Author Topic: attic insulation where do I start???  (Read 8393 times)

warmastoast

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attic insulation where do I start???
« on: January 04, 2017, 09:15:40 PM »
I had a heatpump installed in the spring, replacing an air con unit with auxiliary heat strips and I was expecting lower heating bills in the winter.   I now have a nest thermostat upstairs and I have noticed that as soon as the heating switches off,the temperature starts to drop.  I've had a good look around the attic to see what is going on and these are the issues that I've noted.
1. No baffles, soffit vents are mostly blocked by the blown in insulation. 
2. Someone has had a go at putting in baffles and moved the insulation around, leaving some parts with no insulation cover at all.
3. There is a whole house attic fan which is pretty much useless here in Texas - the outside temps don't stay moderate for long enough to use it in the evenings to cool the house down. There is a decent cover on the conditioned space side (in the house)  but no insulation above it.
4. The attic hatch is a pull down stair with some weatherstripping around the edges and a fairly thin foil backed piece of insulation glued onto it.
5.  There are 2 recessed ceiling lights in the master bedroom - rated NIC - ie to be kept free of insulation within 3 inches. The insulation in the attic has been scooped back away from the can light fitting.
6. There are 2 pipes which go from the air handler right over the top of the attic hatch, close to the edges - would have to move them in order to get an insulated attic hatch cover.
7. At one end of the attic,the insulation is piled high, at the other end almost nothing due to be moved around and the presence of the air handler.  Not sure if there is insulation under the air handler either.
8. Insulated ductwork for the air con/heating - can this be partially submerged in new insulation?

I'm going round in circles trying to figure out where to start... here is my best guess so far.
1. seal around the light fittings using a cap thingy and then put the insulation over them
2. remove the whole house fan, install new drywall on the ceiling, put insulation into the space.
3  put fibreglass batts around the attic hatch opening (currently nothing there- joists are visible) and as close to the air handler as I can.
4 rake the blown in insulation around to create uniform coverage.
5. put in baffles that will also seal the top of the interior walls (sorry the correct term for this evades me)
6 get the a/c engineers back to move the pipes near the attic hatch
7 Get an insulated hatch cover on there.
8 get more insulation in there.
anything else?  suggestions?  Some of it I will do myself (most of it) .  The part I am least looking forward to is the baffles.  There is almost no space to get in there.

I would really appreciate any suggestions for products or techniques.

Many thanks

GilbertB

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2017, 04:44:27 AM »
Could you add a few pictures, hard to give advice with no visuals.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2017, 08:02:56 AM »
It sounds like a pretty good plan so far.  Since you're in Texas, you might also consider installing a radiant barrier to cut down on the heat transfer, especially in the summer.  There are several ways to do it--you can hire a company to spray a reflective coating on the underside of the roof, or you can staple reflective film to the underside of the rafters/trusses, or put in foil-backed styrofoam.

You may also want to rent a FLIR camera and run around your house taking lots of pictures.  That will help you spot less obvious places where you're losing energy.

Burying ductwork in more insulation is just fine.  If it's the flexible pipe, you can move it yourself.

WRT to the baffles, you need to also make sure that the air has an easy way to get out of the attic.  If all you have is a mushroom-shaped fan thing, all the baffles in the world won't help you.  A ridge vent may be a better option here if the air is having trouble getting out.

Fishindude

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2017, 08:36:58 AM »
You have a good plan.

warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2017, 10:47:25 AM »
Thanks guys.

I hadn't thought of renting a FLIR camera and it seems my local HDepot has them.  Thank you for that tip.  I must admit that I had a nightmare last night where I did all this work and the heat was still going out through the roof!  I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep so I watched yet more videos on how to place baffles.
I'm still not totally there on the baffle installation yet.  The term that I was looking for in my first post was "top plate" and I think I will need to seal this.  I've read various options -
1. caulk/seal along the top plate  with something like great stuff pro? Then use a fibreglass batt on top and pushed next to the baffle to stop insulation getting in?
2Place a piece of rigid foam on the top plate butting up against the baffle and caulk? Would I need to seal the top plate first? like in the photo I've tried to attach.

