Help! what to do with 10 ft ceilings and 6’8” header height

11 months ago

Could use some advice on an unexpected problem. We are in the process of building a new home - a one story with walkout basement. The foundation in the lower level turned out to be a foot taller than specified in the plans so ceiling height will be 10 ft instead of 9 ft. Windows and exterior patio door were ordered for 9 ft ceiling, 6 ft 8 inch header height and are being installed this week. Couldn’t raise windows higher off floor due to the overall house design. (Note that the main floor has 10 ft ceiling height with 8 ft doors,)

My original thought was to do trayed ceilings in the rooms in the lower level to reduce ceiling height around perimeter of rooms by one foot. Can still do this but might be awkward around staircase going up to main level and the rooms are not all perfect rectangles.

Can install 8 ft doors in interior areas but this would not match 6’8” header heights of windows. The rooms of concern are the ones in back of house with very large windows that look out on the lake. These include a rec room, two guest rooms and their bathrooms. Front half of lower level is garage and utility area and is mostly below ground level.

Was thinking we could add pretty trim that might be 10 or 12 inches tall around each room above the windows and carry it around to the 8 ft interior doors so that the top of the trim would meet and match the trim above the 8 ft doors. The trim would be white. The wall color would be a medium color (gray, taupe or gray blue) and ceiling would be slightly lighter color than walls. Then would paint the wall above the trim the same color as the ceiling. Was thinking this might minimize the look of the extra space between shorter windows and tall ceiling. Would this be odd?

Or should I just live with the 10 ft ceilings and windows with 6’8” header height? The three windows on the back of the house are 7 to 10 ft long and about 6 ft tall so very large. But would end up with over 3 ft of wall between top of windows and ceiling. If so, should I use 6’8” interior doors or 8 ft doors? I’m just having trouble with tops of windows not matching tops of interior doors.

Also not sure what to do with bathroom doors. Do they need to be 8 ft or could we keep 6’8”? There are small windows in both bathrooms that will have the 6’8” header height but ceilings will be 10 ft.

I really value the input from the folks on Houzz and would appreciate any comments or suggestions.
Thanks!

Featured Answer

Adrienne
Original Author

11 months ago

Yes, really looking for trim ideas or things that can be done internally. This has been very helpful. I appreciate all the input and have gotten several good ideas from the Houzz folks. After spending some time in the house on Thursday think I can make it work with the trim suggestions. Thank you all for your input!

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Comments (17)

PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
11 months ago
"Couldn’t raise windows higher off floor due to the overall house design."

But they raised the ceiling higher off floor with no regard to the overall house design. Ask them how they plan to correct their error.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
11 months ago
I think you are overthinking the issue in basement I would just do the windows and doors as if the ceiling is 9' unless the builder is picking up the tab for the error on his part .
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cpartist
11 months ago
Why didn't you have them fix the error? How are they going to make it right? There job was to follow the plans.
just_janni
11 months ago
Are you sure you will have an effective 10' ceiling after you put in the HVAC? You'd be suprrised how much framing height that you need in order to get a true 10' ceiling. Did your stairs grow like crazy too?

My guess is that unless you have 11 1/2' clear to bottom the joists - you won't be able to do a true 10' ceiling.
Adrienne
Original Author
11 months ago
The builder is picking up tab for error. Couldn’t fix error since it was poured concrete and floor trusses already ordered.

My suggested fix was to do tray ceilings. What’s done is done. So trying to move on and come up with best fix to make it all look good. There are floor trusses to support main level floor. I believe these are two feet. Actual ceiling height will be about 118 inches from slab from what I understand. Will take measurements on our next trip to the house.
chispa
11 months ago
Don't do the tray ceiling. I would rather have extra space above windows than a tray making the room look squat.
Adrienne thanked chispa
Beth Allen
11 months ago
I would add transoms over the doors and windows.
Adrienne
Original Author
11 months ago
Yes, had transoms with art glass over doors in our last house with 10 ft ceilings and loved them! Have been considering this but the top of the transoms would be higher than the top of the windows. Too late to add transoms above the windows.

Chispa, thanks for your comment about better to have more space above windows than tray ceilings. I think that may be the way to go but to do something with the trim. Maybe do what I described above or use taller crown molding like 8 to 10 inches.
res2architect
11 months ago
Put transoms above the windows an leave the doors alone.
cpartist
11 months ago
Do a picture rail at 8' and then use that as the line to paint the ceiling.
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res2architect
11 months ago
Your goal should always be to provide more natural light deeper into the room so add transom lites above the windows. The door heads are not important. Aligning them with windows was not common until housing was mass produced after the war. 6-8 is fine.
palimpsest
11 months ago
I would not do anything like trays or soffits to drop the ceilings to compensate for window position. I would drop the entire ceiling to nine rather than do "fancy" stuff to the ceiling, but that's because I think nine tends to be adequate in most modern room sizes. I would probably leave it alone.
Adrienne
Original Author
11 months ago
Unfortunately too late to add transom windows. We haven’t been to the house today but it is likely all the lower level windows are in.

Also there is a deck on the back of the house on main floor that runs above two of the three large windows on the lower level. The back of house is south facing so will still have some good light. The main floor is now about a foot higher than planned so deck is higher and therefore more light will get deeper into rooms.

Seems like the general consensus is not to do trayed ceilings.

I really like Cpartist’s suggestion regarding picture rail. That would be easy to do and would break up the large space between windows and ceiling. Would consider lowering ceiling height to 9 ft but I’m afraid that would be a massive undertaking for an area about 1600 sq ft.

I really appreciate everyone’s insight and the pictures.

Thank you all!
J Sk
11 months ago
last modified: 11 months ago
We had the same problems. Had 9 ft ceilings but architect specified windows for 8 ft ceilings ( neither architect or GC caught the mistake). On the first floor we were able to add transom, on the second one, in bedrooms, we did add ( lol, hated by everyone here) tray ceilings and I love them- for me they have European , contemporary vibe.

In the bathroom upstairs we added the skylight.
PRO
JAN MOYER
11 months ago
last modified: 11 months ago
Drop the ceiling to nine feet. Everywhere. Or do a simple coffer everywhere and bring it down. A tray looks dated. It also looks too formal. Or run beams : ) all the way. Get it all for free too.
res2architect
11 months ago
Sounds like you’re asking for help redesigning something that has already been built and can’t be changed.