Replacing dual pitch roof

[Sunshine12]

I had a single storey extension built 2 years ago. Full width of back of house 9m wide x 5m out. There’s a huge steel supporting the 1st floor of the house on pillars, a ridge steel on pillars & then another steel on the external wall above the bifolds. it’s a dual pitch cut roof with rafters. 27 degrees. No velux windows.

My problems with it are:

1. The pitch is too steep, so steep that I cannot see out of the bedroom windows. It’s about half way up the windows.
2. I thought it would be a cathedral style going up to a triangular point internally ( instead it pitches up is then flat for approx 1m & then slopes back down towards the giant steel)

At the time we were doing a million other things on the house & work 24/7 & really really didn’t communicate well with our builder & give this the thought I should have. It’s bugged me ever since & I haven’t got ‘used to it’. I’ve majorly messed up & clearly did not understand in the slightest what the final result would be. Hence why I am here for advice.

So my questions are:
where do I go from here? Would you have the roof replaced? If so, what are my options? Ideally I don’t want a flat roof/roof lantern as it has the sun on the back all day.

I would still like the cathedral vault style, possibly even with some exposed timber internally if feasible (its a period house so would tie in). Is this even possible if I reduce the pitch?

I’m happy with the brick work, lead work, valley & glass doors. Obviously I’ve majorly messed up. When it was all being built it didn’t look ‘that bad’. Once it was tiled & plastered i hated it. But had ran out of money & it wasn’t the builders fault.

Before I approach architects/builders etc I’m hoping you experts can give me some pointers & maybe even what ££ im looking at?

Thanks

 

[Notch7]

I can only come up with a tiled skirt style with a flat roof on top.

Or a tiled skirt and flat roof with a lantern but with a high solar reduction, this one has 91% solar reduction:

http://www.tuffxglass.co.uk/ambi-ultra.html

The reason Im suggesting a lantern even though youve said its not what you want, is because its the only roof feature that will give the feeling of height you want inside, whilst keeping the height down below your 1st floor windows.

You cant achieve a Cathedral roof -which is a fully vaulted roof without more of what you have now.

It can achieved with a green oak frame with exposed beams -although not sure how thatll work with your existing steels etc.

Price, very hard to know, possibly £20k?

 

[^woody^]

where do I go from here?

Is it down to the lake I fear.
Ay, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. Ay, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.

Any photos?

 

[Sunshine12]

During construction

 

[Sunshine12]

If I was to utilise existing materials (if even possible?) could I have the pitch lowered? At the highest point it’s 1.1m to highest point of ceiling.

I just can’t imagine a roof lantern in there, they seem conservatory like to me apologies

 

[Sunshine12]

Or even an ‘M’ shaped roof - what sort of pitch could be achieved over 9m wide?

 

[Notch7]

about 25 degrees.

or do you mean two ridges 9 metres long? - 38 deg with height of 1m

 

[Sunshine12]

Ok, so M style still doesn’t solve the problem I guess at 25 deg? And I’m guessing internally it wouldn’t be a great look either. Damn I’m running out of options.

Would you just leave it & put up with it - internally it’s probably the best effect I’m going to get & it is quite vaulted. But the downside is it blocks the back bedroom windows.

Is is better to have a solid roof construction like this over a roof lantern? Pros & cons of each? House is all up to building regs insulated cavity walls, new glazing & UFH. Thanks again

 

[^woody^]

Flat with two lanterns would seem best.

Taking the pitch up to the house eaves and creating dormers for the windows would deal with the view from the first floor.

 

[Sunshine12]

What if I were to ‘drop’ the pitch lower, to say 20-23deg. What height would this be internally? Would this be below the windows? What sort of cost to do this?

The current pitch is 30deg

 

[Notch7]

What if I were to ‘drop’ the pitch lower, to say 20-23deg. What height would this be internally? Would this be below the windows? What sort of cost to do this?

The current pitch is 30deg

You would have to see what minimum pitch is for existing tiles.

I suppose you could re use most materials, so most of the cost would be labour.

Or stop looking out of your bedroom window and save your money

 

[^woody^]

You need to get a designer to work all this out. And not the idiot you used previously.

 

[Sunshine12]

Min pitch for tiles is 22.5deg

Like Woody said I need to get some proper plans drawn up but before I spend/waste any more money I just want to know what my options are.

1. If the roof was to be ‘lowered’ - dismantled & put back together at a lower pitch of say 23deg would this give any view out of the bedroom windows? What sort of height internally? 9m wide x 5m out

2. Would using a trussed rafter rather than steel & rafters have any advantage?

3. Is there any way to use exposed beams to get more of a point internally, rather than the flat section under the beam

Many thanks

 

[Notch7]

The reason you have a flat section at the moment is because the roof has been pitched above the steel, with effectively a timber ridge sitting on the steel.

Additionally, the collars are fitted below the steel making the flat part lower and thus bigger.

The detailing is sensible as it makes the steel internal to the insulation so stopping thermal bridging.

The steel couldve been set at ridge height with timber plates bolted into the web for the rafters to be screwed to. Doing that would mean there would need to be insulation over the rafters to prevent cold bridging.

I cant see how with a pitched tiled roof you are going to make much difference to your bedroom window view. Unfortunately the vaulted ceiling look you want in the extension is what is causing the roof to obscure your view!

The only option is a flat roof with a tiled perimeter. Or a flat roof with a fascia around.

 

[Sunshine12]

Thanks Notch, there’s no magic solution then!!

Back to the roof lanterns..

Are these essentially a conservatory roof - cold in winter & hot in the Summer?

How do these compare to a standard insulated pitched roof?

Thanks again