sun with this cup of coffee, and which you can access directly from the kitchen-living room?

Practice shows that in 90% of cases, a balcony in a private house is not used at all. Unless in the winter you have to go out on it to remove the snow. This is exactly the case when "mental desires" diverge from reality. At the same time, a balcony can significantly increase the cost of construction.

Another argument, in the direction of a two-story house, is the desire to have a “second light”, when above the kitchen / living room, there is completely or partially an interfloor overlap. It's hard to argue here. The feeling of spaciousness and airiness that the second light gives is difficult to replace. Although in a one-story house it is possible to make a semblance of a second light, in this case the ceiling is usually made not horizontally, but along the rafters, as on the attic floors. The effect is comparable to the second light, although such a design will most likely cost more than a conventional, horizontal ceiling. But the "second world" has one implicit drawback. It greatly reduces the acoustic comfort for those on the second.

Usually the "second light" is made above the living room. Imagine a situation when guests have arrived and the living room is full of fun, and you are tired and decide to retire on the second. With the "second light" you are unlikely to be able to take a break from a cheerful company, since the sound from the living room will be perfectly audible in the bedrooms on the second floor.

Acoustic comfort, probably the last argument that comes to mind, is one-story or two-story in a dispute. On the one hand, on the second floor you can retire from the hustle and bustle of the first. On the other hand, the soundproofing of wooden floors, and in 90% of cases these are done in private houses, is not such a simple matter. And the inhabitants of the first floor, on the contrary, may be disturbed by the noise from the second (for example, the running of children) - that is, shock noises, which are the weak point of any wooden floor.

In total, in the bottom line, in terms of the combination of qualities, a one-story house will be safer and more comfortable for living than a two-story house. But the 2-storey building has its own charms. Therefore, you must first focus on your needs and desires. On this we will move on to a more pragmatic question - what is cheaper to build, a one-story or two-story house.

What is cheaper to build - a two-story or one-story house?

Let's start in order

total area

Usually, when it comes to price, the old stereotype works - a one-story building has 2 times more foundation and roof, and these are the most expensive elements in construction, so a one-story building is much more expensive.

But is it really so? The first mistake, in such a calculation, with an equal number and area of ​​\u200b\u200bresidential premises, a one-story house will be less than a two-story house in area.

Why? Yes, very simple. If the staircase is not made completely “attached”, then the staircase itself will take at least 4 m2 on each floor. But in reality, about 5m2. That is, it is 10m2 from the area of ​​the whole house. Then, in front of the stairs, you will 100% have some kind of halls that will require at least 10m2 more. Total - 20m2

The halls on the first and second floor are almost 20m2 and another 8 per staircase. Total 28m2 out of 135 building area. At the same time, even a wardrobe cannot be placed in the halls.

Of course, in a one-story house, you also cannot do without “useless” square meters spent on corridors and halls, but with proper and rational planning, their number can be minimized. And in a two-story building you will not leave them anywhere.

There is an opinion that making a rational layout of a two-story house is easier than that of a one-story house. This is partly true, but the question of the rationality of planning is not at all simple. I came across two-story domestic projects, where the total area of ​​​​any halls and corridors reached 40% of the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe entire house.

The total area is approximately the same as above, but in addition to 3 bedrooms of a larger area, we have a sauna, a 2 times larger living room of 30m2 and utility rooms. Moreover, the total area in this house includes almost 15m2 of terraces (in fact, one more room)

Therefore, if you want to build a two-story house of 150m2, then a one-story one of the same usable area will most likely be 120-130 m2. And the extra 20-30m2, in the construction of a house, can result in a tangible amount. In fact, this is the area of ​​​​a studio apartment or a small "odnushka".

In addition, the staircase itself, if you do not go to extremes, also costs money. A beautiful and comfortable staircase will cost you from 30 to 120tr.

Design features

I will warn you right away, the issue of design features is considered exclusively in the context of frame houses. Where, in fact - both walls and roofing and ceilings are made from the same materials and using the same technology.

In addition to the areas, it is necessary to understand the various design features of houses, which can also affect the cost. For example, it is more difficult to insulate a mansard roof with high quality than a “cold attic”. Skylights are much more expensive than usual ones and it costs money to install them with high quality so that there are no leaks in the future.

