Attic Insulation Sides

Add weatherstripping around the perimeter and a sweep to the door of a walk up attic.

Attic insulation sides.

This barrier is meant to keep moisture from getting to the insulation in the walls and ceilings and it is required by building codes when insulating most houses. But before you cut any holes plan the locations of the attic vents. Be careful not to compress the material when pressing it in place. Use a zippered insulated tent to keep the enclosure draft free.

Photos 1 6 show how it s done. Mark the roof venting locations from the attic where you can see the rafters and avoid placing roofing vents over them. He said since it was low i could roll out r 30 on it which i did. An insulated kneewall is effectively an exterior wall so you ll need a layer of rigid foam drywall osb or thermoply on the back side of the kneewall to prevent cold air from degrading the performance of the insulation.

Pull down stair or ladder. Some of the insulation in the attic is the stuff that blows on and doesn t have a paper side. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it. Houses with gable roofs may also have vents located on the side of the house.

In any case the vapor barrier must point to the warm side. This method of insulation won t work if the triangular attic includes ducts or plumbing pipes. Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises primarily utilizing two types of vents. Adding attic vents is a simple matter of cutting holes and installing vents.

The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and locations in the home. If using insulation with a vapor retardant facing install the material with the vapor retardant side down. I put the paper side facing toward the inside of the house. Insulation level are specified by r value.

The ceiling joists not rafters generally are flat do not slope and have sheetrock nailed on the living space side and are open to the attic with unfaced insulation between the ceiling joists and unfaced insulation does not have a moisture barrier so it can breath and dry out as needed. Facing is a thin layer of paper or plastic attached to one side of. Affix rigid foam insulation to the attic side of the hatch or door. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.

Air migrates from warmer spaces toward colder spaces and insulation is designed to help prevent or at least slow that migration.