Photo Album: Dense Packing a Cathedral Ceiling in Middletown, CT

This homeowner in Middletown, CT called us hoping that we would be able to help her with her home. She had a section of her home that had heavy condensation buildup in and on its cathedral ceiling.    In most areas of the United States, homes need R60 insulation in their attics - the equivalent of a 20” deep fiberglass batt. But cathedral ceilings only have the depth of the rafters (6”-11”) for insulation. Two factors relating to the optional vented roof design make the situation much worse. First, some of the rafter space is used for airflow (cold in winter) - which means even less space for insulation. Second, this air flow “wind washes” open faced fiberglass batts, reducing the R-value of batts that were designed and rated to be used in closed cavities with no airflow whatsoever. Result - the cathedral ceiling is dramatically under insulated. Air in the home that the homeowner paid to heat, hits the cold ceiling and descends, creating a “convective” loop making the room feel cold and drafty. In the summer, the roofing heats up to 160˚ and the roof heat radiates through the ceiling and heats up the room.   The soffit vent was blocked with a continuous board. The shingles and plywood were removed. A long fill tube was inserted to reach the bottom and top of the ceiling plane and TruSoft™ cellulose insulation was “dense packed” into each rafter bay. Dense packing fills all air spaces, compresses existing fiberglass batts, and stops air leakage. The plywood and roof shingles were re-installed. Result - Room is warmer in winter, cooler in summer, less drafty, more comfortable, lower heating and cooling bills, easier to heat and cool.