Attic w/Furnace - Insulation
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Attic w/Furnace - Insulation
I have a question regarding my house in Michigan.
It is a craftsman style 2 story/ 2-family house, around 100 years old. The 2nd floor/unit has an 80% furnace in the attic for heating.
The attic is not vented or sealed and has about 3 inches of insulation on the floor. I would like to add more insulation in the attic to reduce heating costs and prevent the very large icicles i have in the winter. I'm not sure exactly how about I should go about doing it and it seems people have different opinions.
Should I add insulation on the floor or the ceiling? And should I seal the attic or add ventilation?
Thanks! Help is much appreciated.
It is a craftsman style 2 story/ 2-family house, around 100 years old. The 2nd floor/unit has an 80% furnace in the attic for heating.
The attic is not vented or sealed and has about 3 inches of insulation on the floor. I would like to add more insulation in the attic to reduce heating costs and prevent the very large icicles i have in the winter. I'm not sure exactly how about I should go about doing it and it seems people have different opinions.
Should I add insulation on the floor or the ceiling? And should I seal the attic or add ventilation?
Thanks! Help is much appreciated.
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lake Wales, FL
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Keeping heat and water vapor in the home, keeping it out of the attic.
You want to keep your home warm, then adding the
right insulation on to the top of the ceiling is
the second best way (and most popular).
The most effective way to insulate, is to fix
sheets of polystyrene across the ceilings just
below the joists and to cover these with
drywall.
Adding insulation between the joists is second
best because the heat from the room slips past
the insulation, moving through the joists, wood
is not a good insulation and as there is a lot
of it in a typical ceiling lots of heat escapes
this way.
The icicles are the result of water vapor that
is produced in the home by cooking and washing,
finding its way into the attic. The molecules of
water vapor are so small that they can slip
through most things including your ceilings and
joists.
There are three ways to stop water vapor
entering the attic, paint the ceilings with
gloss paint, seal the ceilings by fixing a water
vapor proof plastic sheet across the bottom of
the joists, or fix sheets of polystyrene below
the joists, these act to insulate and to stop
the water vapor entering the attic.
Unless you are going to live in the attic, there
is no point is spending lots of money insulating
the roof.
Likewise, once you have stopped the heat from
your home and the water vapor from entering the
attic there is no need to ventilate.
right insulation on to the top of the ceiling is
the second best way (and most popular).
The most effective way to insulate, is to fix
sheets of polystyrene across the ceilings just
below the joists and to cover these with
drywall.
Adding insulation between the joists is second
best because the heat from the room slips past
the insulation, moving through the joists, wood
is not a good insulation and as there is a lot
of it in a typical ceiling lots of heat escapes
this way.
The icicles are the result of water vapor that
is produced in the home by cooking and washing,
finding its way into the attic. The molecules of
water vapor are so small that they can slip
through most things including your ceilings and
joists.
There are three ways to stop water vapor
entering the attic, paint the ceilings with
gloss paint, seal the ceilings by fixing a water
vapor proof plastic sheet across the bottom of
the joists, or fix sheets of polystyrene below
the joists, these act to insulate and to stop
the water vapor entering the attic.
Unless you are going to live in the attic, there
is no point is spending lots of money insulating
the roof.
Likewise, once you have stopped the heat from
your home and the water vapor from entering the
attic there is no need to ventilate.