Any One Stay In Penthouse/rooftop?

[Newie-X 1]

Any one stay in penthouse/rooftop?

Can share how it is like?

[kardtoon 0]

Any one stay in penthouse/rooftop?

Can share how it is like?

I'm staying in one. What would you like to know?

[Newie-X 1]

I'm staying in one. What would you like to know?

More on the experience...whether it is nice to have a roof garden or that it is something quite unnecessary..

thanx in advance!

[yoongf 11]

Roof garden is hot and windy. Plants will look very heaty, and require more than the usual TLC. Impossible to get the healthy green look that we see at landscaped gardens.

Hot also means difficult to really soak in the roof garden atmosphere, except for nite time.

And imagining having to lug up potted plants each time need to replace dying plants.

[kardtoon 0]

More on the experience...whether it is nice to have a roof garden or that it is something quite unnecessary..

thanx in advance!

Depends... you really need to aks yourself. I hate gardening.. it's dirty and plants while nice to look at can take effort to maintain. I even hate watering plants. However my family members love it. they like have a place to plant their own herbs, they find flowers beautiful and like fertilizing, pruning, etc. Do you like gardens? If you do, it's pretty good.

Some penthouses have large rooftop gardens, some layouts have much smaller ones. Either way, you pay for the square footage, so you should find value in having that space.

Penthouses tends to be quieter... you don't have neighbours above, so no one jumping up and down disturbing you. Your view tends to be better and is usually windier. There's usually more space compared to smaller units.

They can also get hotter as they are right below the roof. If the lift breaks, you have a lot to walk.

[blue_skies 3]

Agree with kardtoon that there are different layouts. Depending on your preference for wanting an open space for gardening or if you prefer the space to be utilised, you can choose to have units with rooms on the rooftop too, i.e. less gardening space. Or, you can opt for a fully open rooftop.

I used to stay in a unit with a fully open rooftop. i.e. upper floor area = lower floor area (where the bedrooms are). Stayed there for about 2yrs before we moved, now it's being rented out (with all the plants included!)

I had lots of potted plants (those easy to maintain ones and heat tolerant) and we got the gardeners in once a month (approx $50-$60) to maintain them coz it was backbreaking work keeping them neatly trimmed, plus need to spray insecticide etc. My hubby and I just want to spend weekends lazing and relaxing rather than trimming the plants Actually the original plants have been there for almost 4yrs now and still healthy. I only replaced 3 pots of plants recently coz they got disease and died, plus got bigger pots for some of the plants coz they grew larger.

We used to get the occasional birds dropping in to nest in the plants, then we will tell the gardeners not to trim or use insecticide on those plants until the eggs have hatched and the chicks flown away.

The rooftop will also need the occasional scrubbing to keep the tiles looking clean. We gave it a good scrub once a month using bleach. Need to also keep the drainage area free of debris and fallen leaves otherwise it will choke when it rains, then you got mini swimming pool on the rooftop.

Heat wise, it's hot during the afternoon but we are out at work so it didn't really bother us. Plants will need 2x watering a day to remain nice and healthy. Once in the morning before we go to work, and one more time in the evening. We got those reflective curtains to keep out heat for the rooms that got afternoon sun, not too bad lah.

Hubby and I used to have breakfast on rooftop on weekends but got to watch the wind otherwise your toast will fly off the plate And we were on the 6th floor, not considered very high, but it was unblocked. Oh and the clothes dry very fast on rooftop - crisp like keropok! Since we had open rooftop, we also got our friends over for gatherings etc (and pray for good weather!) Overall very nice and enjoyable place to live in.

[Newie-X 1]

Roof garden is hot and windy. Plants will look very heaty, and require more than the usual TLC. Impossible to get the healthy green look that we see at landscaped gardens.

Hot also means difficult to really soak in the roof garden atmosphere, except for nite time.

And imagining having to lug up potted plants each time need to replace dying plants.

seem like a lot of work and time to do maintenance..

[Newie-X 1]

Depends... you really need to aks yourself. I hate gardening.. it's dirty and plants while nice to look at can take effort to maintain. I even hate watering plants. However my family members love it. they like have a place to plant their own herbs, they find flowers beautiful and like fertilizing, pruning, etc. Do you like gardens? If you do, it's pretty good.

Some penthouses have large rooftop gardens, some layouts have much smaller ones. Either way, you pay for the square footage, so you should find value in having that space.

Penthouses tends to be quieter... you don't have neighbours above, so no one jumping up and down disturbing you. Your view tends to be better and is usually windier. There's usually more space compared to smaller units.

They can also get hotter as they are right below the roof. If the lift breaks, you have a lot to walk.

i dun mind gardens...but just like you, i hate gardening...no time for it too..

do u find it dangerous...if not for kids..?