If you do not want to get a "trampoline" and "drum" in the form of a floor of the second floor, the interfloor overlap in a 2-storey building will be much more material and labor-intensive than the attic floor of an unused attic. This is an enlarged section and a step of the lag of the overlap, and the "pie" of the overlap itself. Well, if you still want to make improved soundproofing of the interfloor ceiling or make a ceiling over the living room, where the spans will be 6 meters, then in general the price can jump sharply due to the construct.

Even if we take the thermal insulation characteristics. On a cold "attic" you can lay at least 500 mm of insulation without any problems. Your costs for this are the cost of the insulation itself and the work of laying it in an open horizon, which is quite simple. In the attic floor, when insulating the roof, you are limited by the cross section of the rafters, that is, as a rule, 150 or 200 mm. Want more? You will have to increase the height of the rafters or make several crates for additional insulation - and this is both money for material and money for work.

The "cold" attic of a one-story house can be easily insulated with at least 50 cm of insulation.

The load on the walls of the first floor and the foundation in a one- and two-story house will also be different. In turn, this may lead to the fact that a reinforced type of foundation or wall structure of the first floor is required than in a one-story house.

There can be quite a lot of such constructive "little things". Perhaps each of them individually will not cost much, but in the aggregate - will give a very tangible difference.

In addition, a one-story house is corny easier and more convenient to build. Builders are much more willing to undertake to build a one-story house than a two-story one. Therefore, the cost of the work itself may differ. Although in reality this is far from always the case, nevertheless, extra charges for the height of work and the like can easily appear in the estimates. In turn, with a one-story house, it is much easier to get a discount on work, precisely because work is often easier.

Agree, making the same roof at a height of 3-4 meters from the ground and 7-10 meters is not exactly the same thing. Here are the banal risks associated with safety precautions, and physical efforts with the lifting of materials.

Work on a 2-storey house will necessarily require the construction of full-fledged scaffolding, and with a one-story house you can get by with goats and small scaffolding.

Engineering Communication

Another rather important point. In a one-story house, it is much easier and therefore cheaper to make engineering communications. For example, if in a two-story house you have bathrooms on both floors, and they are not located one above the other, then the task of laying sewer pipes becomes much more complicated. Water, sewerage, will have to be stretched in the interfloor overlap, which in turn will complicate its design. The same can be said about heating.

If you want to make a fireplace or a solid fuel boiler, then the length of the chimney will directly depend on the number of floors. Accordingly, the cost of the chimney and its installation and the creation of fire penetrations in the ceilings.

And the biggest difference will come in ventilation, if you suddenly decide to make a complete system, with air ducts and a supply and exhaust unit. Ventilation ducts have a significant diameter and it is not so easy to spread them through a two-story house. And in a one-story house, all ventilation is simply carried out in the attic. Moreover, it can be done later, since there is always access to the attic.

Probably, of all utilities, more or less comparable in terms of implementation in a one-story and two-story house, only an electrician will cost. All other communications in a two-story house, as a rule, are more expensive.

And engineering communications, a thing that in itself makes up a significant share in the construction of a house.

Double storey or attic

A separate issue that should be touched upon is a house with a full-fledged second floor (cold attic), semi-mansard (when the outer walls of the second floor are lower than a person’s height) and attic (when the walls of the second floor are shifted inside the house).

A two-story house will have the maximum usable area, while in the attic, on the contrary, it is the smallest. The same can be said in terms of ease of use.

At the same time, the attic or semi-attic floor has its own “charm”, which many people like. But this is a subjective assessment.

If you look from the point of view of economic benefits, then the construction of the attic floor does not provide significant advantages "in terms of money" in general construction work, since the savings in space are often offset by a more complex design, while you significantly lose in living space. True, the attic can partially save your money on a reduced area of ​​\u200b\u200bexterior and interior decoration.

So what to choose?

If you were looking for a definite answer, which is better and cheaper - a fully-fledged two-story house, attic, one-story, then I can’t give you this answer. If only because you will never be able to find 2 identical houses. Only one would be one-story, the other two-story. There will be different areas, different design features and, accordingly, the price.

