Insulating Attic Raftes

Place the plastic sheeting on top of the rolled insulation.

Insulating attic raftes.

Install ventilation baffles into the space between the rafters before you install the insulation usually by stapling into place. The will hold open an air gap of approximately 1 inch to allow airflow past a layer of insulation. Apply insulation between rafters when finishing an attic into a heated room or when building a cathedral ceiling in the home. If the plastic sheeting is in pieces overlap the pieces by 8 inches and staple it in place directly to the roof rafters and the wall.

Garages built without attics are also prime candidates for insulation. If you re considering turning your attic into conditioned storage or living space it s worth changing tactics to insulate between the rafters and wall joists instead of the floor. That s because it s easier for the contractor to spray than clean up existing insulation deal with any can lights or venting etc. If there is a floor you will need to remove it to properly insulate the roof rafters.

Consumers are often told by spray foam contractors to do the rafters. In unfinished attic spaces insulate between and over the floor joists to seal off living spaces below. If you re finishing your attic insulating it to the proper r value can cause a dramatic loss of headroom if you limit yourself to fiberglass batts. The ones i ve used are made of styrofoam and iirc they cost around 2.

Attic baffles also known as rafter vents go along the sides of your attic and keep your soffit vents from being blocked by insulation. You should only insulate your rafters if you have baffles installed to separate the actual rafters themselves from the insulation. You can buy air ducts that staple to the inside of your roof above the eave vents and fit between the rafters. You can use rigid foam panels or do as tom silva does with nearly all houses these days.

If you re using the attic for living space then you need to insulate the rafters. Insulation if your attic is going to be converted into livable space then you will need to insulate the roof rafters. To meet all three goals insulating your finished attic ventilating the roof and maximizing headroom use a combination of dense batt insulation rigid foam sheeting and air chutes. If the air distribution is in the attic space then consider insulating the rafters to move the distribution into the conditioned space.

Hire a pro to install spray foam insulation.