Cathedral Ceiling Insulation in Plainfield, CT
Challenge
A poorly insulated cathedral ceiling could make your rooms feel cold and drafty in the winter and warm in the summer.
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 optimal vented roof design make the situation much worse. First, some of the rafter space is used for airflow (cold in the winter) which means even less space for insulation. Second, this airflow “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. Ceilings with wood boards and leak lots of air you paid to heat. This can result in the Air in the home that you pay to heat, hitting the cold ceiling and descending, creating a “convective” loop and making your room feel cold and drafty. In the summer, the roofing heats up to 160° and the roof heat radiates through the ceiling and heats the room.
Solution
With our solution, your home will be warmer in the winter and colder in the summer.
The soffit vent is blocked with a continuous board which may need painting along with the fascia by the homeowner. The ridge vent is removed by the homeowner. The ridge vent is removed along with two courses of the roof sheathing (usual plywood) cut back approximately 4”. A long fill tube is inserted to reach the bottom of the ceiling plane and TruSoft cellulose insulation is “dense-packed” into each rafter bay. Dense packing fills all air spaces, compresses existing finger glass batts, and stops air leakage. The plywood and roof shingles are re-installed. The ridge vent is re-installed and functions not as an air vent, but as a vapor vent. Some touch-ups (patching and painting) of the ceiling may be required by the homeowner if nails pop, which doesn’t always happen, but can happen if the drywall is not secured well. The results are that rooms are warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, less drafty, more comfortable, lower heating and cooling bills, and easier to heat and cool.
