Cellulose insulation

Has anyone used cellulose batts or sprayed-on loose cellulose insulation? I’m gutting a house that was in rough shape so the walls are all open. Contractor wants to use spray foam which is toxic, so looking for a contractor or source for more ecological and healthier alternatives.

annissa12

in General Discussion 1 year and 4 months ago

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colonialrevival | 1 year and 4 months ago

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Spray foam doesn’t do well with expansion/shrinkage during hot/cold cycles. Rockwool batts are good

annissa12 | 1 year and 4 months ago

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thanks very much everyone–very helpful.

workisfun | 1 year and 4 months ago

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Check out:
https://federalconservation.com/insulsafe/

We got it in our walls about 6 yrs ago. Seems to work very well. We needed something green, non-toxic, and water-resistant/proof.

justinromeu26 | 1 year and 4 months ago

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Traditionally we do not insulate under the roof deck because there will be condensation issues between the deck and the insulation where it sits against the cold wood. So the contractor is correct. Bob marvin is correct in that we insulate the floor of cocklofts and attics to keep the heated parts of the house warm.

Under “roof”deck and “floor” of attic or cockloft are two different things often seprated by up to 24″ or more of space in these attached houses. In a suburban home, you can stand and walk in these spaces. Attic or cock loft is always cold in these instances with floor of attic of cock loft insulated (over ceiling below).

Now this: i am seeing battens of insulation under roof decks on high end houses as i do home inspections and i had to inquire as to what is going on here because it goes againt traditional thinking. In the high end houses they are conditioning the air in the attics as these entire houses are seeled to modern standards and climate (and more importanly humidity) controlled throughout. So it seems it can be done.

In tra dit ional construction, if we wanted to have an insulated ceiling over a finished top floor room with insulation against the inside of the roof deck, we put a moisture or vapor barrier in before rocking it up.

In so far as what augustiner is saying, with flat roofs insulate over the deck and under the membrane. When you do this, you must learn how to inspect your parapet walls and roof membrane at least twice a year (in commercial, every 30 days). If you have an insulated roof you must catch leaks before they occur or water will ruin the insulation and get trapped and add weight to the roof. I currently provide roof, chimney and parapet wall inspections with written report but more importanly i coach homeowners so they can inspect their own roofs and never have to call me again. Do not trust roofers to inspect your masonry around the roof; they want to sell you a roof, not masonry repairs.

What happen with op and the contractor was his communication. the contractor failed to anticipate that a homeowner might not understand the difference between the top of an attic space (under roof) and bottom (over ceiling) and that it is his job to explain all of this to a customer and why we can insulate some nearby areas of a house and not others. Op, if you like that person, give him the benefit of the doubt and continue the conversation with what i explained above. If he states that you cannot insulate over the heated space ceiling, get a new contractor.

Steve
Brownstonehomeinspection.com

Augustiner | 1 year and 4 months ago

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I am not a fan of spray foam insulation, but there is one benefit: no need to be knowledgeable, just blast it on and be done with it. It fills all the gaps and cracks. Air infiltration is the number one reason for heat loss.

Augustiner | 1 year and 4 months ago

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If everything is open you can simply use Rockwool batts between the joists. Make sure to close all the gaps in front and back where the roof meets the walls. Don’t trust your contractor, have a look yourself.

If you are also redoing the roof consider an exterior layer of insulation such as Rockwool Toprock DD in addition to to interior insulation. I have 2 inch polyiso on the roof, but don’t feel comfortable with it any more as it is combustible material.
Keep the envelope closed and sealed,

annissa12 | 1 year and 4 months ago

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Interesting. Contractor also said I can’t use cellulose under the roof because “it’s impossible to vent.”

RobertGMarvin

in General Discussion 1 year and 4 months ago

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I had cellulose blown into my cockloft >45 years ago. They installed two mushroom vents in the roof to vent condensation. It significantly lowered my heating bills.