Adding a second floor with your own hands is a responsible task. Without taking into account the strength of the foundation and walls or incorrectly calculating the load on interfloor ceilings, instead of building a second floor, it may be necessary major renovation all over the house!
What you need to know when building a second floor with your own hands
Erecting new house, where the second floor is already included in the project, you don’t have to worry about the foundation and walls - they are designed for the given loads. If it is necessary to increase living space a lived-in home, it’s better not to save money and order an examination. From its results you can find out:
- technical condition of the foundation and walls;
- recommended measures to strengthen load-bearing structures;
- most suitable in specific situation superstructure methods;
- calculations of the future superstructure.
If it is not possible to order an examination, it is better to build the second floor using load-bearing supports on your own foundation.
What to choose – a full floor or an attic?
Most often, the choice is based on financial capabilities. Attic floor it turns out cheaper - there is no need to build walls, and all costs go towards insulation roofing pie. The load on the building is also less, which makes it possible to make the walls and foundation less strong, and, as a result, cheaper.
But in rooms with sloping walls you will have to think carefully about the interior design - wardrobes, shower cabins or bunk beds It will most likely not be possible to deliver. For these purposes it is better to build full floor with an unheated attic. Construction costs will increase significantly, but long term such a house is much more convenient for a large family.
Where to put the ladder?
When thinking about adding a floor to a residential building, they rarely think about how they will have to get up there every day. But you will have to install a ladder, and the convenience and safety of use depends on its shape and size.
If the house is small, then straight marching staircase absolutely not suitable. So, with a step size of 30x15 cm and a staircase inclination of 35 degrees, the length of its span will be 5 m, and the length of the base will be 4 m. Of course, if it is possible to sacrifice part of the first floor, then you can conveniently organize a wardrobe under such a staircase. In its highest part there will be hangers for outerwear, and in the low part - drawers for shoes.
Marching turning stairs allow you to reduce the length of the platform by half, but increase its width. It will no longer be possible to use the space under it with maximum benefit - depending on the design, you can install a sofa, a couple of armchairs or a rack with plants under it.
Spiral staircases are the most compact and most inconvenient. Just imagine how you will have to lift or lower furniture or other bulky objects along it. But if there is no alternative, it is better to choose the maximum possible spiral diameter.
Features of the construction of the second floor in a house under construction
Making the second floor is no more difficult than building the first - the construction of the walls is the same, and the interfloor ceilings are made according to the same scheme as the floors of the first floor. Both in wood and brick house Wooden floors are most often used - they are beautiful, environmentally friendly and very easy to install with your own hands.
Installation of interfloor ceilings
It is not recommended to make spans larger than 6 m, and the average load for a residential second floor is 350-400 kg/m2. If you plan to install massive and heavy furniture, cast iron bath or heating boiler, you will have to make a special calculation.
When laying floor beams, you need to consider several points:
If the temperature differences between floors are significant, then the floor pie should consist of:
- filings from the 1st floor side;
- vapor barriers;
- sound insulation (more dense material);
- insulation;
- vapor-permeable membrane;
- finished floor of the 2nd floor.
Under no circumstances should vapor-tight materials be used on the colder side. top floor– condensation and rotting of floor beams are guaranteed.
Construction of the walls of the second floor
You can raise the walls immediately after laying the beams and subfloor. Very often you can find houses where the first floor is brick, and the second floor is wooden or frame. In this case, it is important not to forget about laying waterproofing between the wood and the brick. The principle of constructing the second floor is similar to building a house on a foundation - it is done bottom harness and the beams are laid.
The disadvantage of this solution is the different heat capacity of the walls, and, as a result, the heat load on the heating system. This must be taken into account when planning before purchasing a boiler - its power may not be enough for the whole house.
The principle of adding another floor to an already existing one finished building almost the same, with the exception of dismantling work - the roof is completely removed and attic floor. Using columns on your own foundation, installed along the outer perimeter of the house, you can not only increase bearing capacity buildings, but also significantly expand the living space.
Columns can be made of screw or bored piles, or made of brick. In the first case, the piles are buried to the load-bearing layer of soil - for sandy and sandy loam soils this is to a depth of 1 m. For brick columns, it is necessary to tie the corners for structural strength.
