Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.
--
Jim S

"Jim S" wrote in message
6...
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.
Jim S

lack of ventilation and overcrowding .......high ceilings were a
compensating factor ... no 2.3m now 2m in those days

In article ,
Jim S wrote:
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.

It depends on whose home. The answer is probably that the room had better
proportions - ie looked better.

--
Please note new email address:

On 10/08/2015 18:08, charles wrote:
In .236,
Jim wrote:
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.

It depends on whose home. The answer is probably that the room had better
proportions - ie looked better.


I reckon they got smaller as more modern construction companies started
looking more closely at profit margins.

ss wrote in :

On 10/08/2015 18:08, charles wrote:
In .236,
Jim wrote:
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.

It depends on whose home. The answer is probably that the room had
better proportions - ie looked better.


I reckon they got smaller as more modern construction companies
started looking more closely at profit margins.


Narrow windows so they needed to be higher to allow enough light in.

On 10/08/15 18:11, ss wrote:
On 10/08/2015 18:08, charles wrote:
In .236,
Jim wrote:
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.

It depends on whose home. The answer is probably that the room had
better
proportions - ie looked better.


I reckon they got smaller as more modern construction companies started
looking more closely at profit margins.

High ceilings are a right nuisance when changing a flush spot lamp -
even I struggle to reach off a standard kitchen step.

In article ,
Jim S wrote:
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.

Not all did. Those built for the middle classes tended to have, though.
Workmen's cottages, not.

--
*You can't trust atoms - they make up everything.
Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 10/08/2015 18:37, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Jim S wrote:
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.

Not all did. Those built for the middle classes tended to have, though.
Workmen's cottages, not.

True that. My 1870s miner's cottage has ceiling heights comparable to a
modern house.

On Mon, 10 Aug 2015 16:49:58 +0000, Jim S wrote:

Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.

All the smoke and other gunge well above head height?

Not particularly worried about the cost of heating the cubic space because
no central heating?

Plenty of room to hang the chandeliers?

Top hats??

Secret cabal to propagate the use of more house bricks?

Cheers

Dave R

--
Windows 8.1 on PCSpecialist box

On Mon, 10 Aug 2015 16:49:58 GMT, Jim S wrote:

Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.

Sometime I was told it allowed enough room for the heat from gas
lighting to disperse without endangering the ceiling, whether that is
the actual reason or just someone's conjecture I have never been
concerned enough to find out.

G.Harman

wrote:
Sometime I was told it allowed enough room for the heat from gas
lighting to disperse without endangering the ceiling, whether that is
the actual reason or just someone's conjecture I have never been
concerned enough to find out.

That's difficult to reconcile with the very many Victorian terraces
built with high ceilings in the front parts (with the main family rooms)
and low ceilings in the rear extensions (for services and servants) but
with gas lights in both.

--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

On Mon, 10 Aug 2015 21:35:40 +0100, "Robin" wrote:

wrote:
Sometime I was told it allowed enough room for the heat from gas
lighting to disperse without endangering the ceiling, whether that is
the actual reason or just someone's conjecture I have never been
concerned enough to find out.

That's difficult to reconcile with the very many Victorian terraces
built with high ceilings in the front parts (with the main family rooms)
and low ceilings in the rear extensions (for services and servants) but
with gas lights in both.
Yes I wouldn't argue the case too strongly, OTOH the heat given out by
a light fitting with several mantles so the owner of the house could
read his newspapers would be a lot more than the small fittings that
the servants would be allowed,and they may have been wall bracket
ones* either side of the fireplace so still a fair distance from even
a low ceiling . And that might only be in the work areas, servants
bedrooms were for sleeping for a few hours till the long day started
again and a candle to see ones way into bed would be the only
illumination provided.

* In the bed sit land of my youth a mate rented a place with a coin in
slot electric meter One evening we discovered the fold out wall
fittings for gas lights were still live and only needed mantles.
Found some in an old ironmonger , the number of coins going into the
meter decreased remarkably.
Had to remember to hide the gas mantles when the landlady came to
empty the meter.

G.Harman

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 10 Aug 2015 16:49:58 GMT, Jim S wrote:

Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.

Sometime I was told it allowed enough room for the heat from
gas lighting to disperse without endangering the ceiling,

Rather implausible given that workmens' cottages didn't have high ceilings.

whether that is the actual reason or just someone's conjecture
I have never been concerned enough to find out.

Clearly just someone's conjecture.

