I have an insulation/air flow question for any roofer that can provide some assistance.
thanks
Barry
I’m not a roofer, but know way too much about construction for a white collar guy. Feel free to fire out Qs.
I’m not a roofer either, but I work in the roof decking industry. What’s the question.
Builder Here: I am sure I can answer your questions fire away.
thanks guys,
here’s what I have. A bonus room above a garage that was finished last year and is consistently 5-7 deg. colder in winter, hotter in the summer than the thermostat controlling that zone. It’s above the garage and has exposure on 3 sides. The wide side is the north, where there is an over hanging vented soffit. How bad would it be to restrict the air flow through that soffit to the rafters with insulation. Will this make things worse by restricting needed air circulation and make my wife really mad at me.
Unfortunately, the room is in between the 1st and 2nd floor and there is no way to get to the space above the ceiling to throw some more insulation in there. Only the square vent in the ceiling for the a/c. Any suggestions would be great and just in time for winter.
thanks in advance for any help,
Barry
Barry,
I think that there is an issue if block off the soffit vents-it will shorten the life expectancy of the roof and potentially compromise the sheathing.
It sounds like you can do blown in insulation. An insulation contractor will drill 5 inch holes in each of the stud or joist bays and fill the cavity with insulation usually an r-19 but you may be able to get at high as r-30. (the higher the r factor the better insulating properties).
The also should be insulation in the dead space behind the walls seperating the living space from the unconditioned attic space.
Lastly and maybe least painful but most expensive would be to put that room on its own zone for each of the heating and cooling cycles. Lots of different ways to do this. Sanyo split systems, new heater and ac units for that space only or zone dampers etc. If you want to go that route speak with an HVAC contractor in the area. If you are in NJ I can help.
Lot of luck
Kevin
Chances are you’ll void your shingle warranty because you’re cutting off the circulation to the shingles (I’m assuming you have shingles).
You may also run into a problem with ice dams, too.
http://www.kansascity-homeinspections.com/images/0007_prevention.jpg
Dont block up your soffit vent!!! Your attic will become an inferno and shorten the life of your roof (if you have asphalt shingles). Is your roof properly vented to get the hot attic air out? This is best accomplished with ridge vent, a 3" throat running the length of your roofs ridge is very efficient combined with adequate soffit (intake) ventilation.
The room in question is sandwiched between two floors with no access to ceiling. You can use a thicker and heavier pad and carpet in the upstairs to help insulate that floor. The middle room could have cheap windows that could be a major culprit with energy loss.
thanks, I had a feeling that there would be an issue with the shingle roof.
The room above the garage but there is nothing above the room. The window in there is new with the construction last year. I just wish I could get to the empty space above the ceiling in there to increase the R value somewhere. It just seems like we get lots of cool air coming from that open space between the ceiling and the roof especially throught the recessed lighting. The baffles of the lights don’t go all the way to the top where the lightbulb is, about 2" showrt and we get a draft from the 10 recessed lights in there.
Look like a bigger job than I’m ready for.
thank you
Barry
…to hijack this thread a bit…Can anyone tell me if a stove vent (through microwave) needs to be in a straight line or can have angles in it?
Super clyde is right about the blown in insulation, you should get an insulation contractor to come by and show him what you have. Don’t let him blow insulation in your attic all the way to the eave without using the little foam blocks that keep the insulation away from the soffit vent, (these are easy to install unless you have a very low pitched roof). Every penetration can/will cause energy loss, lights, windows, doors, etc.
The less bends the more efficient but I think you can have a maximum of 360 degrees of bend (4) 90’s etc.
k
thanks for the info…Is it better to use less than 90 degree bends?..I haven’t measured, but I’m thinking I could go with less than that…Any idea of how far from the roof it would need to be?
No that calc is the same 8 --45’s totaling 360.
the run to that attic or roof penetration will be based on the cfm calc of the fan.Your appliance manual or saleman and very often manufacturer website can help with this.
I assume that this is a ranch and the roof is immediatly adjacent to the kitchen. if not I do not think the fan will push that far. can you go out a back wall? much cleaner and easier.
you can buy a little hood and one way flapper at Home depot for about $8 that has a 1 ft section of duct on it to tie into the duct on the wall and the adapter plate of the microwave.
good luck pm with q’s
Kevin
Stove (vent) is currently on an island with duct work going straight out through the roof, (yes, a ranch). What we want to do,is move the stove to the wall and just use the existing vent in the roof and not add anymore holes to the house. The move will be about four to five feet.
my daddy told me “their is never a good day to do a roof”
So I am a trim carpenter.
Thom
I’ve never heard anyone describe a carpenter as “trim”. Roughneck, rowdy, redneck, heavy drinkin’, mean s.o.b, and so on, but never “trim”. It just sounds so dainty…and gay. “Trim”. Not that there is anything wrong with that!
Now, back in the day I used to go out lookin’ for some “trim”, but I don’t think that is what you had in mind…