Attic Insulation Advice With Knee Walls

Filling the space behind the knee walls with insulation helps to lock in your home s thermal energy.

Attic insulation advice with knee walls.

It s usually easier and more effective to insulate the sloped ceiling rather than. Another alternative for knee walls conditions is to remove and reinstall the batt insulation to qii standards. As a comparison we can just barley see the horizontal 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.

As well the access door should be insulated and sealed appropriately. At the bottom points of the triangles the rafters meet the top plates of the exterior walls. Rather than leaving this space empty homeowners can fill it with insulation for additional thermal protection. If you plan to insulate a kneewall and the attic floor behind the kneewall.

Two ways to insulate attic kneewalls good. If you go back and view the illustration above you ll notice there s an enclosed area behind the knee wall. Proper air blocks air barriers for example covering the insulation on the attic side and between the attic floor joists below the knee wall should be present. Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation.

As shown in the graphic above the knee wall lets in air from your eaves into the attic space. If your attic space is framed with rafters and is unfinished it has a triangular shape. As i researched the possibility of insulating the attic space in my knee wall i learned that it was a major contributor to wasted energy. Knee walls are not found in all attics and they are not absolutely necessary.

Knee walls also provide pockets for additional insulation in the attic. Then cover that same area with an r 8 fsk affixing it using cap nails. Rake walls it s easier to handle than plywood or thermo ply and still gives you an r 19 r121 assembly depending on the original batt insulation installed. In this case the knee wall area becomes a cold space like traditional attic areas.

Not so on these knee walls. When the insulation is blown in on the attic floor all of the joists are covered and well insulated. In tight attics or odd shaped wall conditions i e. If only the living space will be insulated wrap the insulation around the room s walls and ceiling and then continue along the floor of the non living space.

It is very easy to see where the studs are on this knee wall. The blue lines representing insulation and hardboard on the graphic did not exist in my attic. For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices. But they are awfully good to have.

Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material. There are two basic ways to insulate a finished attic. Insulate the sloped ceiling.