On 10/08/2015 17:49, Jim S wrote:
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.

In the one we had, it varied. The entrance hall and principle ground
floor rooms had 12ft ceilings. Go to the back of the house, where the
kitchen and servants' room were and you had to go up a step, into rooms
that were 8ft high. The principle rooms on the first floor had 10ft high
ceilings, while the large room over the kitchen and servants' room was
8ft. The servants' quarters in the attic, had sloping ceilings. From
that, it seems as though high ceilings were reserved for important
rooms, probably because they were large and it gave them better proportions.

--
Colin Bignell

"Jim S" wrote in message
6...
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.
--
Jim S

High ceilings allowed bigger windows which allowed both more
natural light into the room and offered better ventilation,
while even with the windows closed the extra airspace allowed hot
air to rise well above head height. Rooms with lower ceilings
were generally gloomier and stuffier.


michael adams

....

On 10/08/2015 23:32, michael adams wrote:
"Jim S" wrote in message
6...
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.
--
Jim S

High ceilings allowed bigger windows which allowed both more
natural light into the room and offered better ventilation,
while even with the windows closed the extra airspace allowed hot
air to rise well above head height. Rooms with lower ceilings
were generally gloomier and stuffier.


michael adams

...


That's likely to be an element of the reason: Sash windows ventilate
best when opened top and bottom and, presumably, the greater the
difference between top and bottom, the more effective that is.

I would say the real answer though is the same reason that people like
them now - the rooms feel better proportioned that way (even if it's a
bugger to heat 4 feet of air above your head for no reason).

"GMM" wrote in message ...
On 10/08/2015 23:32, michael adams wrote:
"Jim S" wrote in message
6...
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.
--
Jim S

High ceilings allowed bigger windows which allowed both more
natural light into the room and offered better ventilation,
while even with the windows closed the extra airspace allowed hot
air to rise well above head height. Rooms with lower ceilings
were generally gloomier and stuffier.


michael adams

...


That's likely to be an element of the reason: Sash windows ventilate best when opened
top and bottom and, presumably, the greater the difference between top and bottom, the
more effective that is.

I would say the real answer though is the same reason that people like them now - the
rooms feel better proportioned that way (even if it's a bugger to heat 4 feet of air
above your head for no reason).


But surely whether the rooms felt better proportioned or not would depend
on the size of the room ? A small room with a high ceiling and high windows
would simply seem even more cramped.

For your point to be valid, and I'm not necessarily saying that it
isn't, it could be said that high ceilings were the result of rooms
becoming larger. Larger rooms, more natural light, better ventilation
maybe all part of the same thing really. For those fortunate enough
to be living in the front part of the house anyway. For those living at
the back, whose duties presumably included regularly opening and
closing those bloody sash windows at the front, it was maybe a
different story.


michael adams

....

"michael adams" wrote in message
...

"GMM" wrote in message
...
On 10/08/2015 23:32, michael adams wrote:
"Jim S" wrote in message
6...
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.
--
Jim S

High ceilings allowed bigger windows which allowed both more
natural light into the room and offered better ventilation,
while even with the windows closed the extra airspace allowed hot
air to rise well above head height. Rooms with lower ceilings
were generally gloomier and stuffier.


michael adams

...


That's likely to be an element of the reason: Sash windows ventilate
best when opened top and bottom and, presumably, the greater the
difference between top and bottom, the more effective that is.

I would say the real answer though is the same reason that people like
them now - the rooms feel better proportioned that way (even if it's a
bugger to heat 4 feet of air above your head for no reason).

But surely whether the rooms felt better proportioned or not would depend
on the size of the room ?

Yes.

A small room with a high ceiling and high windows
would simply seem even more cramped.

I doubt it. Why wouldn’t it feel more
cramped with the lower ceiling ?

For your point to be valid, and I'm not necessarily saying that it isn't,
it could be said that high ceilings were the result of rooms becoming
larger.

Doesn’t explain stuff like snugs tho.

Larger rooms, more natural light, better ventilation maybe all part of the
same thing really. For those fortunate enough
to be living in the front part of the house anyway. For those living at
the back, whose duties presumably included regularly opening and closing
those bloody sash windows at the front, it was maybe a different story.

The other complication is with the bedrooms and bathrooms
used by the owner of the house. From memory from that series
Weekend Aristocrats, they didn’t necessarily have that high ceilings.

