Insulating A Workshop Roof

The airflow from the soffits to the ridge vent keeps the roof cool and prevents ice dams and the material will block that flow.

Insulating a workshop roof.

Batts are easier to install than rolls because there s less cuts to make but they re more prone to air leaks since it relies on the installer to get a good fit. Whether you need to insulate your roof rafters will depend on what you intend to do in the space directly beneath the rafters. Once the garage insulation is installed it s important to take a quick inspection of the area. Opening vents in the soffit would allow air to flow from the low edge of the roof up along each channel between the rafters and up to your ridge vent.

Cold roof a very bad idea. However if you have a cathedral style garage roof you will need a scaffolding to get into the upper areas of the roof. Since there is a lot of dangerous chemicals around this space and since cars give off a lot of exhaust and dangerous carbon monoxide you ll want to be sure everything is sealed off. Made primarily from recycled newspapers and treated with a fire retardant cellulose is usually blown into wall and ceiling cavities with a special blowing machine that also aerates the cellulose and fluffs it up.

Covering up the soffit vents with loose fill or batts which can happen if you stuff insulation along the eaves is a huge no no. In either case you will need to follow the general steps below to insulate your garage roof. For the same reason insulation shouldn t touch the roof s underside. Cold roof systems are highly inadvisable as insulation from the inside will inevitably lead to the formation of condensation.

Cellulose is a loose fill insulation that is growing in popularity. Caulk around the bottom of the drywall and seal it to the floor. Depending on where you live and the part of your home you re insulating walls crawlspace attic etc you ll need a different r value. If you have a flat garage roof and an attic above you can install the garage insulation from below using a standard ladder.

This allows you to put insulation on the bottom side of the rafters but allows outside temperature air to circulate under the roof continued michael karas feb 20 16 at 23 18. In this case the strips are sixteen inches wide x four feet long. This is then covered with a further weatherproofing layer. Typical recommendations for exterior walls are r 13 to r 23 while r 30 r 38 and r 49 are common for ceilings and attic spaces.

Batt insulation is similar to a roll of insulation except they re cut in strips instead of one continuous length. To install the insulation overhead you need to staple the pieces to the roof trusses. For example if the space beneath the rafters is going to be used for a living area then you will need to insulate the roof rafters.