A few generations ago, attics were an important space in houses that were always incorporated into the design of the building. Most homes, if not all, had attics that hung at the highest part of the building, typically using the roof as ceiling material. In most instances, attics were used as space to store junk materials when the basements got filled up.
Not every house has an attic because houses are being built with trusses in place of rafters. There may be a space overhead in your house that seems like an attic, but it’s unlikely it can be used as one. Due to the changes in construction styles, a house with a usable attic is a rare find.
I hated going into the attic as a kid, but my mom always sent me to pick items for her. The attic felt very much like the basement, giving me the same chills I felt when I got scared. The design and use of an attic in a home is a practice that has been dying for quite some time.
Buying a new house means that there’s a higher probability of you not obtaining one with an attic. The reason is that newer houses do not encompass the entirety of the traditional house setup which older houses carry. Instead, these newer houses go for the basic, needed spaces, not minding some parts that are considered to be unnecessary.
Can you build a house without an attic?
There are a few traditionally inclined people who would feel a house is incomplete without an attic. However, if you think that an attic is wasted space, you can skip it while drawing the plans for your new house. There are many houses, mostly modern, that do not have attics but still serve the purpose of their construction.
People add attics to their housing plans mostly to add extra space for storage. Sometimes they can be used as bedrooms depending on their size and construction.
Storing your items in the attic can be a big problem in the case of a fire outbreak. For this reason, the basement has always been preferable when it comes to storage space.
Unlike a sitting room and bedroom, an attic is not a necessary space in your house. So it all comes down to your own choice when deciding whether to add it to your building plan or not.
Can newer houses be built with attics?
Many people go for the trending designs when building a house or installing furniture in the house.
The basic use of an attic as a storage space may very soon be a thing of the past. The reason is that newer houses are being constructed differently, not giving any space for adding an attic.
This may be due to the discontinued use of rafters as a building material and the introduction of trusses. Trusses do not support the addition of attics to a building because they are not designed to carry the weight and truss construction means usable space is reduced. Construction workers prefer trusses because they are easy to work with and quick to put up.
In some instances, basements have been popular for use over attics because of their advantages over attics. For example, it is a harder task to control the climate in the attic since heat and vapor rise towards it. Also, it is easier to move materials into the basement for storage than to take them upwards into the attic.
Most newer houses are built without attic spaces but this doesn’t stop you from having a house with an attic. Ask for one to be included in your housing plans. It’ll cost more, but essentialy you gain an extra room!
What height is ideal for an attic?
You may fancy the idea of an attic and therefore decide to build your house with an attic attached to it. How tall should your attic be?
It would be best if you understood that the height of attics varies with different houses and buildings. To chose the height of your attic you need to decide what you want to use the space for. Living spaces or bedrooms require higher heights than what would be required for storage.
You should consider building a taller attic if you plan to convert it to living space later on. The reason being that higher ceilings provide more comfort and some councils or local governments will not allow it to be used as a habitable room without a certain ceiling height.
An attic that is 30 inches tall would require an access door so that you could interact easily with it. However, if you plan on converting your attic into a living space, at least half of it should be seven feet high. This is the height that proves to be okay for human habitation.
It’s worth considering the size of your house. A bigger house should have a larger attic space and higher height, in contrast with a moderately-sized house in order to maintain proportions.