[Newie-X 1]

Agree with kardtoon that there are different layouts. Depending on your preference for wanting an open space for gardening or if you prefer the space to be utilised, you can choose to have units with rooms on the rooftop too, i.e. less gardening space. Or, you can opt for a fully open rooftop.

I used to stay in a unit with a fully open rooftop. i.e. upper floor area = lower floor area (where the bedrooms are). Stayed there for about 2yrs before we moved, now it's being rented out (with all the plants included!)

I had lots of potted plants (those easy to maintain ones and heat tolerant) and we got the gardeners in once a month (approx $50-$60) to maintain them coz it was backbreaking work keeping them neatly trimmed, plus need to spray insecticide etc. My hubby and I just want to spend weekends lazing and relaxing rather than trimming the plants Actually the original plants have been there for almost 4yrs now and still healthy. I only replaced 3 pots of plants recently coz they got disease and died, plus got bigger pots for some of the plants coz they grew larger.

We used to get the occasional birds dropping in to nest in the plants, then we will tell the gardeners not to trim or use insecticide on those plants until the eggs have hatched and the chicks flown away.

The rooftop will also need the occasional scrubbing to keep the tiles looking clean. We gave it a good scrub once a month using bleach. Need to also keep the drainage area free of debris and fallen leaves otherwise it will choke when it rains, then you got mini swimming pool on the rooftop.

Heat wise, it's hot during the afternoon but we are out at work so it didn't really bother us. Plants will need 2x watering a day to remain nice and healthy. Once in the morning before we go to work, and one more time in the evening. We got those reflective curtains to keep out heat for the rooms that got afternoon sun, not too bad lah.

Hubby and I used to have breakfast on rooftop on weekends but got to watch the wind otherwise your toast will fly off the plate And we were on the 6th floor, not considered very high, but it was unblocked. Oh and the clothes dry very fast on rooftop - crisp like keropok! Since we had open rooftop, we also got our friends over for gatherings etc (and pray for good weather!) Overall very nice and enjoyable place to live in.

never thought about the scrubbing of tiles..

iszit ok not to have plants or have those fake ones?

[kardtoon 0]

i dun mind gardens...but just like you, i hate gardening...no time for it too..

do u find it dangerous...if not for kids..?

Anyone falling off anything higher than 2nd or 3rd floor can meet a fatal end. Penthouses are not less or more dangerous IMO. If you have kids, please becareful to educate them and block off access to ledges and ensure they don't climb on railings... doesn't matter which floor you are on.

[petunialee 4]

i dun mind gardens...but just like you, i hate gardening...no time for it too..

do u find it dangerous...if not for kids..?

Any floor is dangerous for kids.

If you hate gardening then the penthouse may not be suitable. The only way to temper the heat from the sun is to create a green roof. Once my garden got going, the whole house cooled down considerably.

On the other hand, I have neighbours who don't garden and they use aircon plus automated sun screens. These aren't as effective as a hedge of bamboo or a wall of creepers. A penthouse is ideal for Mediterranean plants. I have an exotic plant collection that is stable and luxuriant. Murrayas and allamandas do well... as well as frangipanis. But penthouse gardening requires a lot of fertilising and watering. Weather is dry and you can only grow in pots. Soil nutrients run out super fast.

I also find that temperatures are extreme in a penthouse. In December, like now, my house feels like springtime in Europe whole day long. Very cool... aircon cool. But when it gets hot, the penthouse is very very hot because the roof is exposed to the sun. But with a garden, this is very effectively managed. Airconditioning systems require double layer insulation or pipes will drip with condensation thanks to the difference between pipe and room temperature. Also, if roof waterproofing is done poorly by the developer, you have to arrange for roof repairs from the management office. This requires some dingdonging.

However, penthouse living has its upsides. There is absolute privacy. My bedrooms are higher than everyone else's in the condo. The view stretches over parks and thus no neighbours can see what you are doing. When friends come over and everyone chills out on the roof lounging next to the plants with good food and wine, it's like Dempsey Road but more private... and more breezy. Birds come and play. I have three that come to me when I sit outside with my morning coffee. They chirp and settle on the trellises telling things I don't understand. I have seen eagles with 2m wingspans glide right in front of me... kingly and majestic. Also, clothes dry really well... and receive daily anti-bacterial treatment from the sun.

BUT... if you hate gardening, don't spend money on a penthouse... you need to pay the GFA for the garden space. Fake plants won't help with heat management. Real plants take the heat energy to grow. They absorb A LOT OF energy and the penthouse becomes really really temperature cool. Fake plants will simply degrade and look sad after a week or 2.

