Insulating Cape Cod Attic Without Soffit

Two ways to insulate attic knee walls article doesn t mention what to do with the sides of the triangular area e g.

Insulating cape cod attic without soffit.

Instead of adding only 3 4 inch of rigid foam add 2 inches. In an attic without soffit vents you can add insulation in the corners and the wedges between the slope of the roof and the floor of the attic which serves as the ceiling for the room below. One method mentions what to do with the sloped roof and the other method mentions what to do with the floor and knee wall. The ideal solution especially if the rafters are not deep enough to allow for code minimum cavity insulation is to add rigid foam above the roof deck.

I suggest you use polyisocyanurate instead of blue styrofoam xps since polyiso is more environmentally benign. See insulating a cape cod house. Worries about the hot roof un vented cathedral ceiling designs how to. An attic s intake vents are most commonly installed directly in the soffit either as individual vents spaced every few feet or as one continuous perforated soffit running the entire length of.

Because it s hard to insulate these areas many capes leak heat at the eaves a recipe for ice dams. This is not very easy in most of the older houses we work on because the hatches and attics are too small to get rigid foam board through. Authoritative expert building diagnostic and repair advice toxic black mold and. How to avoid condensation leaks attic mold insulation mold structural damage to roof framing when roof venting is not possible cathedral roof and knee wall insulation venting air path options in older homes hot roof designs.

One of the best methods is rigid foam board with sealed joints over insulation in the knee wall. Plenty of homes have soffits without soffit vents. Since you are asking how to insulate your house here s my advice. Roof eave venting on roofs with no overhang or soffit how to correct improper or inadequate attic or under roof ventilation in buildings detecting and correcting attic condensation and preventing ice dam leaks in buildings how to correct improper or inadequate attic or under roof ventilation in buildings.