According to my personal observations, the cost of building a one-story or two-story house "in a circle" will be comparable. It all depends on specific projects. A one-story house can cost less than a two-story house, or maybe more. But the difference is likely to be in the range of 10-15%.

about the author

Hello. My name is Alexey, maybe you met me as Porcupine or Gribnick on the Internet. I am the founder of "Finnish House", a project that has grown from a personal blog into a construction company whose goal is to build a quality and comfortable home for you and your children.

Now the design of the house, which does not provide for an attic space, is becoming more and more popular. In this case, the roof serves as a ceiling at the same time, and a house without an attic will be taller and more spacious. However, such a solution causes some difficulties in terms of saving heat and arranging an appropriate heat-insulating structure.

Methods for arranging an insulating layer

When building a roof, you can use the external option for laying insulation. However, this is possible only at the stage of building a house - no one will disassemble the already finished roof in order to lay insulation there. Therefore, a different approach is often used - internal insulation. Regardless of the method chosen, it is necessary to correctly lay all related materials and their approximate location is shown in the diagram below.

The choice of insulation

There are a lot of insulation materials on the market. You need to choose based on your financial capabilities, but, first of all, you need to consider that such a roof should be very warm, since there will no longer be additional protection from the cold in the form of an attic. Therefore, it is better to choose from time-tested and fairly effective options:

  • Sprayed polyurethane foam

Any of these heat-saving materials has characteristic pluses or minuses, however, all of them can provide high-quality insulation of the roof, which simultaneously serves as the ceiling of a residential building.

mineral wool

To install this type of thermal insulation, you will need to purchase an additional special film - a membrane. Which passes moist air only in one direction. In addition to the vapor barrier membrane, you will also need a film for waterproofing the heat insulator from the outside. They are necessary in order to ensure the safety of the insulation and extend its service life. Films prevent water from entering the insulating layer and deformation of the mineral wool as a result of getting wet.

Mineral wool is laid in the openings of the rafter system in such a way that there are no gaps between the insulation boards and the rafters. From the outer and inner sides, the cotton wool is closed with a vapor barrier and waterproofing film. On the outside, under the roofing material, there must be a ventilation gap that allows excess moist air to be removed outside.

Penoplex

In its composition, it is practically a relative of foam. The method of manufacturing the material is different, but, externally and in their properties, these heaters are very similar. Additional materials in the form of films or membranes are not required here. You can use such insulation both for external work and for insulation from the inside.

Installation is carried out in the openings between the rafters on glue or, more often, on mounting foam. She also fills all the gaps between the individual plates and other gaps. It is worth remembering that the foam layer, which provides the same insulation compared to mineral wool, will be much thinner.

Sprayed insulation

Spray-applied polyurethane foam is the most modern solution available today. However, its cost will be higher than all other options. At the same time, the roof and ceiling, insulated with polyurethane foam in a house without an attic, will be completely airtight, so it will be necessary to think over the ventilation system of the room.

Otherwise, this will be one of the most effective solutions, since sprayed polyurethane foam is distinguished by excellent heat retention with a minimum thickness of the applied material. At the same time, you will not need to do the work yourself - trained people will do everything, since the technology for applying PPU is not as simple as it might seem and special equipment is required for the work.

If there is a pitched roof in a residential building, then a space is formed under it, which can be called an attic or attic. You need to know what is the difference between an attic and an attic. This is necessary not only to understand the functionality of the under-roof space, but also so that you do not have problems during the registration of the house, since the total and living area of ​​​​the house can differ significantly depending on the purpose of the space under the roof.

An attic in a private house is an opportunity to expand living space. This concept is clearly explained in SNiP number 2.08.01-89. It is on this document that the BTI relies on the registration and re-registration of a residential building.

In accordance with SNiP, the attic floor is additional warm living quarters, which are located in the space under the roof. They can be completely limited to the slopes of a four-slope roof or only two slopes and gables of the building. The attic differs from the attic in that the height of the wall from the level of the floor surface to the line of its intersection with the slope cannot be less than 1.5 m. If the walls are much higher, then this is already a full-fledged second floor, and lower walls can only be attic. Permissible ceiling height must be at least 2.5 m.

The next difference between the attic floor and the attic is that these are residential premises, and therefore they must be heated, which requires thorough insulation of roof structures. No less important is the fact that these rooms need good ventilation and natural light, so the attic should have a sufficient number of windows.

