Venting of a cockloft

Hi Everyone, We own a three story, three family 1931 wood frame with non structural brick side walls in between wood framing. The top floor had a cockloft between the ceiling and the roof. In our demo process we removed the ceiling to get an additional ceiling height and are now looking at the roof rafters, about 16′ height in front sloping down to about 12′ height in back. We would like to preserve this height and just sheetrock in a new ceiling but have been receiving conflicting opinions concerning insulation and condensation (venting) and usage of a vapor barrier (tyvek?). It’s worth noting that the ceiling has been open (cockloft removed) for two winters and the building seems to hold heat astonishingly well. Even so, I’m assuming that insulation would be the way to go but what type and what is the deal with condensation. If we insulation with standard fiberglass and then sheetrock over that, will condensation develop? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks

blueplastic

in About Brooklyn 9 years and 7 months ago

4

Please log in, in order to post replies!

4 replies

Newest Oldest

thetinkerswagon | 9 years and 7 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5078 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5035 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(5) "21531"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(15) "thetinkerswagon"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$B9fa6hkzhGwaxF0yusnHu3jP27xv4Y0"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(15) "thetinkerswagon"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(27) "service@thetinkerswagon.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(30) "http://www.thetinkerswagon.com"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:05:31"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(15) "thetinkerswagon"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(21531)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Hey work is fun, thank you for that link. I read it. that was one of those things that I always did because we were told it had to be done and told it had something to do with condensation, but never really knew why. that kind of work, drywall, is not something I would mull over at night. Steve

livingthedreamingreenpoint | 9 years and 7 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5077 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5076 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "177201"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(26) "livingthedreamingreenpoint"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BUXMsxodtroCZ0nnAtM0kH7/3g1ciF1"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(26) "livingthedreamingreenpoint"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(19) "jodie@lusternyc.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(68) "http://bstoner.wpengine.com/forums/users/livingthedreamingreenpoint/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:26:01"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(26) "livingthedreamingreenpoint"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(177201)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

We have a similar situation and opted for exposing without insulating. However we did new plaster walls, as opposed to drywall, and our plaster worker said it wouldn’t be necessary because the plaster does a better job of insulating. Our top floor is very warm anyway, and with the new plaster and new windows it’s been good so far. I guess we will see in February!

workisfun | 9 years and 7 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5073 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5079 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "184143"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(9) "workisfun"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(63) "$wp$2y$10$hnv.j/crhn7RG.nsGO1eX.Q65deVjX8hSzKwgFlJuR8WiCptOt2gW"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(9) "workisfun"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(21) "joshsimilar@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 13:28:04"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(9) "workisfun"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(184143)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/when-sunshine-drives-moisture-walls

thetinkerswagon | 9 years and 7 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5078 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5080 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(5) "21531"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(15) "thetinkerswagon"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$B9fa6hkzhGwaxF0yusnHu3jP27xv4Y0"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(15) "thetinkerswagon"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(27) "service@thetinkerswagon.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(30) "http://www.thetinkerswagon.com"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:05:31"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(15) "thetinkerswagon"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(21531)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

any time we had rocked onto roof joists, we put a plastic vapor barrier. that is after the insulation. i am not fully sure of why, but that is something we did because that is what we were told to do. Steve