The roofing pie should be designed so that condensation does not form on the insulation, and air circulates freely under roofing covering. And how to design and plan an attic is described in detail in the video:
High ceilings not only create the impression of spaciousness in an apartment or house, but also provide the opportunity to arrange a second floor to expand the functionality of the room.
This is especially true for Stalin-built houses, where the ceiling height can exceed 4 meters. In a small apartment, built mezzanines will provide you extra space, and in a large house - they will make your interior interesting and unique. This solution will help increase the usable space in the room up to 2 times.
So, where to start realizing your dream?
First of all, you should correlate your desires with your capabilities. Therefore, you first need to accurately measure the height of the ceilings and if the ceiling is too low, it may be better to abandon this idea. Before you build a second floor in a room with your own hands or with the help of specialists, you need to determine the following parameters:
Location
Residential mezzanines can be arranged above the entrance, above the bathroom or against the far wall. When choosing a place to create additional square meters under the ceiling, it is necessary to take into account the location of the window, since the design should not impede the penetration of natural light.
Square
The size of the mezzanine depends both on the total area of the room and on the characteristics of its use. For example, single sleeping area will be smaller in size than a full bedroom with an oversized bed.
Purpose
Most often, mezzanines serve as the basis for a sleeping area, but in some cases there is also a seating area with a sofa and a light wardrobe. Also on the second floor you can arrange a library or a small office.
Ladder
To save money usable space rooms, the staircase is most often made one-flight with a rather steep climb. Some build steps, others limit themselves to rungs.
Arrangement of the second floor
For creating reliable design, which will fit well into the overall decor of the room, it is necessary to develop a sketch. At this stage, the advice of a competent specialist will help you: a knowledgeable craftsman will design the structure, select materials, and advise on how to make a comfortable second floor.
Basically, the construction of mezzanines includes the following stages:
- creating a durable frame from beams;
- filling the frame with beams;
- fixing the structure to the walls and floor using brackets;
- finishing works – flooring;
- installation of fencing (about 1 m high);
- installation of stairs.
Beams can be wooden or metal. In the first case, it will be easier for you to complete the installation, and in the second, the structure will be thinner and more durable. Metal beams are usually fastened together by welding.
Ventilation and lighting
Because the warm air accumulates under the ceiling, a prerequisite for a comfortable stay on the second floor becomes efficient system ventilation. Therefore, even at the planning stage, you should pay attention to the distance of the mezzanines from the ventilation shaft or consider the possibility of installing ventilation using flexible pipes and an electric fan.
The required level of lighting is determined based on the purpose of the mezzanines.
- If there is a bedroom or living room there, small lamps may be enough.
- If you plan to work or read in the ceiling space, then you need to create an imitation of natural light: for this purpose you will need more powerful lighting devices - chandeliers and table lamps.
The second floor will give you additional space to spend time in a room with high ceilings and, when correct design, will look very fresh and original. The main thing is to realistically assess your capabilities and, if you do not have experience in creating such structures, turn to professionals.
Rooms with high ceilings are suitable for making a mezzanine (French - entresol). The mezzanine is the upper mezzanine built into the main volume high room residential building (apartment) or a shelf under the ceiling for storing everything you need and no longer need.
Rooms with high ceilings are suitable for making a mezzanine (French - entresol). A mezzanine is an upper mezzanine built into the main volume of a high room of a residential building (apartment) or a shelf under the ceiling for storing everything necessary and unnecessary.
On mezzanine floors very often they place rooms for relaxation (for example, bedrooms), work (secluded offices, libraries, etc.), and they are also often used as utility spaces in the form of storage rooms or utility shelves under the ceiling.
The photographs below show the process of implementing one of the projects - the construction of load-bearing mezzanine structures in an isolated apartment with a ceiling height of more than 4 m.
Construction of the second floor in a house with high ceilings
Before designing these structures, a survey of the existing structures of a five-story residential building dating from the 1930s was completed. First of all, I was interested in the question: what structures can be used as load-bearing structures to support the mezzanine?
Then the issues of location of the mezzanine, staircase, floor composition and flooring, provision of natural lighting, ventilation, etc. were worked out. Sections of load-bearing metal beams and stair stringers were calculated and selected.
As can be seen in the photographs, it was decided to install a fairly steep staircase with step-by-step steps (the angle of inclination of the staircase was 58°). Such a staircase with wooden steps made of beech wood made it possible to save as much space as possible on the lower level of the apartment and fit well into the interior of the kitchen-studio space.
