Attic connection with porch roof
jmcnamara
| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on
This email touches on a few topics covered often on the podcast and in the magazine.
After having an independent energy-audit done, I undertook some of the easier recommended improvements. And in May we’re having the following work done: 1. the old insulation/debris removed, 2. the K&T rewired, & 3. air-sealing (blower-door directed) & then 4. the blown-in cellulose.
(There’ll be 14-day window between the attic clean-out day & the new insulation. During that interval, the attic’s remaining K&T gets disconnected & removed.)
The plan had seemed straight-forward. I picked this company due to its emphasis on building science’s best practices, but now I realize I’ve still got questions & concerns:
First : the insulation project manager believes the soffit vents may be non-functioning i.e. not connected into the attic, just “for show”. He said that he sees it all the time. His proposal is to install 2 intake vents lower down on the back south-facing side of the roof to provide source air if the soffits are, in fact, non-functional (the ridge vent is functional & there are opposing gable vents too.)
And second: there are 2 voids or channels running down on a diagonal from the attic (on the east & west sides; east = left side in the attached image) around a ‘squeeze closet’* then into the porch ceiling. Those closets & walls get mighty cold in winter. The insulator’s plan is to blow cellulose down the void/channel enough to cover the top of the closets. I wonder how effective this will be. I’m thinking that I should open the porch ceiling & attack it from below with foam board (cut-n-cobble) and a caulk gun.
[*Squeeze closets are 14″ deep & extend apprx 3′ to one side & 1′ to the other.]
[*Squeeze closets are 14″ deep & extend apprx 3′ to one side & 1′ to the other.]
[Note: In the image provided:
the yellow represents the floor of the attic & the connection from attic down under the roof and then into the porch ceiling;
the pink area is where an insulation sandwich of XPS & fiberglass batts was installed between the porch ceiling and the floor of the master bedroom (no subfloor); the pink question mark is the zone I worry isn’t well insulated;
and the green box is one of the two squeeze closets on either side of the bedroom.]
I would appreciate any thoughts. Am I over-thinking things here?
