Insulating Sloped Roof Ceiling

Sloped or cathedral ceilings are often found in great rooms.

Insulating sloped roof ceiling. Water is insulation s enemy. Installing insulation on the sloped roof assembly roof insulation unless in air conditioned attics insulation is typically installed on the ceiling plane not on the sloped roof assembly. It creates a breeding ground for mold and mildew and ruins the air trapping pockets that block heat flow. In this energy smart homes article senior editor martin holladay explains how to insulate a vented low slope shed roof using a combination of intake vents and cupolas.

There are lots of ways to insulate a low slope roof and most of them are wrong. Although the cost of insulating a sloping roof is fairly high you are probably looking at several thousand pounds for a whole house with this type of roof the savings will be great. Look for water stains on the roof sheathing or damp or moldy spots on attic joists and existing insulation as a clue to where leaks might be. Unvented roof assemblies should be insulated either with air impermeable insulation rigid foam or spray polyurethane foam or with a combination of foam and air permeable insulation.

It s more effective and easier to install insulation on the attic floor than in the roof assembly. A cathedral ceiling is a sloping and pointed ceiling which is usually high and open. Box out light fixtures. According to green building advisor the best way to insulate the ceiling depends on whether you have a ventilated or unvented roof assembly.

Find out why a ridge vent and a soffit vent are important to proper ventilation when insulating a sloped or cathedral ceiling. If you don t want to use sips or nailbase read this article tolearn the four basic approaches to insulating unvented roof assemblies. It provides an open airy look and feel to the room and they are often in demand among home buyers. Learn the proper way to insulate a cathedral or sloped ceiling.

The ceiling is vaulted at an angle and there s no attic space above the ceiling. Updated on april 8 2016. In older buildings the usual method is to install fiberglass batts or cellulose on top of the leaky ceiling with a gap of a few inches or sometimes a few feet between the top of the insulation and the roof sheathing. Best insulation for sloped ceilings.

However this leaves a lot of uninsulated sloping ceilings with little room around 5 inches between the plasterboard and the roof tiles. Cathedral ceilings are a feature in many homes that add to value to the house because the high ceiling tends to make rooms look larger.