I'll take some photos of my attic in a couple of hours and post them.

I'm wondering about a time frame to do all this?  I have ordered the can light covers and they will be here next week.  I'm waiting for the diy/drywall guy to tell me when he can come to remove the fan, but I imagine next week at the earliest.  In the meantime, I can crack on with the baffles, Ihave no idea how long that will take, it will be a pita to get those baffles in there due to space restrictions.  I thought of getting a staple hammer from HD - any recommendations or does it not matter? http://www.homedepot.com/s/staple+hammer?NCNI-5

My daughter and I will make a cover for the attic hatch ourselves.  Construct a frame around the opening and have fiber batt insulation place around it then make a top from insulated rigid foam with a batt glued/stapled on top, bit of weatherstripping and bob's your uncle as we say in the UK! Anyone else done this?



warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2017, 02:03:48 PM »
Here are some photos, not sure how much use they would be -

I just had a handyman come by to give me a quote for removing the whole house attic fan and repairing the drywall. We talked about the baffles - I was assuming that I would have to put the baffles between every truss.  He said that I only needed them where there was a soffit vent. Is this ok?  He suggested that I change/remove the vent panels on the outside of the eaves, clean out the insulation from there. This would also make it really obvious where the panels are as well since at the moment it's really hard to tell with the insulation piled up against the roof.

Daughter and I looked again at the attic hatch door and there really isn't much room to manoevure to get into the attic due to the truss/suppports that are in the way.  I have revised my plan to just making a rigid board lid with insulation attached that will fit onto the existing joists that are around the hatch. 


aerofreaky`

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2017, 07:41:26 PM »
Swap those recessed lights with LED equivalent wattage units and you will have to worry less about the 3". However,go ahead and use the covers or even make your own using sheet aluminum. 

warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2017, 07:44:39 PM »
Swap those recessed lights with LED equivalent wattage units and you will have to worry less about the 3". However,go ahead and use the covers or even make your own using sheet aluminum.

aerofreaky - here is a possibly idiotic question.  If I swap the old lights for these, that will work?  http://www.costco.com/Feit-4%E2%80%9D-LED-Retrofit-5%2c000K-Daylight-570-Lumens-4-pack.product.100156004.html 

zolotiyeruki

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2017, 11:32:57 PM »
Swap those recessed lights with LED equivalent wattage units and you will have to worry less about the 3". However,go ahead and use the covers or even make your own using sheet aluminum.

aerofreaky - here is a possibly idiotic question.  If I swap the old lights for these, that will work?  http://www.costco.com/Feit-4%E2%80%9D-LED-Retrofit-5%2c000K-Daylight-570-Lumens-4-pack.product.100156004.html
Those probably don't give off enough light unless you put more of them in, but they are an option.  A typical 60W incandescent (or 60W equivalent LED or CFL) puts out about 800 lumens, and these only put out 570.  Also, those are "daylight" bulbs, so their light will be a lot more bluish than you're used to.  These are probably a better fit--2700K (a warmer color) and 850 lumens.

john6221

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2017, 12:02:00 PM »
Your "baffles 1" pic is pretty much exactly what I did. First I sprayed foam over the top plate and drywall seam. Then I stacked 4" of foam on the top plate and sealed it to the baffle. I had to use a 36" foam gun due to the slope of my roof. It was a real slog. I put baffles in every bay and it took me about 40 hours to do that and seal the entire attic floor while crawling on my stomach pretty much the whole time.

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warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2017, 01:15:27 PM »
Your "baffles 1" pic is pretty much exactly what I did. First I sprayed foam over the top plate and drywall seam. Then I stacked 4" of foam on the top plate and sealed it to the baffle. I had to use a 36" foam gun due to the slope of my roof. It was a real slog. I put baffles in every bay and it took me about 40 hours to do that and seal the entire attic floor while crawling on my stomach pretty much the whole time.

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oh dear...I feel for you, I really do.
I had a contractor in yesterday and he said I just needed to put baffles where the vents to the outside are. Thoughts?  I have a ridge vent so the flow of air would go directly from the vents on the eaves to the ridge.

