Insulating Roof Trusses

Ibc dictates acceptable placement and composition of roofing materials in chapter 15 but describes required thermal efficiency of the roof in chapter 13 which references the international energy conservation code iecc the minimum required thermal resistance varies.

Insulating roof trusses.

Like ordinary roof trusses scissors trusses come with or without a raised heel sometimes called an energy heel. Senior engineer manager at icynene john broniek makes the case for the unvented attic assembly and why insulating the underside of the roof makes sense. With a regular roof insulation isn t a problem. If you have a flat garage roof and an attic above you can install the garage insulation from below using a standard ladder.

The bigger issue comes around when you are dealing with a roof that has exposed trusses cathedral ceilings or specialty open ceilings. If the plastic sheeting is in pieces overlap the pieces. Water is insulation s enemy. Look for water stains on the roof sheathing or damp or moldy spots on attic joists and existing insulation as a clue to where leaks might be.

Make sure it is flush against the wood as even a 1 inch gap can cause a 20 percent heating loss. It creates a breeding ground for mold and mildew and ruins the air trapping pockets that block heat flow. A variety of insulation materials can be used to insulate scissors truss roofs as long as. Then feed the rolled insulation under wires and pipe if either is present.

Place the plastic sheeting on top of the rolled insulation. In either case you will need to follow the general steps below to insulate your garage roof. The quest for greater energy efficiency in buildings has led to increasing interest and need for insulation improvements in hvac equipment more airtight construction new materials and assemblies. Roof insulation configurations for unvented rafter truss assemblies.

The relatively costly application for example can also save money by lowering your energy bills and enabling you to add your own insulation with a contractor s help. For rolled insulation place it between roof rafters. To insulate the underside of the ceiling between rafters you ll want to add insulation to the exterior portion of the finished ceiling. Images courtesy simpson gumpertz heger.