According to Wiley (2011) ceiling height has a direct influence on our thoughts, emotions and our perception of the world around us.

On a subliminal level, lower ceilings:

• support feelings of confinement and limitation

Whereas high ceilings:

• assist an overall sense of freedom and independence.

It has been proven that higher ceilings promote clearer thinking, increased energy levels and an overall sense of happiness. Creating high ceilings aka cathedral ceiling can also really open up a house (architecturally speaking) adding a more spacious feeling to a home. On the other hand, rooms with cathedral ceilings can be difficult to heat and cool.

Check out these amazing high ceilings:

At Roo Roofing Brisbane, we can help you when it comes to roof replacement and other roof factors when it comes to having high ceilings. Proper design, planning and building techniques can make a high ceiling look and function better. With access to the roof structure, you can boost insulation and air sealing - two important aspects of better energy performance and indoor air quality.

If you want to remodel your home to have higher ceilings, you need to take the following into consideration:

The type and configuration of the existing roof framing

When a roof frame is made of wood, it is a much easier process to raise ceilings. Wood-frame roof structure may consist of ceiling joists, separating the room below from the attic space above, and roof rafters.

More and more homes, however, have roof frames which most likely use prefabricated roof trusses, which don’t permit much useable attic space and therefore less area to raise ceilings to.

Structural engineers and Roo roofing experts can help you ascertain whether it’s possible to raise your ceiling height, and when doing so what parts of the room (such as insulation) can be removed without compromising the integrity of the structure. Sometimes you may need to consider roof replacement for certain structures.

Insulation

There still needs to be adequate thermal insulation between the roof and the ceiling to prevent the sun’s heat from making the room unreasonably hot. If you don’t want ceilings, you can leave your beams exposed, in that way creating the impression of added space. But of course you will still have to pay attention to the need for insulation which, in this case, should beinstalled directly beneath the roof.

Ventilation

Ceiling fans are a great way to help heat and cool a room with vaulted or high ceilings. Nowadays, there are some really nice ceiling fans that can be mounted in vaulted ceilings and operated by remote. This makes it simple to use without the hassle of climbing up there. Using the ceiling fan's switch to reverse the direction of its rotation is important to assist in whatever it is you're trying to accomplish. If you want to get the heat off of the ceiling and down to where you are, you need to let the fan push it down through the cooler air. If you want to help pull the cooler air up off the floor, you need to reverse the fan's rotation so that it can do that.

The location and distribution of plumbing, writing, and any HVAC (central heating ventilation and air-conditioning) systems in place

When remodeling a home, HVAC equipment, ducts, pipes or wiring need to be relocated. Avoid recessed lights in sloped ceilings, as they can create large voids in the insulation, which could cause air leakage. The best choice for new lighting is surface-mounted fixtures. In addition to any light fixtures, try installing skylights to get back some light. If spaced correctly, skylights can reduce energy consumption and the need for electrical artificial lighting, especially in a room with few windows.