Important! Even an ordinary attic can be converted into a full-fledged attic. To do this, its walls must be sewn up along the frame so that there is at least 1.5 m to the line of intersection with the slopes. You also need to thoroughly insulate the roof structure and equip the roof windows.

The main advantage that the attic gives to the owners of the house is additional living space without the extra cost of building another floor. It has been proven that the cost of such an area in a house is 50% less than when building a full-fledged second floor. The thing is that the cost of insulating the roof structure is much less than the cost of building walls for another full-fledged tier.

Attic space

In the view of many people, the attic should differ from the attic in that it is a space under the roof, littered with unnecessary rubbish. However, in SNiP, an attic is a room under the roof of a house, which is limited by enclosing structures (walls and slopes), is unheated and is not intended for living.

There is also the concept of a technical attic. It is allowed to install technological equipment and lay engineering communications on it. Unlike the attic floor, the attic does not have strict requirements regarding the height of the ceilings, the distance from the floor to the line of intersection of the walls with the slopes.

In this case, there are two types:

  • Cold. In this case, heat-insulating materials are laid only in the ceiling of the last residential tier.
  • Warm. It is insulated not only in the interfloor overlap, but also in the roof structures. Also, an additional source of heating for such a room can be warm air, which rises from the lower floors through the ventilation system and freely passes through the attic space.

The attic is not only an additional storage space in the house. It serves as a kind of heat insulator, because living rooms will be separated from the cold air from the outside not only by enclosing structures, but also by air in the attic space.

Worth knowing: a house with an attic is much warmer than buildings with a bare roof. That is why, in the conditions of our harsh winters, it is reasonable to build residential buildings with a pitched roof and an attic.

Differences

Let's summarize and clarify what is the difference between attic and attic rooms:

  1. The attic performs secondary functions and is used as an additional storage place or for installing equipment and laying communications. The attic floor is used for permanent residence.
  2. Attic rooms can be warm (but without heating) and cold, attic rooms need thorough insulation and heating.
  3. There are no requirements for the design and form of non-residential space. Living rooms under the slopes have strict restrictions: their height must be at least 2.5 m, and from the floor to the line where the slopes join the walls must be at least 1.5 m.
  4. The cost of arranging a residential floor is significant compared to the cost of building an attic.
  5. The attic tier needs to install full-fledged windows for lighting and ventilation of the premises. For a non-residential floor, it is enough to make a couple of small dormer windows to ventilate the space under the roof.
  6. The area of ​​the attic floor is included in the total and living area of ​​the house, which cannot be said about the non-residential space under the slopes.

It makes no sense to argue that one is worse than the other, since the attic system, if desired and the availability of funds, can be converted into a full-fledged living space. It is only necessary to insulate the roof system, hem the ceiling and sew up the walls so that they comply with regulatory requirements.

Therefore, we can say that when building a private house and arranging a pitched roof system, you should make sure that in the future you have the opportunity to convert the attic space into residential attic rooms. This will allow you to expand your living space at minimal cost, without moving out of your home.

Despite the fact that the popularity of the residential attic is growing, many supporters remain in houses with a full second floor and a cold attic. This solution allows you to reduce the cost of. In general, a cold attic is structurally simpler, however, even here, designers and builders are not at all immune from mistakes, the price of which is a decrease in the comfort and service life of the building.

Most often you have to deal with improper insulation of the attic floor. The problem is that customers are trying to reduce the cost of materials to the limit, and builders perform work in the attic extremely carelessly, confident that the owner will not carefully inspect this non-residential premises. So, let's move on to an overview of possible shortcomings.

The folding stealth ladder comes with an insulated airtight hatch. Photo: Fakro

Mistakes when arranging the attic

1. The insulation is laid directly on the false ceiling

Water vapor will inevitably seep into the thickness of the insulation, which will negatively affect its properties. In addition, gaps in the ceiling are inevitable through which particles of insulation and / or chemicals released by it will penetrate into the rooms. Before installing the insulation, plank ceilings or rough rolls along the beams must be covered with a continuous carpet of thin-layer rolled vapor barrier with an overlap of strips of at least 10 cm.

