Spray Foam Insulation and Cape style home


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Old 06-23-18, 06:41 PM
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Spray Foam Insulation and Cape style home

I have a Cape Cod style home built in 1968 and since I have lived in the home my biggest issue with the house is the upstairs temperatures in the summer. Even with central air running the upstairs can get up to 80-85 degrees and in the winter it can get really cold.

My house has a large downstairs where the master bedroom is and also another bedroom where my daughter's room is. My wife and I are expecting another child due in December so we've decided that we are going to move our first born upstairs but we want to make the room as comfortable as possible for her especially in the summer. We are nervous about putting her up there and it being uncomfortable

The upstairs has 2 bedrooms and a bathroom and I have decided that I am going to completely gut both bedrooms down to the studs and re-insulate but I will do 1 bedroom at a time. The rooms need a makeover anyway so it is the perfect time to do it. This past winter, i gutted the bathroom re-insulated and is brand new so all that is left are the 2 bedrooms roughly 12x15ft in size each with 4ft kneewalls and the rest sloped ceiling.

My question is, if I gut the rooms down to the studs and have someone come in and spray foam the complete sloped ceilings, knee walls and room ceilings as well as Air seal the rafters will it make a difference? Will the upstairs still get abnormally hot in the summer still?

I have gable fans in the attic and I will be installing gable vents inside the kneewalls as well.

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.
 
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Old 06-23-18, 06:57 PM
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Well insulation helps keep heat in just as much as it keeps it out... so just adding insulation is not going to automatically make it much cooler up there. You usually need a separate unit and separate thermostat if you want to cool things down. upstairs. That PLUS the insulation will help. Insulation alone? Won't help that much.
 
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Old 06-23-18, 07:00 PM
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I already have central air up there but it cranks all day to try and keep it cool. I have it set to 70 upstairs but it can never keep up. Winter is easier but once the heat is turned off the heat dissipates quickly so there is definitely something wrong with the insulation in general.
 
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Old 06-23-18, 07:03 PM
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That and people finish rooms that were not really originally meant to be kept 70F year round. For example, if part of the ceiling above your knee walls and below your ceiling is just a 2x4 rafter.... can't really insulate that to R-49.
 
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Old 06-24-18, 02:12 AM
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I am going to completely gut both bedrooms down to the studs and re-insulate
So as noted it;s a two part solution, having a properly insulated living area and adequate HVAC.

So what is the current situation with insulation, just replacing with same wont make much improvement!
 
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Old 06-24-18, 07:08 AM
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Test the temperature of the air coming out of the vents upstairs. Maybe there is something wrong with the unit. Do you keep the bedroom door closed or does all the cold air go right down the stairs?
 
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Old 07-14-18, 10:02 AM
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I feel that 75 might be more reasonable. You still can't go wrong with insulating.
 
 

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