What's up (no pun intended) with newly constructed houses having 9 and 10 foot high ceilings throughout the house? Yeah, the rooms all appear to be larger (except where it counts), but it seems to be an obscene waste of material and the associated construction labor. And we all know who is saddled with this additional cost. My daughter even rents a fairly new apartment that has high ceilings. The climate control for the extra foot or two could get awful pricey, too. Any designers, builders or contractors have some good answers? Thanks! The only positive thing I saw about then was that I could swing my golf clubs indoors without hitting the ceiling.

Your issues with high ceilings make sense, but you are definitely in the minority. Builders and Architects put in high ceilings because they are what people want. I deal with people buying homes all the time and I can assure you that most people are very concerned that they at least have a 9' ceiling. It makes rooms seem more spacious and people really like it. People look for high ceilings in the listings when they are buying, so it's really a response to demand.

Ceiling fans are the way to go to improve circulation and lower those utility bills.

There's a very good reason for wanting a high-ceilinged home. Research shows that people who live in them are healthier! That is because there is a greater volume of air in them, and air pollution in homes is an important health problem. This is especially true now, when so many building products - plywood, rugs, etc. - are made with glues and synthetic products that take literally years to de-gas. Also, with the emphasis now being made on 'sealed' homes, which let in few or no drafts for the sake of saving on heating and air conditioning, air quality is an issue.

Just today, I submitted a bid on kithen and bath cabinets. 120 houses, with a requested limit of $190,000 or an average of $1583 / house. This bid includes cabinets and counter tops. With eight foot ceilings, and 30 inch wall cabinets, the bid could have been priced with-in limits.

The new trend is toward nine foot ceilings. The preferred wall cabinet should be a 42 inch cabinets, my bid was for 36 inch cabinets.

Nine foot ceilings increase the cost, they increase the market value, and should increase the dollar in everyone's pocket. You are going to pay for the extra space; to heat, to cool, and to furnish.