Mid-century ranch houses are known for their stubbornness and quaint appeal. These houses are known for their narrow clerestory windows and low roof, the two most prominent characteristics of a quintessential Mid-century ranch house. If you have ever been to a Mid-century ranch house, you have most certainly noticed the way the light used to sneak into those houses through those clerestory windows, which is in stark contrast to the way light enters in a modern house.
But it is the atrium where things get a little bit messy and awkward. Things always go wrong in an atrium, no matter how hard you try, in one way or another. No matter how good the design is or how clever the planning is, water will always find a way through it. You will feel like Time is planning to take its space. This is the reason why whenever you chance upon a ranch owner, you will hear them complaining about water leakage. Sideways rain can make a total mess.
But still, it is atrium that makes those old-style houses feel unique. Atrium acts like a pocket of sky in a house where light does not like to enter directly. So, if you are tasked with remodeling a house with an atrium, your objective should be to take into account all possible considerations so that you do not turn the entire space into a puddle.
Thinking About Drainage (Before You Even Think About Plants)
Most remodelers would start the remodeling process with ferns and furniture, but this is not the way to go about bringing real character back into a space that desperately needs a fresh new look. In those days, most mid-century ranches used to sit low, and there were good reasons behind it. Actually, in those days, people did not have to worry about facing unprecedented events every now and then. 100-year rains were kind of unheard of in those days. So, while remodeling a ranch with an atrium, just make sure that the atrium has a slope of at least 1/8 inch per foot toward the drain, otherwise, you will have to get yourself mentally prepared to deal with the inconvenience of facing constant puddles.
Roofing Games Nobody Wins Easily
Don’t tell me that you don’t like the concept of having a glass roof over your head. It looks just awesome, but it comes with its own share of issues. The problem is – everybody appreciates a glass roof until the heavy storm comes knocking at your door, and then all hell breaks loose. You can easily spot leaks in those places where flat meets sloped.
You might be hoping against hope that somehow tar and felt roofs will save your skin in one way or the other, but the reality is vastly different. When applied correctly, it is an undeniable fact that silicone coatings can offer a decent level of protection from the elements, but the problem is that these coatings start performing poorly as time goes on. In such cases, a standing-seam metal roof could be the ideal solution that you might have been looking for such a long time. A standing-seam metal roof can help you easily move water away and thus give you an option to keep a space for a skylight zone. However, make sure that it is not too wide, because in that case, it will lead to issues like massive heat build-up, and it can make you feel like you are renovating the house for non-human species.
The Skylight Paradox
The very concept of having a skylight can make you feel a little bit poetic, but you will soon realize the harsh truth that the angle of the sun does change with the changes in the seasons, and that means you will not be able to feel the warmth of the sunlight via that skylight for long. In the summer, spending 10 minutes under a 10×10 skylight is probably the worst idea ever; however, come winter, the same place under the same 10×10 skylight would be a place to rewind, reflect, and rejuvenate.
A skylight alone can help you boost indoor lighting by a massive 35%. However, there is an obvious downside, and that is, you will also have to deal with the extra leaks and heat. Well, modern skylights do offer some respite from life’s little inconveniences. Some skylights do come fitted with insulated glass units and curb-mounted flashing, and that means they can help you ward off extra heat. However, they need to be installed with proper care and planning. Most people conveniently forget to integrate a secondary water barrier while installing these modern skylights, and the result could be a total disaster in the making.
Plants, Light, and the Memory of Rain
Choosing plants for an atrium is easier said than done. Most of us want to experience green life, but that should not come at the cost of inviting mold in the process. Dealing with a leaky atrium? Well, you don’t have to lose your sleep over it because a NASA study showed that snake plants can help us deal with leaky atriums. Snake plants can help us get rid of humidity and toxins.
Basically, we need to realize the fact that mid-century ranch homes were not designed for modern storms powered by climate change. However, they have somehow managed to survive all these years, gracefully.