Going back to the lights - thank you for your recommendation about what lumens etc to buy.  Costco had a 2 pack of exactly what you wrote for $17. On the box, it says suitable for retrofitting to a N-IC and IC can.  Does this mean if I put these lights into the current N-IC can, I don't have to worry about the insulation coming into contact?  sorry for the rookie question, just wanted to be sure. These are the ones I bought - just in a 2 pack. http://www.costco.com/Feit-5%22-6%22-Retrofit-2700K-Soft-White-850-Lumens-4-pack.product.100309546.html


zolotiyeruki

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #11 on: January 06, 2017, 05:55:12 PM »
Going back to the lights - thank you for your recommendation about what lumens etc to buy.  Costco had a 2 pack of exactly what you wrote for $17. On the box, it says suitable for retrofitting to a N-IC and IC can.  Does this mean if I put these lights into the current N-IC can, I don't have to worry about the insulation coming into contact?
I honestly don't know.  I would be *very* hesitant to put insulation against non-IC recessed lights even if the LED retrofit *did* allow it, because down the road, you or a future homeowner may pull out that retrofit and put in a new flood light and trim, and then  there's the potential for trouble.  The reason for the IC or non-IC rating is because of the danger posed by a fixture getting really hot and melting or igniting flammable stuff above the ceiling.  IC-rated fixtures usually have a thermocouple that cuts off electricity if it gets too hot in the fixture.

warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #12 on: January 06, 2017, 06:05:23 PM »
I had a couple of conversations around the web and in HD  and the consensus was to use the LED lights because they look nicer and will be cheaper in the long run but to put the flower pot thingies over the housings before putting the insulation over it all.  Either that or put new IC housings in as well. This would be cheaper but rather more effort and at this point $15 to make something easier and that works for me.....

Baffles everywhere.... oh dear.  I really was trying to avoid that one. Which baffles did you use?  So far, I prefer the provent black plastic one but it is 2x the price of the others.  Which ones did you use?

I've spent the afternoon caulking and weatherstripping,   even caulking the weatherstripping !    The attic hatch door wasn't put on straight, the previous weatherstripping done by previous owners wasn't doing anything down one side...  daughter and I scratched our heads thinking about it  and ended up being imaginative with the new weatherstripping we put on.  No leaks!



zolotiyeruki

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #13 on: January 06, 2017, 08:20:37 PM »
I had a couple of conversations around the web and in HD  and the consensus was to use the LED lights because they look nicer and will be cheaper in the long run but to put the flower pot thingies over the housings before putting the insulation over it all.  Either that or put new IC housings in as well. This would be cheaper but rather more effort and at this point $15 to make something easier and that works for me.....
Replacing the existing fixtures with IC cans wouldn't be a big deal, actually.  Remodel style IC fixtures are about $10 each, and you wouldn't have to worry about the styrofoam boxes.

john6221

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #14 on: January 07, 2017, 08:19:10 PM »
I used the black plastic vents because the foam ones kept getting shredded by nails in the roof deck. I found that they were cheaper at Menards than Home Depot. I did every rafter bay because then in the future I'd never have to remember which bay was vented if I needed to add more soffit venting. You might also want to calculate your net venting area and make sure you have enough.

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warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #15 on: January 07, 2017, 09:15:19 PM »
Thanks, yes I preferred the black provent ones too.
I've now spoken to 2 local builders who tell me that placing the baffles where the vents are should be sufficient. 
Another issue that has surfaced -
I realised that the attic insulation is all blown-in.  There isn't anything else apart from the odd piece of batt put in.  Should I be placing faced batts between the joists?  Everything I'm reading says that in an unfinished attic a moisture barrier is necessary.


bacchi

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #16 on: January 16, 2017, 10:26:13 PM »
How old is your house?

warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #17 on: January 17, 2017, 12:31:55 PM »
it's 30 years old

bacchi

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #18 on: January 19, 2017, 12:13:45 PM »
Your house is old enough that it probably leaks a lot of places.

Go with unfaced batts if the new insulation is on top of older insulation. You don't want to trap moisture leaking from your living space.


