Insulating Roof Trusses

With a regular roof insulation isn t a problem.

Insulating roof trusses.

Images courtesy simpson gumpertz heger. Senior engineer manager at icynene john broniek makes the case for the unvented attic assembly and why insulating the underside of the roof makes sense. Like many other building materials insulating spray foams for use on roof rafters and attic surfaces come with advantages and disadvantages. If you ended up with scissors trusses without raised heels.

Water is insulation s enemy. Make sure it is flush against the wood as even a 1 inch gap can cause a 20 percent heating loss. To insulate the underside of the ceiling between rafters you ll want to add insulation to the exterior portion of the finished ceiling. It creates a breeding ground for mold and mildew and ruins the air trapping pockets that block heat flow.

The relatively costly application for example can also save money by lowering your energy bills and enabling you to add your own insulation with a contractor s help. The quest for greater energy efficiency in buildings has led to increasing interest and need for insulation improvements in hvac equipment more airtight construction new materials and assemblies. If you have a flat garage roof and an attic above you can install the garage insulation from below using a standard ladder. Then feed the rolled insulation under wires and pipe if either is present.

Ibc dictates acceptable placement and composition of roofing materials in chapter 15 but describes required thermal efficiency of the roof in chapter 13 which references the international energy conservation code iecc the minimum required thermal resistance varies. Roof insulation configurations for unvented rafter truss assemblies. A variety of insulation materials can be used to insulate scissors truss roofs as long as. Look for water stains on the roof sheathing or damp or moldy spots on attic joists and existing insulation as a clue to where leaks might be.

The bigger issue comes around when you are dealing with a roof that has exposed trusses cathedral ceilings or specialty open ceilings. However if you have a cathedral style garage roof you will need a scaffolding to get into the upper areas of the roof. If the plastic sheeting is in pieces overlap the pieces. Place the plastic sheeting on top of the rolled insulation.