Edited January 7, 2011 by petunialee

[dugong6 0]

Hi, I have actually just gotten a 800sqft roof terrace. May I ask where can I get good resources to educate myself on maintaining a "green roof" suitable for Singapore? Is also thinking of getting an interior designer for the rest of the house including the roof terrace. Do we have designers that are more familiar with roof terrace requirements? Offhand, thinking about temporary partitioning small part of the roof terrace to a small room (maybe something like using glass panels etc). Thanks

Any floor is dangerous for kids.

If you hate gardening then the penthouse may not be suitable. The only way to temper the heat from the sun is to create a green roof. Once my garden got going, the whole house cooled down considerably.

On the other hand, I have neighbours who don't garden and they use aircon plus automated sun screens. These aren't as effective as a hedge of bamboo or a wall of creepers. A penthouse is ideal for Mediterranean plants. I have an exotic plant collection that is stable and luxuriant. Murrayas and allamandas do well... as well as frangipanis. But penthouse gardening requires a lot of fertilising and watering. Weather is dry and you can only grow in pots. Soil nutrients run out super fast.

I also find that temperatures are extreme in a penthouse. In December, like now, my house feels like springtime in Europe whole day long. Very cool... aircon cool. But when it gets hot, the penthouse is very very hot because the roof is exposed to the sun. But with a garden, this is very effectively managed. Airconditioning systems require double layer insulation or pipes will drip with condensation thanks to the difference between pipe and room temperature. Also, if roof waterproofing is done poorly by the developer, you have to arrange for roof repairs from the management office. This requires some dingdonging.

However, penthouse living has its upsides. There is absolute privacy. My bedrooms are higher than everyone else's in the condo. The view stretches over parks and thus no neighbours can see what you are doing. When friends come over and everyone chills out on the roof lounging next to the plants with good food and wine, it's like Dempsey Road but more private... and more breezy. Birds come and play. I have three that come to me when I sit outside with my morning coffee. They chirp and settle on the trellises telling things I don't understand. I have seen eagles with 2m wingspans glide right in front of me... kingly and majestic. Also, clothes dry really well... and receive daily anti-bacterial treatment from the sun.

BUT... if you hate gardening, don't spend money on a penthouse... you need to pay the GFA for the garden space. Fake plants won't help with heat management. Real plants take the heat energy to grow. They absorb A LOT OF energy and the penthouse becomes really really temperature cool. Fake plants will simply degrade and look sad after a week or 2.

[kardtoon 0]

Hi, I have actually just gotten a 800sqft roof terrace. May I ask where can I get good resources to educate myself on maintaining a "green roof" suitable for Singapore? Is also thinking of getting an interior designer for the rest of the house including the roof terrace. Do we have designers that are more familiar with roof terrace requirements? Offhand, thinking about temporary partitioning small part of the roof terrace to a small room (maybe something like using glass panels etc). Thanks

Partitioning part of the roof terrace is probably illegal as it increases GFA. your condo mcst will likely not approve it.

[dugong6 0]

thanks, my next door neighbour air-conditioned his whole roof terrace......besides summons from BCA, what other possible penalties from condo mgt?

Nevertheless would also like to enquire if it is necessary to redo the existing wooden planks on the roof terrace (how long do this wood usually last?). Shall we be worried on the condition underneath the wooden planks? I do not wish to spend $$$ to re-lay these planks but is also worried about condition underneath the planks...

Partitioning part of the roof terrace is probably illegal as it increases GFA. your condo mcst will likely not approve it.

[blue_skies 3]

thanks, my next door neighbour air-conditioned his whole roof terrace......besides summons from BCA, what other possible penalties from condo mgt?

Nevertheless would also like to enquire if it is necessary to redo the existing wooden planks on the roof terrace (how long do this wood usually last?). Shall we be worried on the condition underneath the wooden planks? I do not wish to spend $$$ to re-lay these planks but is also worried about condition underneath the planks...

Not too sure about penalties for air-conditioning the whole roof terrace, but I think the electricity bill will be SCARY.

You can have a good mix of plants on your roof terrace to keep it nice and shady, then you don't need to box it all up, otherwise, it's quite a waste really....

If they used chengai wood for the roof terrace, I imagine it should last a good 10+ yrs at least, but the shine and lustre on the wood will fade because of the sun and rain. I didn't put any wooden planks on my rooftop because I was worried how to clean the area below the planks, and how to make sure creepy crawlies weren't living under there. If you got problem with waterproofing later on, you also need to remove all the wooden planks.

I think having a small area with wooden planks is ok, but to do up the whole roof terrace and maintain it in tip top condition might be more tricky, especially in our type of climate.