"sm_jamieson" wrote in message
...
Just an ordinary 1930s end terrace in the Midlands with standard 8 foot
ceilings.
We've had no plasterboard on the back room ceiling for at least a year,
which gave the effect of 8'7" ceilings. After plasterboarding today, it's
really closed down the room, just reducing back to 8 feet. Its amazing how
much difference it made. And going from a dark timber to the grey
plasterboard.

At least in the kitchen we have the ceiling rising towards 10 feet which
is nice.
Its a shame the standard has become 8 feet rather than say 9 - which was
the standard for even small Victorian terraces.

When I have visited in Liverpool, in the older houses those high 10 and 11
foot ceilings are wonderful. I think if I ever built my own house the
first thing I would specify would be "ceilings to be 3 metres".

For new build houses the standard seems now to have reduced to a metric
2.4m rather than 8 feet, and with losing those extra few centimetres is
really pushing it.

Given the chance I don't know why anyone would go for 8 foot ceilings.
New "McMansions" - footballers houses etc. - judging by space above
doorways they often seem to have only 8 foot ceilings, which in large
rooms results in terrible proportions. OK they might have a double height
entrace lobby etc, but the rest of the house ... Why would architects draw
up such things ?

Dunno. I did in fact go for 8'8" ceilings myself in the house I designed and
built myself. But I dont notice anything when I visit other people's
houses.

Anyway, plasterboarding ceilings really wears me out
these days - and thats with 3x6 boards - I used to use 4x8.

I did mine the other way, the ceiling beams are galvanised steel folded
metal
I beam with one top flange missing. The 4' wide immense sheets of paper and
foil faced foam that at the entire width of the house drop into those, the
timber
battens that vary in height across the roof bolt down onto the top flange of
the ceiling beams and the metal decking goes on top of that, with concealed
fittings under the decking and then the decking is button punched with a
thing
like a full sized pair of bolt cutters but with a button punch instead of
jaws.

Makes the entire ceiling and roof structure very quick and easy to do by one
person unaided.