TomTX

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #19 on: January 22, 2017, 06:17:07 AM »
Here are some photos, not sure how much use they would be -

I just had a handyman come by to give me a quote for removing the whole house attic fan and repairing the drywall. We talked about the baffles - I was assuming that I would have to put the baffles between every truss.  He said that I only needed them where there was a soffit vent. Is this ok?  He suggested that I change/remove the vent panels on the outside of the eaves, clean out the insulation from there. This would also make it really obvious where the panels are as well since at the moment it's really hard to tell with the insulation piled up against the roof.

Personally, I would never remove the whole house fan. Had one in College Station and it was GREAT in the spring and fall. Cool nights, hot days - sucks all the heat out of the house and the attic too. You can just throw an insulating blanket (or some batts of insulation, or a foamboard) over it in the attic when you're not using it.

Opening the soffits from the outside is a good plan. Use a leafblower from the outside to blow a channel in the insulation.

TomTX

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #20 on: January 22, 2017, 06:19:40 AM »
Your house is old enough that it probably leaks a lot of places.

Go with unfaced batts if the new insulation is on top of older insulation. You don't want to trap moisture leaking from your living space.

I would personally just blow cellulose on top of everything that needs it (avoiding cans, vent fan, baffles) - you do NOT need faced batts in Austin.

warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #21 on: January 22, 2017, 10:15:24 AM »
Your house is old enough that it probably leaks a lot of places.

Go with unfaced batts if the new insulation is on top of older insulation. You don't want to trap moisture leaking from your living space.

I would personally just blow cellulose on top of everything that needs it (avoiding cans, vent fan, baffles) - you do NOT need faced batts in Austin.

I have persevered with the attic fan but it is noisy, right next to 2 bedrooms and doesn't seem to pull enough air in to cool more than 1 degree in more than 30 minutes.  We have ridge vents in the attic which discounts my original thought that perhaps there isn't enough ventilation in the attic for the fan to work properly.  I had thought that I could buy a quieter fan and have it vented directly to the outside rather than into the attic but that of course means more $$ and then I'd have a hole in the ceiling direct to the outside.....There is also a pretty good cover on the attic fan in the ceiling - it is insulated and weather stripped but is a PITA to take off and on. It is a 2 person job with a ladder and a chair for them.  If I leave it off then it's just a big hole leaking into the attic.

Agree with the blown-in.  I am stealing myself to go in there and seal all I can find with greatstuff pro.  I have also decided to make my own baffles using polyiso board.  Cut wider than the gap and then scored and folded along both 4ft sides to allow 1 inch air vent , fitted snugly between the rafters (held in place with friction) then caulked/sealed.  Polyiso board to cover top of topplate and seal to baffles.  I will take my time on this over the next month or so. In the meantime on the lookout on craigslist for cheap board!


TomTX

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #22 on: January 22, 2017, 11:05:51 AM »
Well, if the fan is crap - yeah. 3 options: Ignore/leave sealed, take it out or replace it.

Sealing up perforations is definitely something to do before you blow more insulation. I got that step done, haven't had time to blow in more. I also built some raised catwalks to retain access after blowing is done.

Vonecut

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #23 on: January 22, 2017, 07:20:55 PM »
I think your plan is good. I was going to rent the flir camera but instead I payed $100 bucks which was total cost with a rebate from my local energy provider. They did the flir camera and more importantly a blower door test. I walked  with them the whole time noticing airleaks. They tried to sell me a package to fix all the leaks but instead I bought a two part closed cell spray kit online and sealed everything that I could. Then did the home depot blown cellulose to bring everything up even as much got disturbed during a renovations and leak sealing. Total cost around $600. The key was seeing all the leaks with the blower door.

dorf

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #24 on: January 23, 2017, 06:20:40 AM »
I am planning on insulating my attic in the next month after the roof is done.  My house was built in the 1950's and has a minuscule amount of insulation.  Less than one inch in some spots that appears to be a combination of sawdust and cellulose.  The eave vents are approximately one inch holes drilled between joist.  Because it is a low pitch roof(common in Florida) I cannot reach the eave vents from inside the attic.  My plan is to push pvc pipe through the eave vent holes about 3 - 4 feet up into the roof.  This should provide airflow from the eave vent.  I am thinking that I will then be able to loft cellulose insulation in with a blower.