And presumably there has to be some homogeneity in the height
of the ceilings at least with the rooms at the street side of the
house just for basic structural reasons, its just not practical to
have the ceilings at the height that looks best for every room
particularly on the street side where you want the windows to
look reasonably regular across the front of the house etc.

"Rod Speed" wrote in message
...


The other complication is with the bedrooms and bathrooms
used by the owner of the house. From memory from that series
Weekend Aristocrats, they didn’t necessarily have that high ceilings.


Maybe being mostly asleep at the time, they probably didn't
worry too much about ceiling heights. Same with lying in
the bath.

While in the colonies, many of the ceilings were high in order
to accomodate central fans, which would otherwise render
such places inhospitable for people more used to less
tropical conditions.


michael adams

....

Jim S wrote:

Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.

Big sash windows?

--
Timothy Murphy
gayleard /at/ eircom.net
School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin

In article ,
Timothy Murphy wrote:
Jim S wrote:

Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.

Big sash windows?

My rear addition with 'modern' height ceilings has sash windows too. ;-)

--
*Beware - animal lover - brakes for pussy*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Monday, 10 August 2015 17:50:01 UTC+1, Jim S wrote:
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.
--
Jim S

I found this.

http://www.metropolitanwalks.com/blo...high-ceilings/

not saying it's true but it makes a bit of sense.

"whisky-dave" wrote in message
...
On Monday, 10 August 2015 17:50:01 UTC+1, Jim S wrote:
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.
--
Jim S

I found this.

http://www.metropolitanwalks.com/blo...high-ceilings/

not saying it's true but it makes a bit of sense.

Not as far as the ceiling height in the houses for 'workers'
and for the rooms mostly used by the servants etc.

On Wednesday, 12 August 2015 19:58:37 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:
"whisky-dave" wrote in message
...
On Monday, 10 August 2015 17:50:01 UTC+1, Jim S wrote:
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.
--
Jim S

I found this.

http://www.metropolitanwalks.com/blo...high-ceilings/

not saying it's true but it makes a bit of sense.

Not as far as the ceiling height in the houses for 'workers'
and for the rooms mostly used by the servants etc.

Which is why those rooms especailly for workers and servants didn't have such high ceiling.

On Wednesday, 12 August 2015 13:51:44 UTC+1, whisky-dave wrote:
On Monday, 10 August 2015 17:50:01 UTC+1, Jim S wrote:
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.
--
Jim S

I found this.

http://www.metropolitanwalks.com/blo...high-ceilings/

not saying it's true but it makes a bit of sense.

Yes, that makes a lot of sense.
These high rooms also had high windows.
And often bay windows.

On Wednesday, August 12, 2015 at 1:51:44 PM UTC+1, whisky-dave wrote:
On Monday, 10 August 2015 17:50:01 UTC+1, Jim S wrote:
Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.
--
Jim S

I found this.

http://www.metropolitanwalks.com/blo...high-ceilings/

not saying it's true but it makes a bit of sense.

This article is about the USA. The same applies in UK I think, but the ceiling heights of typical houses are not quite as extreme as mentioned in the article.

Talking about low ceilings, I hate those 8 ft ceiling bungalows - the huge roof just looks all wrong squashed down there over the front door !

Simon.

"Jonno" wrote in message
...
Jim S scribbled


Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.


Coal fires.


We still had them in 1970s newbuilds.

--
Adam

On 10/08/2015 18:54, Jonno wrote:
Jim S scribbled


Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.


Coal fires.


No, gas lighting.

In article ,
newshound wrote:
On 10/08/2015 18:54, Jonno wrote:
Jim S scribbled


Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.


Coal fires.


No, gas lighting.

My house is Victorian. The ceilings in the main part are high. Those in
the rear addition low. Rear addition was originally kitchen, scullery,
bathroom, bedroom. With gas lighting and open fires, to kitchen and
bedroom.

--
*WHY IS THERE AN EXPIRATION DATE ON SOUR CREAM?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Tuesday, August 11, 2015 at 1:43:14 PM UTC+1, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
newshound wrote:
On 10/08/2015 18:54, Jonno wrote:
Jim S scribbled


Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.


Coal fires.


No, gas lighting.

My house is Victorian. The ceilings in the main part are high. Those in
the rear addition low. Rear addition was originally kitchen, scullery,
bathroom, bedroom. With gas lighting and open fires, to kitchen and
bedroom.


Such properties often have many different levels and little runs of stairs as other rooms are build over the varying height lower rooms.