The general scheme of insulation of the attic floor. Photo: Rockwool

2. The insulation layer is too thin

The same requirements for thermal insulation are imposed on the attic floor as on the attic. Accordingly, the thickness of mineral wool boards or spraying of cellulose wool or polyurethane foam must be at least 200 mm (if you focus on Northern European standards, then 300 mm), low density expanded polystyrene boards - at least 150 mm. By the way, when insulating with polystyrene foam, the joints of the sheets and their junctions with wooden beams must be sealed.

3. The insulation is not protected from weathering

This paragraph refers to fibrous materials, the structure of which is destroyed by air currents over time. Mineral or cellulose wool must be tightened from above with a vapor-permeable waterproofing roll.

Icicles on the cornices are a sure sign of insufficient insulation of the attic floor. Photo: Vladimir Grigoriev

4. Ventilation of the attic space is not provided

Water vapor somehow penetrates the attic, and in cold weather condenses on the crate, causing it to rot. And in the summer heat, the air under the roof heats up very much and through the smallest cracks and leaks in the ceiling “flows” into the rooms on the second floor, where it also becomes hot. To avoid these troubles, you need to organize intensive ventilation of the attic. Today, most experts believe that an attic roof, like a mansard roof, should be equipped with perforated cornice spotlights and a ventilation ridge.

Gable dormer windows are often not enough to ventilate the attic. Photo: MidAmerica

5. Movement is possible only on beams and boards laid here and there

The attic space can be used for laying communications, installing engineering equipment (both sometimes need revision), and. But for this you need to make movement in the attic convenient and safe, which means you can’t do without a floor, for which edged and unedged boards with a thickness of 35 mm or more or durable sheet materials (plywood, OSB, etc.) are suitable.

Perforated soffits provide intensive and uniform air flow. Photo: FineBer

6. Comfortable lifting not attic and lighting are not provided

Even if you do not use the attic as a pantry, you still sometimes have to go up there - to revise roof structures, chimneys or ventilation pipes. Moreover, the need to get to the attic may arise urgently (suppose you smelled burning and overheated metal near the chimney). Going to the barn in search of a stepladder, you will lose precious minutes. Therefore, it makes sense to acquire a stationary ladder or a special folding "invisible". And of course, we must not forget about the lighting - ideally, it should turn on automatically (schemes with a motion sensor or a reed switch on the hatch).

The ventilation ridge, originally designed for a mansard roof, is now often used in houses with a cold attic. Photo: Klober

Shed roof, according to modern architects, is of the main decisive importance in the development of not only economy class housing, but also stylish. After all, the forces and costs that usually go to the construction of a multi-slope can now be directed to the exterior. For example, building a pool in front of the house or adding a barbecue terrace. And the rest of the shed roof is not inferior at all in anything.

Therefore, it does not mean at all that a house with a pitched roof will turn out to be unsightly or too simple. On the contrary, by playing with the slope and direction of such a structure, roofing material and interior space, you will get a unique architectural design that no one you know will definitely have. And our website will make such a house inexpensive in construction and modern both inside and out!

Architectural Benefits of Shed Roofs

Of course, where gable roofs have existed for thousands of years, everything unusual seems ugly and ridiculous. But the Eiffel Tower in France in the early years of construction embarrassed the locals with its "simpleness".

The fashion for shed European villas came to the Russian expanses quite recently. And until now, individual architects are rebelling against this trend, calling mono-pitch roofs exclusively "barn" and arguing that clients do not even look at such projects.

But in fact, not only the customers of their future “dream house”, but self-builders with golden hands are increasingly making the roofs of their buildings precisely pitched, with different angles, directions and combinations with other roofs. Because, apart from the more dynamic look that only a sloped plane can give, shed roofs are actually more functional and even economical.

Most often in world practice, shed roofs can be found in Finnish houses, which are known for their pleasant combination of modesty and restraint:

.

In warm and hot countries, houses with a shed roof are especially popular: no insulation is needed from the inside, the design always looks original, and such a roof is much cheaper in terms of costs. So the northern countries began to adopt this useful fashion.

For example, not so long ago, a new type of residential building was created in Norway - high-tech, with a shed roof with a slope of 19 °. It generates its own energy thanks to solar panels on the roof: the atrium has enough thermal mass to accumulate enough heat during the day and release it all night. And not only to give, but also to provide the whole house with electricity.

