The hottest trend is construction is converting an attic space into a living space. Unfortunately the term “hot” usually describes the room once it is complete. One of the common challenges is to get a decent amount of insulation between the sheetrock and the roof deck. Typically roof rafters are 2”x6” and allow only about an R-19 level of batt fiberglass insulation. With only R-19 insulation it can be difficult to keep the new room comfortable when the roof is a dark color and can easily exceed 170 degrees.
Adding more insulation space between the roof deck and the sheetrock can be expensive, labor intensive and will reduce the ceiling height in the new room.
One option is to ventilate the roof deck and install a radiant barrier BEFORE you install insulation and sheetrock. This method helps keep the heat absorbed by the roof AWAY from the insulation by creating a THERMAL BREAK to reduce heat flow by conduction. This method also forces the energy absorbed by the roof to be converted into radiant energy. Radiant energy then can easily be reflected away with a radiant barrier.
Think of this method as a ONE-TWO Punch against heat gain. The radiant barrier is the 1st line of defense against radiant heat gain and regular type “R-Value” insulation is the 2nd layer of defense. This video shows a fast and effective way to install a radiant barrier into your roof assembly to maximize comfort and efficiency for your new attic room.
Looking for more videos on this topic? Check out my posts below.
Tags: cathedral ceiling, heat gain, r-value, radiant barrier, radiant energy, thermal break, vaulted ceiling