I'd be curious to hear any evaluations.  I don't think I can get the foam vent sheets in adequately because of lack of space to work with.


warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #25 on: January 23, 2017, 07:15:14 AM »
I saw this video https://youtu.be/Qqqp11Mx5rQ

which might be of use to you.

They made a channel through the length of the eaves and put in their custom baffles. 


Noahjoe

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #26 on: January 23, 2017, 11:00:08 AM »
Your house is old enough that it probably leaks a lot of places.

Go with unfaced batts if the new insulation is on top of older insulation. You don't want to trap moisture leaking from your living space.

I would personally just blow cellulose on top of everything that needs it (avoiding cans, vent fan, baffles) - you do NOT need faced batts in Austin.

I have persevered with the attic fan but it is noisy, right next to 2 bedrooms and doesn't seem to pull enough air in to cool more than 1 degree in more than 30 minutes.  We have ridge vents in the attic which discounts my original thought that perhaps there isn't enough ventilation in the attic for the fan to work properly.  I had thought that I could buy a quieter fan and have it vented directly to the outside rather than into the attic but that of course means more $$ and then I'd have a hole in the ceiling direct to the outside.....There is also a pretty good cover on the attic fan in the ceiling - it is insulated and weather stripped but is a PITA to take off and on. It is a 2 person job with a ladder and a chair for them.  If I leave it off then it's just a big hole leaking into the attic.

Agree with the blown-in.  I am stealing myself to go in there and seal all I can find with greatstuff pro.  I have also decided to make my own baffles using polyiso board.  Cut wider than the gap and then scored and folded along both 4ft sides to allow 1 inch air vent , fitted snugly between the rafters (held in place with friction) then caulked/sealed.  Polyiso board to cover top of topplate and seal to baffles.  I will take my time on this over the next month or so. In the meantime on the lookout on craigslist for cheap board!

This is exactly what I did. It was a monster pain in the ass.
1. I made my own vent to ridge baffles from 1 inch foil faced board. put those between rafters.Sealed in place with Great Stuff (don't bother with caulk).
2. Furred down the rafters with a 2x6 to create a larger/deeper channel.
3. Put R-30 unfaced into channel.
4. Put 1 inch foil faced foam over R-30.
5. Aluminum face taped the whole works.

So I have now got an attic with R-42 insulation (in Wisconsin) that is absolutely air sealed tight as a drum. It vents perfectly, because I go eave to ridge with a 1 inch gap that is as wide as the rafters. It cut my electricity/gas bill (it's combined) to about 30-35% of what it used to be. The project cost me $1500 out of pocket and paid itself off in about 7 months. I'd say you're on the right track.

Plus this gives you oodles of usable attic space. And its way less gross than blow in insulation. Just have fun removing bags and bags of cellulose.

PS - pro tip: an electric leaf blower/vacuum hooked up to 100 feet of flexible tubing can suck out insulation in SHORT order.I did this once, then did it the hard way. I'd buy the blower new if I were to do it again. It'd be worth it.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2017, 11:01:41 AM by Noahjoe »

warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #27 on: January 23, 2017, 11:07:49 AM »
This is exactly what I did. It was a monster pain in the ass.
1. I made my own vent to ridge baffles from 1 inch foil faced board. put those between rafters.Sealed in place with Great Stuff (don't bother with caulk).
2. Furred down the rafters with a 2x6 to create a larger/deeper channel.
3. Put R-30 unfaced into channel.
4. Put 1 inch foil faced foam over R-30.
5. Aluminum face taped the whole works.

So I have now got an attic with R-42 insulation (in Wisconsin) that is absolutely air sealed tight as a drum. It vents perfectly, because I go eave to ridge with a 1 inch gap that is as wide as the rafters. It cut my electricity/gas bill (it's combined) to about 30-35% of what it used to be. The project cost me $1500 out of pocket and paid itself off in about 7 months. I'd say you're on the right track.

Plus this gives you oodles of usable attic space. And its way less gross than blow in insulation. Just have fun removing bags and bags of cellulose.