And for water heating of walls and floors, rainwater heated by the sun is used, which flows down the shed roof directly into the drain. With an ordinary gable or hip roof, all this would not have been possible to realize!

Is it worth it to make a “one-slope” for a residential building?

Until recently, shed roofs could not be called popular in Russia. It so happened historically that due to the winds and heavy snows in this country, it was gable roofs that proved to be the most practical, which were sharp in snowier regions, and gentler in more windy ones.

And purely visually, the indigenous population is accustomed to seeing roofs with a slope of at least 30-40 ° on houses, where there is a traditional attic for storing a variety of things. And shed roofs carry such inconveniences:

  1. An incomprehensible space at the upper Mauerlat. You don’t use it under the attic, but the attic turns out to be unusual. Leave it without an attic - then the entire geometry of the interior will seem broken and cause discomfort.
  2. On a shed roof, rainwater exerts twice as much pressure as on a gable roof. Why? It's simple: all the liquid that gets on it flows along one slope until it falls to the ground. And if you take and break this slope in half, a “house”, now the water will be divided at the ridge into two streams. And this is twice the amount and influx. This is why shed roofs are problematic in terms of leaks, especially if the choice of roofing material is wrong.
  3. A shed roof is one integral plane, and this is a real sail. That is why, during storms and strong winds, it is precisely such roofs that suffer in the first place.
  4. The need for a strong truss system. The load here is always distributed less than that of a gable roof, and therefore the rafters will have to be made thicker and stronger.
  5. A complicated ventilation system, which is sometimes not paid any attention at all, and then they are surprised at the short service life of such roofs.
  6. Another disadvantage of such a roof is that it will have to be cleaned during heavy snowfalls, otherwise the roofing material and the building system may break. And on ordinary days, on the contrary, the snow itself descends from such a roof, and not like an avalanche, but gradually.
  7. Unpopularity of experiments. Even more: neither the rich nor the poor want to risk their own investments in construction, and the designers completely fall into despair from any unusual roof.

Because of all these reasons, shed roofs in our country in 99% of cases are found only in baths, garages and summer country houses. Although at the same time, in a region with little snow and not very windy, such a roof could bring many bonuses, including the same unusual stylish design.

Frame houses with a pitched roof are considered the most energy-efficient. This does not take into account the fact that the area of ​​​​the southern wall in such a house will be the largest, and the northern wall - the smallest. Now see the difference with gable projects? Moreover, the northern side itself is still being built without windows, and serves as one of the walls of the utility room: a boiler room, a boiler or a supply room, where garden tools are stored. But the presence of an attic under the roof in private construction is already considered obsolete.

A shed roof is remarkable in that it has:

  • Simple design. So simple that with a small private construction, they don’t even make particularly accurate calculations for it. There is no need to adjust the slopes to each other, to achieve the identity of their weight and load on the walls. There is no need for complex support systems, which are often found in other types of roofs.
  • High practicality. In addition to the main functions of the roof, with a minimum angle of inclination, it is also used as an open area for a variety of purposes.
  • Reliability. Due to its simplicity and unpretentiousness, such a roof is actually also the most reliable among all others.

And from the practical aspects, we highlight the following:

  1. The ability to arrange a house without an attic and the problems associated with it.
  2. The original geometry of the ceiling, which is used as a separate design element.
  3. The absence of a ridge and cracks under it.
  4. The ability to drain rainwater and snow from the roof in only one direction - where the slope is inclined. This is important if people are walking right in front of your house (like on the streets of the city) or if you have laid out a beautiful garden and do not want to flood it in the rain.

And, of course, the simplicity of construction work:

Know-how: shed roof combinations

There is one new architectural fashion: the gable roof, which consists of two single-slope, but not joined at the ridge. And technologically, we are still talking about two separate shed roofs, which are built according to all the rules. And in the middle they place either a flat part or an open terrace between the two halves of the house. An incredibly successful and functional solution, we note, which allows you to add more natural light to the house.

Shed roof houses are recognized all over the world as the most favorable in terms of energy saving. Which is not surprising, because the cube also takes the first place in this regard, and what then is such a house, if not a cube?

