Minimum Attic Height

Attic doors garage attic attic.

Minimum attic height.

To meet the minimum of 30 psf live load 2 x 6 joists that are spaced every 16 inches can span up to about 10 feet or a bit more depending on the joist material different woods have different strengths. According to the 2006 international residential code r807 1 attic access homes with combustible materials in the ceiling and roof construction must have an access to attic areas that exceeds 30 square feet and with a vertical height of 30 inches or greater. In other words if your attic has 200 square feet over which the ceiling is at least 5 feet high then for a minimum of 100 square feet 50 of 200 that is the ceiling height needs to be at. The access opening should be located in a hallway or other readily accessible location and minimum 22 x 30.

Minimum vertical height of 30 inches measured from the top of the ceiling framing members to the bottom of the roof framing members. Room area is this case is calculated as the total floor space with walls at least 5 feet tall. Sloped ceiling height for bathroom fixtures. Areas with ceilings lower than 5 feet are allowed but do not count toward the official room area total irc.

One couple turned a chopped up attic into a sunny master suite. This 20 limitation applies to the minimum 30 height only low clearance attics. The minimum ceiling height in rooms with sloped ceilings such as a finished attic space is 7 feet over at least 50 percent of the room area. If the attic space is smaller than these specs then an access hatch is not required.

Joist sizing is based primarily on the span distance between supports and the joist spacing. For new flat coffered tray or sloped ceilings go for a minimum of nine feet. Ashi reporter july 2020. To extend old eight foot ceilings in a remodel aim.

2 x 10 joists spaced every 16 inches can span 13 to 14 feet. Here s how to choose a ceiling height that s right for you. Sabrina teller for the home. The rough framed opening must be a minimum of 22 inches by 30 inches.

One way is by working within the home s existing footprint and converting the attic into living space. Jan 10 2013 sloped ceiling height for bathroom fixtures.