20 x 30 1 story loft height?

[nnygal]

Just ordered my plans...waiting for the mail.  Thinking of storage or perhaps overnight guest nook with a loft area.  Can anyone let me know what the head room would be from center of loft floor to peak.  Thanks for the help. 

[Redoverfarm]

  nnygal

Sorry I can't help you on this one.  I am sure when someone who has built will give you the info that you need.  Where are you located or your build going to be.  I am just guessing NY

[John_M]

There are a lot of factors...you really will control most of them.  You need to consider the pitch of the roof and then the height of any kneewall you might have.

It would really not have too large of a financial impact to make your walls 10 feet instead of 8 feet and use that two extra feet for even more useable space.  Lots of people here have done that.  You could even go with 12 foot walls and be in even better shape!!

A steeper pitched roof will obviously give you more head room in the center.

[nnygal]

Hi, I'm located on Eastern Lake Ontario, about 20 miles south of Watertown, the real NNY.   I'm planning on doing a lot of the work myself and hiring out as little as possible.  Hoping by late April I can get site cleared and electric/septic/well going.  If I use a 10/12 or 12/12 pitch and change my walls to 10 foot what do you think my head room would be in a loft?  Thanks for your help...Country Plans is a great site and makes my dream of building seem attainable - I can do this!

[devildog]

Ill take a shot at it.

With 12/12 pitch, 20' wide,raising afoot every foot= 10' at the peak from top plate

with 10' walls ,putting loft floor at 8' ceiling height, then subtracting 1' for loft floor joist should give you 11' total from center of loft to peak.

for 10/12 -2" from 10' =20". so height should be 9' 4".   This is not exact of course ,but should be close.
Darrell

[devildog]

I did notice you asked about 20x30 1story, and just assumed you meant 1.5 story

[miman]

i built my place using attic trusses, 12/12 pitch. it is 20' foot wide. with the attic trusses i have about 8 foot of headroom, and a 10' wide room.

[pocono_couple]

hey devil dog..  nice work with the math - i wish my students understood slope that well   i was just wondering, did you subtract 10 to 12 inches for the width of the ridge board? 

  nnygal -   i find that the best thing to do is to make a scale drawing..  it is quite simple with  graph paper..  you got a lot of good advice regarding  a knee wall giving you a lot more space in the loft.   making the scale drawing really helps you to think through the whole process - how things are going to fit together and what it will really look like when you are done!     good luck.. 

you are in a great location..  we visited the 1000 islands last summer - what a neat place..  after our house is done, i hope to build a houseboat.. the 1000 islands would be our first destination...