Now we will reveal a secret to you: it's all about compactness. Any structure is said to be compact if it has, as far as possible, the minimum area of ​​all external surfaces. So, a house is sometimes built according to rather intricate projects, when almost every room has three external walls, plus an even more complex roof. And sometimes it happens that the rooms have only one such wall, and the roof is generally shed.

What is the point? The fewer such external surfaces that come into contact with cold outdoor air, the warmer the house itself will be. That's why compactness is so important in construction!


In this design, everything is simple: shed roofs are built according to the same patterns, but are based on two parallel Mauerlat-runs. And the main plus is that such a non-spacer construction does not “push apart” the walls of the house with its pressure, which means that there are already much less strength requirements for the frame structure itself. True, in such a house there must be at least two internal walls.

And in modern architecture, a new style has recently appeared: roofs united into a single whole, which have a slope in different directions.

Modern frame house: from the foundation to the roof

A frame house with a shed roof is a structure made of lumber and fixed wood panels. The frame of such a house itself must be built either from metal or from hardwood timber. It is solid, while the rafters on the roof should be made just from conifers. Now let's explain.

The fact is that solid woods tend to keep their geometric shape and not change over time: they do not dry out, do not shrink, do not twist. And, of course, in bending, due to such properties, they work poorly. But conifers are just good because they do an excellent job with dynamic loads, which is why the walls are made static and strong, and the rafters are more flexible and withstand both shrinkage of the house and a slight deflection due to snow.

Although wonderful houses are obtained on a metal frame:

Foundation for a frame house

Under a small one-story house, the easiest way is to make a columnar foundation. But, if you are building a solid two-story frame house with a shed roof, the technology will be a little different.

The fact is that a simple columnar foundation is no longer suitable here. A frame house, worse than any other, endures seasonal ground movements, subsidence of the earth, or other similar problems, and therefore experienced builders advise making a slab foundation for it. This one takes all the dynamic loads on itself, and the integrity of the frame is preserved.

Therefore, for a two-story house, make just such a foundation:

Or a more modern insulated Swedish stove:

Technologies of frame construction of walls

In total, there are two main technologies for frame construction.

Frame and panel technology

In this case, the frame house is built from various individual building materials: beams, cladding, insulation, interior decoration, vapor and waterproofing. All this is attached to the frame in its sequence, and as a result, we have a house that is no worse than a timber building in terms of quality.

Here is a good example of construction using this technology:

And the main components of a house built using this technology look like this:

Frame-panel technology

To assemble such houses, a detailed project is initially made, according to which shields of the required size are already manufactured in the factory. We are talking about multilayer panels, which already initially include inner lining, insulation and all types of insulation. All you have to do is attach these shields to the frame of your house, which only takes two days in total. As a result, the whole house, from design to roof arrangement, is built in just a week.

So, insulated SIP panels are the most popular in frame-shield technology. SIP is a wall panel designed to bear longitudinal loads. A frame house based on Canadian technology, which just involves the use of SIP, turns out to be especially warm and integral.

And when building a frame house from such material, the following question arises: should the roof be made from the same material, or is it still traditional? With beams, rafters and lathing? The fact is that everything here is decided by the length of the overlap.

So, with small spans, up to 5-6 meters, the shed roof of a frame house may well be from SIP. It will be already insulated, durable and easy to perform. Moreover, SIP has good bending strength. But for large spans, it is better to build a traditional floor and reinforced rafters. After all, you can’t make a complex roof out of SIP, but just a shed roof is easy enough:

It is only important to know how to properly connect floor beams with such walls:

Shed roof device on a frame house

A shed roof in the design world is also called a monoslope. Modern architects see a house with such a roof somehow differently than a shed or hip roof: lighter, airier and more stylish.

A shed roof behaves remarkably where spans are from 6 to 8 meters. Usually, the slope of the slope is made to the north, and large windows are equipped in the southern facades. Often, external insulation of such a roof is practiced: on top is extruded polystyrene foam, which is filled with a cement screed, and on top of it is a roofing carpet.

What is also good, the drainage system in such a roof is simplified and is needed only on one side, and not on two or four at once. But this is not necessary: ​​on a slope oriented to the south, solar collectors are often equipped abroad.

