What do folks think about cavernous two-story family rooms? Our home, built in 2003, has just such a room. I loved the WOW factor and it really was a selling point when we purchased the home new (my first newly built home, although we didn't have it built). However, it didn't take long to grow tired of the harsh echos and difficulties managing the upstairs temperature. It's also difficult to watch TV without making my wife mad, because everytime she goes upstairs and walks across the "bridge" to the kids rooms she tells me to turn the TV down. Pointing out that she's closer to the speakers than I am doesn't help the situation any.

Anyway, the room is approximately 19 - 20 ft high, so I could add a floor at the second level still have a minimum of 9' ceilings on the first and second floors. It would be great to add another room, either by using this new space for that, or by using the new space for a large game room and converting the existing game room to a bedroom. Has anyone done this before? I assume I could easily get my money out of it, as the cost/sqft should be less than the going rate for home sales.

So what are your thoughts on this? Anything in particular I should be wary of?

It's doable - as in, I've seen it done before but have no personal experience with this. I remember the need to change out windows on the newly added space because of some rule about them needing to be able to be opened (secondary line of egress?). Don't know about cost though.

The egress would only apply if the area is converted to a bedroom, but they'll have to be changed either way. The sills of the upper windows are right at the height the floor would be, so they'll have to be replaced.

Any thoughts on marketability of one vs. two story living areas? I think the trend is moving away from 2-story family rooms...but of course it could always go back the other way.

I have nothing to contribute, but I'd gladly give up a bedroom for a 2 story family room. I love big, open spaces.

Are the speakers in the cieling 2 stories up? Can you wall-mount them instead?

My neighbors converted theirs into walk in storage.

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I have nothing to contribute, but I'd gladly give up a bedroom for a 2 story family room. I love big, open spaces.

Are the speakers in the cieling 2 stories up? Can you wall-mount them instead?

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The speakers are in the wall, but at a level approximately even with the second story floor. When you're on the catwalk walking towards the bedrooms on the other side of that wall, you pass within several feet of the nearest speaker. Sitting in my recliner, I'm probably 20' away from it.

The house was pre-wired for speakers, with the speaker wires terminating in gang boxes covered with blank wall plates. In hind sight, I should have run additional wire to get the speakers closer to ear level.

Yep... Time to make a few Goodwill runs or have a yard sale.

I replied to your other post on varsity. Just did this exact project last year. We love it.

Ceiling height is probably the biggest concern I have. With the exception of the master bedroom, which has a 10' ceiling, all living space outside of the 2-story family room and foyer has 9' ceilings. This height looks good and seems well scaled given the room sizes. However, I'm a bit concerned that a 9' ceiling in the large family room might seem too low and appear out of scale. The room is roughly 18' x 21', with approx 8' of one corner cut off at a 45 degree angle (part of the kitchen). The 2 story ceiling is 19.5' high, so I can get 9' on both floors and still have 18" left for engineered trusses, sheetrock and subfloor.

Is 9' too low for a room of that size? If so, should I borrow 6" from the second floor, creating a step up into the new game room area? This would result in a 9.5' ceiling in the family room and 8.5' ceiling in the game room. The game room area is equally large, but the family room is by far the most visible and frequently used room when entertaining.

Also, is my assumption correct that 18" is enough room for properly sized trusses for a span of that size? Is spanning that distance a challenge? Obviously the existing ceiling spans that distance, but it isn't required to bear loads like the living space would.

Am I concerned over nothing? I grew up in a 1950's home with 8' ceilings, but the rooms were nowhere near this big. Please share your thoughts.

Do you know of any friends who have a similar sized living room with 9'-10' ceilings? If so, ask them about their experience and maybe even see if you can stop by for a visit so you can get a perspective. Of the top of my head, I can't remember living in a home that had a living room that large with ceilings that low, so I can't give you an opinion about that.

As far as the floor joists go, I think that 18" may be enough but you might want to speak with a structural engineer who designs homes just to get a more accurate estimate.

My parent's house (the one I grew up in) and the neighbor behind us have the same house, barring a game room. Neighbor's house has a den/living area and the 2-story ceiling. Our house has a game room and a 9' tall living/den area.

With that, the 9' ceilings to make the room seem small, but that's only due to my current house (has like 12' ceilings for a similar sized room). Overall, the den is large, probably 20x20-ish (in all three houses), but before I bought my house, the old house felt fine. The game room over the den/living room has vaulted ceilings so you could have raised the downstairs room to 10' and still had space. Living in a place with slightly taller ceilings with roughly the same square footage for the room means going to my folk's place seems "cramped" when before as a kid (or in college) it seemed fine. More of a changing of my perspectives.

The one nice thing about having the game room is that the den/living room is more temperate. I remember going into my neighbor's house during the Rocket's championship runs and it was super hot in their rooms due to the wall o' windows with no curtains/barriers/etc. (all single pane glass too).

The game room was/is nice to have so you can make it into a game room (we have an air hockey table up there), but also into a project area (mom's sewing machine and dad's junk corner are up there too). I see that as massively more valuable than a den/living area with 20'+ tall ceilings.

~egon

EDIT: making it so it actually makes sense....

Howdy OP. I have a very similar situation in our great room of our home. I came across your post while looking online for ideas. I am curious if you made a change to your room and how it turned out. Thanks.