I know folks in liverpool, lots of high ceilinged large terraced houses there. However I was always struck with the "tunnel", where the stairs double back over the hallway / entrance to the kitchen, and the 10 foot ceiling drops down to about 7 feet. Its hard not to dip your head.

I think its a real shame modern house ceilings are de facto standard 8 foot, or the slightly lower 2.4m. A standard of 9 feet would have made such a difference to the feeling of space. Our kitchen extension has more height, and it feels really nice.

I think due to roof line considerations in planning, building near to 8 foot ceiling houses perpetuates. I'd consider building into the roof or digging down if I was building such a house.

From the photos I've seen, a lot of the footballers house type Mc-Mansions have large rooms with only 8 feet ceilings, which leads to horrible proportions, like standing in a multi-storey car park.

Simon.

In article ,
sm_jamieson wrote:
I think its a real shame modern house ceilings are de facto standard 8
foot, or the slightly lower 2.4m. A standard of 9 feet would have made
such a difference to the feeling of space. Our kitchen extension has
more height, and it feels really nice.

I think due to roof line considerations in planning, building near to 8
foot ceiling houses perpetuates. I'd consider building into the roof or
digging down if I was building such a house.

Lots round here have been doing basement (cellar) conversions. A
neighbour's one was made with as high ceilings as the main house. And it
really does feel more 'airy' than a minimum height one, that another
neighbour has. I'm not sure how much extra it cost, though.

--
*England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 11/08/2015 17:08, sm_jamieson wrote:
I think its a real shame modern house ceilings are de facto standard 8 foot, or the slightly lower 2.4m. A standard of 9 feet would have made such a difference to the feeling of space. Our kitchen extension has more height, and it feels really nice.

I think due to roof line considerations in planning, building near to 8 foot ceiling houses perpetuates. I'd consider building into the roof or digging down if I was building such a house.

From the photos I've seen, a lot of the footballers house type Mc-Mansions have large rooms with only 8 feet ceilings, which leads to horrible proportions, like standing in a multi-storey car park.

I lived in a reasonably large modern house for a bit (company rented a
house for several of us), and yes, it suffered in that way. The main
living room, which was quite large, felt cramped for that reason. The
smaller second living room was a lot more comfortable.

If I was having a house built, large rooms would also be taller.

On Tuesday, August 11, 2015 at 6:58:55 PM UTC+1, Clive George wrote:
On 11/08/2015 17:08, sm_jamieson wrote:
I think its a real shame modern house ceilings are de facto standard 8 foot, or the slightly lower 2.4m. A standard of 9 feet would have made such a difference to the feeling of space. Our kitchen extension has more height, and it feels really nice.

I think due to roof line considerations in planning, building near to 8 foot ceiling houses perpetuates. I'd consider building into the roof or digging down if I was building such a house.

From the photos I've seen, a lot of the footballers house type Mc-Mansions have large rooms with only 8 feet ceilings, which leads to horrible proportions, like standing in a multi-storey car park.

I lived in a reasonably large modern house for a bit (company rented a
house for several of us), and yes, it suffered in that way. The main
living room, which was quite large, felt cramped for that reason. The
smaller second living room was a lot more comfortable.

If I was having a house built, large rooms would also be taller.

I would have thought there would be a market for new house builders to do some "high ceiling" (well it would be 9ft) houses, and make a big marketing thing about it. Cost of an extra 2 ft on the house over 2 floors would be less than the extra they could charge ?
Simon.

"newshound" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 10/08/2015 18:54, Jonno wrote:
Jim S scribbled


Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.


Coal fires.


No, gas lighting.

Doesn’t explain why the places where the servants worked
which had gas lighting didn’t have the high ceilings.

In article ,
Rod Speed wrote:


"newshound" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 10/08/2015 18:54, Jonno wrote:
Jim S scribbled


Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.


Coal fires.


No, gas lighting.

Doesn’t explain why the places where the servants worked
which had gas lighting didn’t have the high ceilings.

perhaps servants were expendable

--
Please note new email address:

"charles" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Rod Speed wrote:


"newshound" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 10/08/2015 18:54, Jonno wrote:
Jim S scribbled


Someone asked mr "Why do Victorian homes have such high ceilings"
I don't knoe the answer.


Coal fires.


No, gas lighting.

Doesn't explain why the places where the servants worked
which had gas lighting didn't have the high ceilings.

perhaps servants were expendable

More likely the gas lighting claim is completely bogus.