Old house insulation

showcrop · Dec 24, 2014

My house is old post and beam. Just before I bought it in 1989 it had been rehabbed, including blown in cellulose in the walls and six inches of fiberglass in the attic which I have subsequently doubled. My problem is the sloping ceiling between the horizontal attic floor and the vertical walls. The rough (as in hand hewn) rafters are on two foot centers. Some fifteen years ago I fitted, with some difficulty, a piece of two inch foam board insulation between two of the rafters, but it is far from a tight fit, more or less just sitting there. I would like to insulate all of these cavities, and have a fairly tight junction between them and the wall insulation below and the ceiling insulation above. have any of you builder guys ever done anything like this?

DaninKansas · Dec 24, 2014

If you want to do it yourself buy several cans of spray foam. Put it down around the outside edges of your foam board to seal it up and it will act as glue to hold it in place.

I don't know if you run into condensation issues though.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GREAT-STUFF-16-oz-Gaps-and-Cracks-Insulating-Foam-Sealant-162848/100003351

David G · Dec 24, 2014

Get it foamed, that will expand to fill the gaps.

showcrop · Dec 24, 2014

(quoted from post at 07:30:12 12/24/14) If you want to do it yourself buy several cans of spray foam. Put it down around the outside edges of your foam board to seal it up and it will act as glue to hold it in place.

I don't know if you run into condensation issues though.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GREAT-STUFF-16-oz-Gaps-and-Cracks-Insulating-Foam-Sealant-162848/100003351

I had thought of that, but the problem is that the cavities are about five feet long and I would be able to reach only about five inches at the top and at the bottom, if I cut a hole through the knee wall to get into the eaves space. Do they have long wands for them?

showcrop · Dec 24, 2014

(quoted from post at 07:53:49 12/24/14) Get it foamed, that will expand to fill the gaps.

I thought of that but how about ventilation space between roof and insulation? I would think that the foam would crush Proper Vents if they were put in.

VicS · Dec 24, 2014

A neighbor had his manufactured house
spray foamed. Hard foam. First
heating and air guy quit. Said house
would sweat. They sprayed the whole
upstairs solid. 2 yes and no
problems. The attic is heated now and
cooled. My son has a pole barn house
insulated same way. It is 3 yes old.

Wheatfarmer · Dec 24, 2014

I have not done it, but look into using basement insulation pads. You might be able to slide them in as far as you want. Might be a issue getting them into the attic.

FBH44 · Dec 24, 2014

Exposed foam might be an extreme fire and smoke hazard. Some exposed foam is installed in direct violation of the manufacturer's installation instructions.

Wyokid · Dec 24, 2014

go to teksupply, they've got quite a few foam insulation products and application tools for them

Old house insulation

showcrop

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DaninKansas

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David G

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showcrop

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showcrop

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VicS

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Wheatfarmer

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FBH44

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Wyokid

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