Home build - Ceiling heights and bathroom tiles

Hi all

We are currently going through the initial tender for our home build. A project home.

We are considering 2.7m ceiling height for the ground floor... is it worth it?

We saw 2.55m today - didn't impress us that much.

Secondly, considering getting tiles to the ceiling for the bathroom - an upgrade... why is one better than the other?

Is it worth it?

thanks
Monalisa

We are currently in the process of custom designing a house to build later this year.

We've gone with the 2.7m ceilings downstairs. I think it just feels more spacious.

Like yourself we are undecided about the bathroom tiles. So I look forward to what replies you get here.

Wall Hights

I would invest the money ! There is very little difference in cost if any in the frame. Timber comes in 300mm increments so chances are your studs will be 2460mm long so coming out of the 2700mm long piece anyway. The plaster sheets would be slightly more about $2 a sheet on average if you had more than 100 sheets down stairs your building a big house. There is usually very few internal walls down stairs especially with todays modern plans and open living requirements. The only time I would use less than 2745mm wall height is if I had height issues on a boundary. The extra height will make the house feel bigger and hopefully more return when you sell it.

The full height tiles... I would but just because I like them and again little difference in cost other than the actual tiles so would depend on your selection but easier to waterproof also.

I am assuming your using a builder who is reasonable if your using a volume or display home builder they can try and charge you $1000 for a $20 power outlet because its a variation.

( heights in studs and frames are timber frame heights not ceiling heights 2740 gives a 2700 ceiling 2580 ( 2460 stud ) gives ceiling of 2550 depending on top and bottom plate sizes )

2700mm ceilings, for me, are an absolute necessity. It's it's the feature that gets the most comments from tenants, PM's and potential buyers and now it doesn't feel high - rather 2400mm feels low.

As for the tiles, they do look impressive however lately I've seen some very well done bathrooms with half height tiles. I'd steer away from only having a skirting tile or full height tiles in one bathroom and not another. I guess it's about money.

whats the additional cost for the higher ceilings and wet tile to roof ??

ta
rolf

I love higher ceilings. Go for it as it can't be changed later on.

As to tiling, well I'd go with what I can afford at the moment as I can always change it in 5/10 years time. In my IPs it's normal tiling, in my PPOR it's half height and next PPOR will probably be half height again but might be full.

Is it for a PPOR or IP?

monalisa said:

Secondly, considering getting tiles to the ceiling for the bathroom - an upgrade... why is one better than the other?

Click to expand...

Is that only for the bath area or the whole bath room?

We have tiles going all the way to the ceiling only in the bath area. About 20cm high for around bathrooms and about 1 meter high where water can splash (behind vanity & toilets).
I would think about the laundry area too. Especially where you may use the drier. This is the only room really gets moist!

oh.. make sure the wet areas are sloped to the drains. Apparently it is not a requirement in Australian building standards!

When I'm doing a feaso on a development I add $16 per square metre for 2700mm ceilings - up from 2400mm.

Hi all thanks for your responses... a few things for me to think about.

Increasing ceilings from 2.55m to 2.7m for the ground floor = $3K per estimate;
Floor to ceiling tiles = $2,500 for powder room + bathroom (ensuite is included in a promo).

I have asked the sales consultant to revise the $2,500 for the tiling - it is ridiculous - if you compare it to the increasing the ceiling height cost of 3K, which will surely be much more work.

This is for our PPOR.

thanks
Monalisa

monalisa said:

Increasing ceilings from 2.55m to 2.7m for the ground floor = $3K per estimate;

Click to expand...

So all up $6,300 from 2.4m to 2.7m - does this sound reasonable? This is for about a 36 square home.

thanks
Mona

devank said:

Is that only for the bath area or the whole bath room?

We have tiles going all the way to the ceiling only in the bath area. About 20cm high for around bathrooms and about 1 meter high where water can splash (behind vanity & toilets).
I would think about the laundry area too. Especially where you may use the drier. This is the only room really gets moist!

Click to expand...

It's for the entire bathroom.

The basic is what you have mentioned. I am wondering if it is worth the extra expense? I think easier to clean.

Thanks for the tip re laundry area.. i will find out.

id definitely go higher ceilings. i have 10 ft ceilings in my current house and if i walk into anything else i feel cramped up.

monalisa said:

So all up $6,300 from 2.4m to 2.7m - does this sound reasonable? This is for about a 36 square home.

thanks
Mona

Click to expand...

where do you get $6,300 from? i thought it was 3k and only the ground floor? and from 2.55m to 2.7m not 2.4m - 2.7m?

monalisa said:

Increasing ceilings from 2.55m to 2.7m for the ground floor = $3K per estimate;

Click to expand...

A Jeremy said:

When I'm doing a feaso on a development I add $16 per square metre for 2700mm ceilings - up from 2400mm.

Click to expand...

$16x36 = $576
By Jeremys workings sounds a bit expensive

BMan said:

id definitely go higher ceilings. i have 10 ft ceilings in my current house and if i walk into anything else i feel cramped up.


where do you get $6,300 from? i thought it was 3k and only the ground floor? and from 2.55m to 2.7m not 2.4m - 2.7m?




$16x36 = $576
By Jeremys workings sounds a bit expensive

Click to expand...

We were being charged $3,300 to increase from 2.4 to 2.55m.

Another 3K to make it 2.7m.

Ok $576 seems rather cheap!! It is a project builder... they charge for everything!!! Not sure what the base price is for really... but unfortunately, people like these extras, and they charge an arm and a leg for the upgrades.

It will be interesting to see how much more gets upgraded when we go to selecting the tiles etc.

monalisa said:

Secondly, considering getting tiles to the ceiling for the bathroom - an upgrade... why is one better than the other?

Click to expand...

At first I read that as you were considering tiling the ceiling! That would be weird.

Sometimes full wall tiling in bathrooms make's them look like a public toilet.

Ed Barton said:

Sometimes full wall tiling in bathrooms make's them look like a public toilet.

Click to expand...

lol good point haha.

I am considering removing this when we go to the tender presentation. Included for now.

I want to get rid of it because this is unlikely to be our forever home anyway!

We are getting the essentials... and yet the bill is still very high

I wouldn't go any lower than 2.9m high ceilings for my PPOR but I'm 6ft 2" and like the height. For my PPOR I'm doing 2.9m high downstairs, 2.9m high upstairs, and the deck ceilings slope down from 3.1m high. Overall height of the house is just over 9m as the bottom floor is 1.5m off of the ground. And I'm doing floor to ceiling tiles in the bathrooms (similar to this http://imactoy.com/wp-content/uploa...-dark-wall-tiles-adn-wooden-floor-615x300.jpg but in a more colonial style with clawfoot bath etc...). As I'm doing the build myself the price increase is minimal. If I was short I probably wouldn't mind 2.7m high ceilings but wouldn't go any lower.

Bman,

That's $16 per square metre whereas monalisa is talking about squares, which is a different unit of measurement.

+1 for higher ceilings. You can't change that later. Tiles personal choice - you can fix that one later. Personally the tiles to ceiling look good.

Is that $3000 per Level of house ?

36sq house or 360sqm house would have apox 120 lineal meter of External wall

Te increase in wall height would add 2 brick courses around the outside so about 1000 bricks. Depending on brick type:rule of thumb is $1 brick and same to lay it so $1000 labour $1000 for brick = $2000 plus extra in Plaster internally 3K would seem reasonable per Level of house .