How I Insulated the Attic

So, this is the rock wool insulation that was in my attic when I bought the house. Every so often a hunk of it would fall off into the attic space below. I used duct tape to hold it up but finally it was time to remove it all and reinsulate.

This space is tall enough to walk in and I wanted to keep it a warm space for storage so I chose to insulate under the roof as opposed to insulating the floor and knee walls. I explained how I came to that decision in an earlier post.
I started off with 4x8 sheets of foiled backed polyisocyanurate- or Thermax or Tuff-R.

I hauled them home on the roof of the Passat.

I pulled them upstairs and got to work.

As I explained in an earlier post, I wanted a 1 inch air space between the roof and the insulation. There has been some debate as to whether or not that is needed but I decided to go with it. To create the airspace, I first used some 1/2 inch x 1 inch long boards nailed the full length of the rafters but that involved using a lot of wood and was going to add a lot to the cost. I decided I could use pieces of the insulation. So I cut that into lengths about an inch wide and used them to provide the spacing for the air gap.

I used adhesive to secure it to the rafters. This would prevent the insulation panels from making contact with the roof boards.

In retrospect, I should have applied the pieces to the whole length of the rafter. This would have sealed the area better. I had plenty of scraps of this stuff so there was no need to break it apart and space it like I did. My goal was to have no air infiltration from the ridge and soffit vents in to the attic space and using one long strip would have helped.

I measured between the rafters and cut each piece of polyisocyanate to fit. The rafters are approximately 3 1/2" wide. So there was one inch of air space and 2 pieces of polyisocyanate between the rafters.

It was very easy to cut and work with, lightweight but it was time consuming measuring and cutting each individual piece. I put the shiny aluminum side facing the roof rafters on the first layer but I was unsure about the second layer.

I decided to face the second layer out. I fitted each layer between the rafters. I filled any gaps with expanding foam insulation and then taped all the seams with foil tape.

It certainly made the space much brighter. I then used full sheets to add another layer of insulation on top of the rafters. I used screws and 1.5" plastic washers to hold the third layer up on to the slanted surface.

East side of the attic:

West side of the attic:

All the furniture and stuff from the sewing studio is packed in here as I work on painting and replacing the carpeting.

Lots of cutting and fitting was needed to work around the studs in the knee wall. Well, it is a lot taller than a knee wall.

And that is how I insulated my attic!

Unconventional hair care products

The attic insulating continues. "Great Stuff" sprayed above the attic doorway closes gaps but unfortunately drips before it cures.

Nothing would get that crap out of my hair but this... I was almost ready for the scissors.

I spent all day Saturday at an auction and picked up these vintage beauties among other things.

The fan is GE, I love the color. The quilt is hand pieced and hand quilted, full size "Grandmother's Flower Garden." I am currently piecing one of my own using vintage and retro fabrics but I just lost all motivation to continue working on it...

Another Great Mess

Well, this is what the upstairs looks like today. I cleared everything out of the west attic and pulled the rest of the rock wool insulation out. That was the last section that needed to be done. I used every last trash bag, empty dog food and mulch bags that I had in the house and there is still more insulation and trash to be bagged up.

There is no insulation on this side of the attic now. And the temperatures have dropped near or below freezing again. In truth, I don't feel it much because the old insulation wasn't insulating very well.


And in other news...
This was the weedy, lumpy section of my lawn last summer.

Last night after work, I covered it with landscape fabric in hopes of smothering all that is there in order to prepare the area for some new garden beds.


It was a cold, gray day today. I am glad to have all that insulation pulled out. It was the worst job ever. I still need to figure out how I am going to insulate the attic above the ceiling. There is no access as far as I can tell. I may have to cut a hole in the ceiling. I really don't want to do that. I also do not want to crawl up there. I may hire that job out.

De-Insulating

This is the worst job ever but I am 3/4ths of the way through. I am taking the old rock wool insulation out of my attic. There is never a good time to do this but it makes no sense to pull out the insulation in the wintertime and in the summertime it is unbearably hot up there. Hello, springtime!

The attic space is full of paper-backed insulation and cardboard covering the walls. It has got to go. I spoke with a contractor friend and he gave me some advice on insulating. The other option could have been spray foam insulation but... again, I've got more time than money. This link describes the process-
http://www.soundhome.com/qa/insulation-energy/insulating-2x4-rafters

Summarized it here:
Q: We are in the process of refinishing the upstairs of our 1920's Cape Cod style home. The rafters are 2x4s with no insulation of any type. There are no soffit vents either. I am considering using foam insulation boards between each rafter (leaving an 1 1/2" air gap) adding soffit vents and a ridge vent. Does this sound like a wise plan?

A: I think that you are on the right track. I would use 2" of polyisocyanurate foam board between the rafter and the 1" or more attached to the bottom of the rafters... The 1 1/2" continuous air gap is important. You should have soffit vents at the bottom and a continuous ridge vent at the top...

I already have the soffits in place but there was no airspace.
This is the view looking up, into the attic space above the ceiling. The absolute worst part of this job is removing this clump of loose insulation to allow the airflow. I use a stick to poke it loose and then get out of the way. Rinse and Repeat...

Here you can see someone cut through the rafter to allow passage of the vent stack. Wonder what is holding up the roof here?


I just did half of this side the attic yesterday. It was a huge, black, itchy, nasty mess.

It looks like the roof leaked at one time, those wet looking spots are dry. Here are the stacks of the old rock wool insulation.

And then it was all bagged up and ready to go out to the trash.

Inner Light

I have been working on insulating my attic for the past year. (My house is a 1 1/2 story cape cod) Of course there was some wiring to be done while access was available. That stalled the insulating progress. I am so ready to be done with this side of the house. Today found me rewiring the light above the sink. That light has been out for about 4 years when some the original knob and tube wiring was cut and I lost power to the fixture.

Today my plan was to run power from the center kitchen ceiling lamp to the light over the sink. I cut a hole in the cabinet (ignoring that famous advice of "don't cut old wood" but there was was no way around it that would be safe). I guess I could have screwed a pancake box on to the surface but went the other way. How do you like that bright orange paint inside the cupboards?

I cut the hole, inserted the box, snaked the wire through and then tried to figure out the connections. The main kitchen ceiling light is a three way. Power comes in at one of the switches at one side of the room and there is another switch at the other side of the room with a light in the middle. My thought was to join the above-the-sink light to that loop. The above-the-sink light will temporarily have a pull chain (as it did originally) until I do the big kitchen remodel and can get into the walls to install a switch.

I got the light installed and wired and then worked to make the connection to the ceiling light. Ground-to-ground, got it. White-to-white, OK. Now where do I connect the black? I want the ceiling light to continue to run by the switches, no changes there, and the above-the-sink light to operate by the pull chain. I have three choices for connection. Black-to black- nope, the above-the-sink light is on and off with the switches. Black-to-red, no- same thing. Then black to white- funniest one here- when I flip the switch the ceiling light goes off and the above-the-sink light goes on. Ceiling light goes on and the above-the-sink light goes off. Cracked me up!! Not what I want at all. Believe me, I have a healthy respect for electricity. I check my book of wiring diagrams, I can find nothing close. I call both brothers (master electricians) for advice, neither are home.

In the end, I settle for three way switches controlling both lights. It will have to do until I can get some advice from my brother.

Edit: Brother said it can't be done. Power comes in at the switch. I need to run a separate line that is not switched.