Step 1. Design

A shed roof of any format always differs from a gable one in that here the rafters are not connected in the ridge, but are attached to the walls of the building with both ends. Those. there is no skate at all. The only exception is the run on which the layered rafters are attached, but it never exceeds the level of the entire slope in height.

If you are building using frame-panel technology, then it will be easiest for you to create a wall difference:

But if you use sip panels or the walls are already made at the same height, then you will have to make roof trusses.

Slanted rafters in a pitched roof are made when the building has an internal strong partition. After all, the longer the rafter leg, the more there is a danger of its deflection or eversion. And therefore, if it is possible to support such rafters, you need to use it.

In this case, a run is attached to the carrier partition:


Now we make the rafters twice as short - so that each of them rests on the wall with one end, and on the run with the other. And be sure to check the angle of inclination of such rafters with a laser level - it must completely match. And outwardly, such a roof will not differ from simpler shed roofs.

But in general, the shed roof rafters can be in all of these options:

Although the rafters in the shed roof of a frame house can be generally non-expanding:

Hanging rafters are good because they can be built directly on the ground, in the form of ready-made farms. After all, their main difference from the layered ones is that the load is now transferred to the rafter triangle itself, and not to the walls of the building. And this is quite reasonable, because most often shed roofs are arranged just on small buildings, such as a bathhouse, a garage or a change house. And the walls of those usually do not please with a special fortress.

So decide: if your building is not distinguished by the monumentality of the walls, make hanging rafters, and if it is more or less strong and there is an inner wall, then layered. The choice is pretty easy!

Step 2. Mauerlat cutout

Decided? Then specify the future angle of inclination of such a roof and make a template for the rafters:

And the cut itself needs to be made in order to support the rafters of the shed roof on the Mauerlats. The main task of the Mauerlat is to compensate for the horizontal unevenness of the walls. That is why, when laying it, be sure to arm yourself with a building level.

Step 3. Making rafters

For this task, you will need the following fasteners:

And how difficult your rafters will be depends on what load is planned for them. The higher, the rafters should be more reinforced from the inside:

Step 4. Calculation of the crate

As soon as you fix the rafters, go to the crate. The smaller the slope of the shed roof, the more often the crate should be (up to a solid one):

And on steeper slopes - whatever your heart desires, just calculate in advance the weight of the roofing for the whole house and foundation:

It remains only to lay the selected roofing and arrange a spillway. Which, fortunately, in a shed roof is done on one side only:

Step 6 Glazing

Since relatively recently, a new fashion has appeared in frame construction: cleanliness, conciseness and a lot of glass surfaces. What is most easily achieved precisely through frame technology, for which the presence of a shed roof instead of massive and clumsy multi-pitched roofs is a real outlet:

The easiest, according to modern architects, way to bring more light and lightness into a frame house is to make transparent inserts into the roof or completely transmit some part of it. For example, above a covered veranda or part above an attic. And in fact, we are not talking about glass at all, but just about modern roofing polycarbonate, which is more often used monolithic or corrugated. There is a separate article about this on our website, but here we will note only some technical points.

When choosing the thickness of the polycarbonate that you are going to use for the construction of the roof, calculate in advance the climatic and static loads. You have probably seen a photo where beautiful, durable greenhouses have completely broken roofs in the spring? And all because when buying, the owners decided to save on quality, without calculating, such tons of snow fall in harsh Russian winters. You wouldn't want something like that to happen to your roof, would you? After all, replacing the top of an ordinary greenhouse is not difficult, but replacing the roof of a house is a real problem.

You need to fasten profiled polycarbonate sheets to the roof using the same fastening that is used for the metal profile. These are self-tapping and self-drilling screws of the STSD type. The sheets themselves are fastened together with special profiles, which are equipped with EPDM rubber seals. All this is necessary so that such a beautiful roof does not leak. There is also a special connecting aluminum profile for sale - for P-6066 polycarbonate. It consists of a special clamping bar and a sealant, but it already needs to be fixed with self-tapping screws directly to the pipe or crate.

In addition, if you have leftover polycarbonate (after all, standard sheets are produced), use it for glazing utility rooms:


And the excess from another roofing cannot be applied in this way.

A house with a shed roof, built using frame technology with a competent approach, will be the most modern and stylish!