Attic Insulation Problems In Cold Climates

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Attic insulation problems in cold climates. Vents can be prone to snow and rain entry that can wet the insulation and cold air blowing through eave vents can degrade the thermal performance of attic insulation. This is why attics are ventilated with outside air. 1994 and to vent moisture that moves from the conditioned space to the attic rose 1992. If anything outside air passing through the attic tends to dry it out because that cold dry air sucks the excess moisture from the attic.

The first problem was that one inch of closed cell spray foam insulation wasn t enough to keep the temperature on the surface of the foam above the dew point due to the temperature or conditions the house was experiencing. The best approach for a vented attic in a cold climate is installing a layer of drywall with a good coat of latex paint the paint creates a semi permeable vapor barrier. Repeat until you ve covered the entire attic. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it.

The insulation fiberglass or cellulose is then placed on top of the drywall with no vapor barrier above or below. When done correctly attic venting can reduce the potential for condensation in winter and summer. During winter the primary cause of attic moisture issues stem from warm moist air infiltrating into the attic space from the inhabited areas and condensing on cold surfaces. In this case there were two problems.

The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. You can also run the fan longer at least 10 to 15 minutes after showering is a good baseline so the ice melts or doesn t freeze in the first place. Current building codes across the united states require attic ventilation. Attics aren t the only place cold weather causes problems.

Avoiding flash and batt condensation problems. In heating climates attic ventilation usually provides a measure of protection from excessive moisture accumulation in the roof sheathing but if indoor humidity is high and humid indoor air leaks into the. So what was the problem. That s a ton of insulation but you need it in these cold climates.

Heat rises and without sufficient insulation under your roof you will be loosing all that precious and expensive heat out of the top of the house. The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and locations in the home. Insulation level are specified by r value. So if that cold dry air enters your attic usually nothing happens.

The common solutions to this ice problem are to use a higher powered fan use a larger diameter shorter duct run and wrap the pipe with better duct insulation. In fact the attic is almost always warmer than the outside so it warms the air allowing it to hold more moisture. In the northern parts of the country zones 5 8 energystar recommends insulating your attic to somewhere between r49 60.