PS - pro tip: an electric leaf blower/vacuum hooked up to 100 feet of flexible tubing can suck out insulation in SHORT order.I did this once, then did it the hard way. I'd buy the blower new if I were to do it again. It'd be worth it.
[/quote]

wow Noahjoe that sounds like an enormous amount of work!

Do I understand you correctly when you say that you put foil faced over the R30 and then taped, that you sealed the floor of the attic space?  What about trapping vapour in the R30 from the house? 

Noahjoe

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #28 on: January 23, 2017, 01:07:48 PM »
Nope - I followed the ridge all the way up. So:

1. I removed all the cellulose.
2. I made one inch spacers from scrap foam board.
3. I put foam board between rafters maintaining the 1 inch space, from the eave to the ridge.
4. I added a 2x6 (use joist joining plates) to the existing rafters, making an 11 inch space (i already had 2x6 rafters).
5. Put R-30 unface insulation between rafters. Use Drywall spacers to hold it in place if it falls out. do NOT use visqueen/plastic.
6. put foil faced insulation on the other side of the R-30, making an insulation sandwich in the rafters. This leaves all your floor space usable if you sheet it with OSB.

does that help? Man I wish I had taken in progress pics of this.

warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #29 on: January 23, 2017, 03:46:34 PM »
ah yes.  I've seen this being done.

I like the idea of this since it means that my air con ductwork and the air handler will be in conditioned(?) or at least cooler space in the summer.  I'd hate to get rid of at least $500 worth of perfectly fine blown in though....

TomTX

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #30 on: January 23, 2017, 05:41:16 PM »
ah yes.  I've seen this being done.

I like the idea of this since it means that my air con ductwork and the air handler will be in conditioned(?) or at least cooler space in the summer.  I'd hate to get rid of at least $500 worth of perfectly fine blown in though....

Got any interior walls you want to reduce sound transfer for? Use the leaf blower/sucker with tube method, but route it into precut (hole saw, between each stud) holes in the top of the wall.

I did something similar at a community radio station one time, though with the HD rental blower. Worked great. Keep the plugs you holesaw out. If you pack the cellulose in well, you can just pop it back into place and mud over it.

Noahjoe

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #31 on: January 24, 2017, 10:50:19 AM »
It does indeed turn it into a conditioned space, albeit one with poor air circulation. Not that it matters much. It does mean that you don't have to insulate individual pipes/ducts up there, and it makes future maintenance tasks about 1,000 times easier. You pay a ton upfront, mostly in time, but I'd do this to any house I own in the future as it makes the space easier to deal with, increases storage, and is WAY more energy efficient than blown in nonsense.

Consider the $500 a sunk cost. If you do it right, you'll make that up in no time in energy savings because you'll have air sealed the space and made it much cheaper to operate furnaces/AC in your home.

bacchi

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #32 on: January 24, 2017, 05:23:29 PM »
I'd love to do what you did, noahjoe, but my attic height is low enough as it is. Creating more space on the roof plane would force me to crawl around instead of being hunched over.

I may just add 1-2" unfaced rigid foam to the rafters and cover it with radiant barrier.

warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #33 on: January 24, 2017, 07:51:48 PM »
This was the video that I had seen doing what you have done noahjoe
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A4up0RgxdhY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I decided that I would have a go at doing the vents using the 1 inch foil faced board - clearing out the blown in stuff from the eaves using my garden vac and sealing it up.  Just to see how I get on! 

Noahjoe, where did you buy your supplies from?   HD rigid insulation above is costing about $15 a sheet. Is that comparable to what you paid?  My next task will be cost everything out and obviously I'd like to minimise costs.  Would a builder's merchant/supply company sell it to me for less do you think?


Noahjoe

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #34 on: January 25, 2017, 11:00:42 AM »
I bought my stuff from HD. It was about 15 a sheet when I did it to. Don't skimp. When you're talking about R-value per inch you need to be looking at the good stuff. R-7 (or 6.5?) is what it's rated at I think. Most other stuff is much less. Your future you thanks you for making such a Mustachian purchase up front, though it seems expensive now.

Plan cuts in advance. Save scraps. It's all good for something. Be sure you're metering out the Great Stuff slowly when you're sealing your seams. A little bead goes a long way.

