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Ceiling height and room temperatures

The temperature inside a room will normally increase due to heat sources within the room, and also due to heat from the sun being absorbed by the roof and the walls of the house. Proper air ventilation is required in homes to keep the temperature inside the rooms at comfortable levels.

Heat sources located within the house include cooking, electrical appliances and our own bodies. Air within the house that is warmed by these heat sources, will float upwards towards the ceiling (as it is less dense than cool air) and eventually escape through ventilation holes, while cool air flows in through the windows. Therefore the higher the ceiling, the further the warm air will move upwards and the cooler the lower parts of the home will be – at least in theory.

The heat from the sun is absorbed by the roof and the walls of the house. This heat will cause the attic and the ceiling to become hot. The ceiling will then become a source of heat and warm up the air around it. Therefore the higher the ceiling, the further it is from the living area and the lower the temperature of the living area will be.