How to make a second floor in a room?
A full second floor can be built only if the ceiling height in the room is at least 4 meters. Majority modern apartments cannot boast of such values, and therefore they can be used to organize an inferior second floor-mezzanine.
For example, if you remove there sleeping area, then a significant amount of space will be freed up in the room. How to do this and where to start?
How to calculate the parameters for the second floor in a room?
As mentioned above, to equip a full second floor, the ceiling height should not be less than 4 meters. How much space is needed to equip a sleeping place on the second tier?
It's easy to calculate. In a sitting position, a person occupies a height of approximately 1 meter, add to this value the height of the bed, the width of the mattress and blanket, and another 20 centimeters. It turns out that the second tier should be at least 1.2 meters to the ceiling.
The resulting space under the mezzanine on the lower tier must be at least 2 meters. However, this value can fluctuate in different directions, depending on how this space is intended to be equipped.
How to make a second tier in a room?
The second tier is created using:
- supports;
- beams;
- stairs;
- gender;
- balustrades (fencing).
In most cases, the mezzanine is made of wood. The staircase plays an important role in achieving harmonious combination first and second tiers. The ideal step is one with a step height of at least 15cm and a depth of at least 26cm. However, such a staircase will take up a lot of space and can simply overload the space. Sometimes small ones are used spiral staircases or attics. It is worth considering that the latter are not very safe, especially if there are children in the house.
A special role in the equipment of the second tier in the room should be given to the balustrade. It must be reliable and prevent a possible fall if a person, for example, stumbles. The fence should be well thought out if there are small children at home.
How to make a second floor in a room? Ventilation and light
These parameters are very important if it is planned to equip a sleeping or workplace. As you know, warm air always accumulates under the ceiling (especially during heating season). If you don’t think through the ventilation, then sleeping in the stuffiness will be simply unbearable.
Ideal if the second tier will be equipped near the ventilation grille. If this is not possible, then you need to turn to professionals who will combine the second tier with ventilation system using flexible pipes and a fan.
Regarding lighting, then there are two options. If you plan to equip the second tier for a sleeping place, then lamps are perfect as light sources. If a workplace is to be equipped, it is advisable to have access to natural light. This can be achieved by making a second tier near the window. If this is not possible, then several lamps with diffused and directional light will help to bring the lighting as close as possible to natural.
How to make a second floor in a room? Photo
As was written in the previous article, when buying an apartment with a ceiling height of 4.5 m, I immediately understood what it would be like. The second level is sometimes called a mezzanine or ramp.
On the second tier you can place a bedroom, an office, I was even thinking about making a large bathroom. But being married and a stern man then I decided that on the second level there would be a bedroom and a dressing room, in a 50/50 ratio.
Here I will not talk about the convenience, practicality or design of two-level apartments. An article about the choice of material, calculation of load, height and cost of installation of metal structures in an apartment.
When I was putting things in order in the apartment, two or three “masters of their craft” came and offered their services. The funniest thing was to make a mezzanine out of wood. To my question “What to attach to the walls?” he answered with full understanding of the matter, “Wood screws”... Into a 7 cm thick aerated block partition... Just an engineering genius
For reference, there is a special fastener for the gas block. I hope that this unfortunate master did not re-roof anyone in our house. You don’t mind the money, the main thing is that the structure doesn’t collapse.
Material selection: If there was a large corner bath on the second floor, it would be a channel bath. But after analyzing the maximum load, weighing myself and my wife, the choice fell on a 3x40x80 profile pipe. This is also due to the struggle for every centimeter.
Load on profile pipe
Please note that this table shows the maximum load taking into account the span length. Even if the weight is exceeded by even 1 kg, this will lead to deformation profile pipe. The safety factor should exceed the design load by 2-3 times.
Height calculation: We will spend most of our time in the kitchen (1st floor); again, when guests arrive, they will also be located in the kitchen, and not in the bedroom. It was unanimous to make the first floor 225 cm, and the second 190 cm (height up to the rails).
Features of installation of metal structures:
Cost of work: The approximate cost of this metal structure in Rostov-on-Don along with the material today 50,000 rubles. It includes, Consumables, fastening, delivery and loader services.