And, if you're married, for the love of God wear disposable/shitty clothes. Your wife will thank you. You WILL get covered in Great Stuff. And it will never come out. Also, a respirator (the best one you can afford) and a box of rubber gloves from Harbor Freight.

Noahjoe

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #35 on: January 25, 2017, 11:26:56 AM »
Watching the video. This is almost exactly what I did. The strapping, as he calls it, is what I should have done. Live and learn. It would make it a lot easier to stuff the insulation in.

Another thing: plan your ceiling in advance. Think about whether you'll run lights/etc. Getting the ceiling in place was a pain for me, based on the way my rafters were set up.

warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #36 on: January 25, 2017, 11:47:52 AM »
Hi Noahjoe,  I am the wife!!   But thanks for the advice about greatstuff...

I won't be using the room as storage (don't need it) and there is a light up there already.  I have to put baffles in anyway so I'm going to do the foil faced ones anyway as that will keep my options open for further insulation. 

Rookie errors so far - I have a prius V (station wagon) which I thought would take 4ft width boards (ie cut them in half) but it won't.  This first lot, I had them cut into quarters to fit in the car - this is ok since the width between rafters is 22 inches so I all I have to do now is score down an inch and bend them over to glue into place to form the baffle.  This will give me 4 per board.  I also bought a 4ft wide piece of wood to stand/sit and place the vac on but that wouldn't go in so I have bought 2x 2ft wide pieces.  If I go ahead, I will be asking a friend to take their truck with me to HD when I buy supplies.  I might just go to a local builder's supply and ask if they will sell to me and what quantities I will need to buy just to see if I can cut the cost down.  I have a big roof!

Noahjoe

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #37 on: January 26, 2017, 07:23:27 AM »
If you have the room to store everything, paying the 50 bucks (or so) to have it all delivered at once isn't the worst idea in the world, after factoring in your time/cost of transport via your/your friend's vehicle.

And i'm no expert, but if you airseal/run baffles all the way up your rafters (is that your plan?) but you don't fully insulate at the rafters, you may be creating a perfect storm for condensation/some kind of weird issue. Outside of my area of expertise, but it makes my spidey senses tingle.

warmastoast

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #38 on: January 26, 2017, 11:17:26 AM »
For now, I need to get the attic ventilated and sealed.  So I will use the 1 inch foamboard for the 4ft baffles and just open them to above the insulation.  If in the future I decide to seal the attic space from the roof as Noahjoe has done, I will at least have done the first stage. 

Looking over my electricity consumption for the last few cold months, I think my 2 big projects financially for this year will be replacing the downstairs air/con unit for a heat pump.  I should just be able to replace the outside unit since the inside air handler is fairly new and this system already has R410a.  The way my electricity consumption 4x when the downstairs heat strips came  on was scary and the downstairs never felt warm enough to justify the expense.    I will also replace the pool pump for a variable speed motor. On the look out for last year's models at reduced prices already.

I'd really, really like to put a wood stove in my downstairs living area but that will have to wait.  My primary concern is  cooling my house more cheaply over the 6 months of high temps vs heating over 2 months with the odd week at 70F+

Mattzlaff

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #39 on: February 07, 2017, 03:43:23 AM »
I'm going to add to my attics insulation aswell coming up here in the next few days. My attic supposedly only has R17, that's horrible for Canada.

I'm on night shift tomorrow but I plan on going up to see what I need buy for foam sealant, baffles, light covers and do any clean up/light prep work for the new insulation.

I plan on completing the job in 3 days but I will have 4 days in total before I go back to work.

This post has been so helpful with what I will need to do/have ready and reconfirms what I have read about the job already.

Attic insulation is on my list of big jobs to get done this year.

chaskavitch

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Re: attic insulation where do I start???
« Reply #40 on: February 07, 2017, 06:34:42 AM »
I don't have any advice about the mechanics of what you're doing, and it seems to be well covered by other posters.

My one piece of advice for anyone doing attic work - wear a hardhat, or SOME sort of hat, to protect your poor head from roofing nails.  DH and my dad blew insulation in our attic, and that was their biggest complaint.  Hardhat, headlamp, and N95 mask so you don't choke.