![]() ![]() Sometimes we will change the Solar Guard out for R-30 fiberglass rolls, which gives a total R-value of R-43. This gives a total R-value of R-17 (R-13 fiberglass plus R-4 for the Solar Guard.) We prefer a perforated version of the locally made Solar Guard reflective insulation, also known as a radiant barrier, so we don’t create a double vapor barrier. This is not very easy in most of the older houses we work on because the hatches and attics are too small to get rigid foam board through. One of the best methods is rigid foam board with sealed joints over insulation in the knee wall. There are as many ways to do it as there are people who do it. ![]() Now, a note on materials for insulating the actual knee wall. Some houses only see small improvements in air leakage when sealing these areas.) (Common sense disclosure, your results may vary. If you only do one thing in your knee wall attics, seal those holes. Yes, that’s over 1/2 the leakage of the entire house. These areas have been responsible for up to 56% of actual air leakage that we have fixed. The key junction is right below the knee walls in the floor joist. Others have a few inches of insulation somewhere. It is surprising how many attics look just like this, no ventilation or insulation at all. This diagram is set up for the winter, the summer works exactly the opposite. Heat also rises into the top attic, I’m focusing on the knee walls. How about a picture? They’re worth at least a thousand words, right? This diagram is what your house would look like from the side if you peeled the wall off. Study this for a minute and familiarize yourself with the terms. This means heat (especially air) from the floor below flows right into the attic. The floor of the room with the knee wall is typically connected to the attic. This is the obvious part, especially if there is no insulation in them.Ģ. Knee walls leak heat in (at least) 2 ways:ġ. Enough babbling, get on with it!įirst off, let’s learn a little theory for your house and the knee walls. If it doesn’t, read it again… (kidding!) In reality, you will probably heckle me in the comments. Another friend told me I need attic ventilation, how do I do that and what does it mean? Somebody told me I should air seal, what does that mean?Ĭ. Where should I put the insulation, on the roof or on the wall?ī. I was lucky enough to go to training from Ohio’s low-income Home Weatherization Assistance Program ( HWAP) they taught me a ton and my questions were answered. Like you, I wondered how the heck to insulate the dumb thing. I owned a Cape Cod house in Cleveland Heights (pictured above) early into my career as a home performance guy. Obviously, that’s not OK, or you wouldn’t be reading this. That’s OK, though, because they’re going to be cold in a few months. What all those names share is that it has been a hot summer, and that room or rooms have been uncomfortably hot. You may call it a Cape Cod, a Bungalow, a bonus room, or any of a number of different names. Your house could have 2 stories, or it could have 3. The general rule of thumb on the amount of total attic vent space needed is to have at least one square foot of vent space for every 150 square feet of attic area.Do you have sloped ceilings on your top floor? Do you have a bonus room over your garage in your newer home? Are there little 4-6′ walls under the sloped ceiling with a door to a storage area? The baffle should be permitted to be any solid material. The baffle should extend over the top of the attic insulation. Baffles should maintain an opening equal or greater than the size of the vent. How do you insulate an attic vent?įor air-permeable insulation in vented attics, a baffle should be installed adjacent to soffit and eave vents. So, while rafter air channels are not required between every rafter, they are necessary for each air intake piece. WhatÕs the best way to build a stair railing?ĭo you need rafter vents in every rafter?Īttic venting baffles channel the air from outside, continuing the circulation.Do you have to install a railing before building a deck?.How much does it cost to put stairs on a deck?.Do you need railings on both sides of deck stairs?.How do you install a soffit in an attic?.How can I get the best performance from my attic insulation?.Where do you place a vent in the attic?.How many rafter vents do I need in my attic?.Should soffit vents be covered with insulation?.Do you need rafter vents in every rafter?. ![]()
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