Help with cathedral ceiling insulation!!!!

2091 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by Gary in WA, Jan 8, 2013

jamjr74

Discussion Starter · Jan 5, 2013

OK I will try and explain this the best I can. I have a home with cathedral ceilings (kitchen and living room). My attic has soffit vents, a ridge vent and 1 gable vent. My issue is this- on the front of my home the attic floor sits approx. 10ft above the soffit vents, the builder never ran baffles from the vent to the attic and instead stuffed the cavity running from the soffit to the attic with batte insulation. This is basically restrcting the air flow to my attic and today I noticed frost on the attic roof. Since the cavity is too long and space is limited I cannot slip baffles into the cavity down to the vent. Any recommendations as to what I can do???? I was thinking of maybe replacing the r30 with r15 to leave space for the air to flow or maybe trying to use rigid foam board insulation in the cavity????? PLease help!!! Thanks

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joecaption

· #2 · Jan 5, 2013

You need to go back and add your location to your profile.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_sealing.hm_improvement_insulation_table
The very best way would be to have it spray foamed.

We could use some pictures.
By have both a ridge vent and a gable vent in the same area the ridge vent is useless. It's just sucking air in from the gable vents instead of blowing out the hot moist air.

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jamjr74

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 5, 2013

Spray foam is really not an option as the only way to access this area for spray foam is to drop my ceiling.... Not looking to have to tackle that!

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joecaption

· #4 · Jan 5, 2013

You limited on what you can do.
Unless your willing to remove the drywall, add spacers so there's room for the baffles and insulation. Or Remove the shingles and use SIP's on the roof there's not much you can do to get the venting and the added insulation.
With the spray foam you would not need the venting.

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Windows on Wash

· #5 · Jan 6, 2013

Doing is right and doing it cheaply rarely occupy the same space.

Can you get a picture of the vaulted ceiling from the attic. Many of them are not right under the roof deck.

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jamjr74

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 6, 2013

Attic Room Floor Building insulation Basement

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Fix'n it

· #7 · Jan 6, 2013

my neck is getting sore

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jamjr74

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 6, 2013

Fix'n it said:
my neck is getting sore

Sorry. Pics are normal in my phone but got rotated when I uploaded. Not sure why.

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Gary in WA

· #9 · Jan 8, 2013

That is a bear to insulate! With no access at the bottom of the slope, I would open up a drywall chase of 18" next to the exterior wall, slip some 1x2's under the roof sheathing along side each rafter for spacers (1-1/2") from attic above, slide some 1-1/2" rigid foamboard up against that, tacked to the 1x2's at both ends- letting it span the middle without fasteners, add some Roxul or more f.b. to get minimum code R-value, patch the smaller access chase rather than the whole ceiling (unless you need to furr for thicker R-value). Appears the slope ceiling is only 4-5'.... and you do need minimum R-49 to meet code.

Gary

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