Insulating Gable Wall In Condition Attic

Usually the only time you would insulate a gable end is when the other side of it is a heated living space in your home.

Insulating gable wall in condition attic.

As you correctly guessed you need to have a durable air barrier on both sides of any wall insulated with fiberglass batts. We reduced the air leakage nearly 50 on this house in shaker heights without insulating the walls. 2d extend insulation into joist space to reduce air flows. In theory if you install a small exhaust fan in the gable wall of an unvented attic along with a passive duct or grille that allows conditioned air from the floor below to enter the attic as makeup air the humid air in the attic will be exhausted and will be replaced with less humid air from the home.

Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material. The simple answer is yes. In finished attic rooms with or without dormer insulate 2a between the studs of knee walls 2b between the studs and rafters of exterior walls and roof 2c and ceilings with cold spaces above. Therefore it makes sense to utilize a radiant barrier in this area to block radiant heat gain.

A wide variety of materials can be used including rigid foam with taped seams drywall with taped seams osb with taped seams or carefully installed housewrap. Added bonus the floor of this knee wall leaked too so there is a line of foam just above the floor joist. Because when the radiant rays from the sun hit that wall it absorbs that radiation and re radiates it across the attic just like the slopes of the roof do. In homes where access to the attic isn t desirable or possible the best place for overhead insulation is between the ceiling joists.

Once you ve decided which type is best for you examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product. For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices. We prefer cellulose but we use fiberglass sometimes too. An exception to the rule would be if you are installing a foil radiant barrier system.

When insulating a attic there is usually no need to insulate the gable ends so long as the attic floor has been insulated. Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation. If the gable wall is catching direct sunlight then you want to cover it with radiant barrier. Adequate insulation reduces utility costs and conserves energy.