Insulating an attic is recommended if an overall current degree of insulation is less than the depths shown as follows by a current insulation kind
- Fiberglass batts not crossbatt: 10″ or less
- Blown fiberglass high density: 10″ or less
- Cellulose: 10″ or less
- A mix of cellulose and fiberglass: 10″ or less
- Fiberglass batts with cross batt: 12″ or less
- Blown fiberglass low density: 15″ or less
The Energy Specialist should measure the average current depth of all insulation in the space without relegating the material and make use of the most major type to start a base R-value from, referencing Program Insulation Depth Scoping Charts. The Energy Specialist needs to base the existing R-value on the most generally recurring low spot through the given attic space. If required, the attic should be split into numerous sections to more precisely recommend insulation specifications. The Energy Specialist should gauge the area of every component and determine the framing cavities’ depth. Section 2.9 gives more information about calculating the areas.
If the attics are inaccessible, consider that insulation types and depths are like those of attics that you can access.
Following are some eligible attic recommendations:
Open Attic Flat and Kneewall Flat:
Suggest blown cellulose for open attic spaces, including underlying the knee wall, as required to reach the last insulation level of R-49.
Attic Slope:
Recommend dense-pack cellulose here if no insulation is there in the attic slope. Recommend dense-pack cellulose to fill the whole cavity if the cavity has insufficient preexisting insulation, and there are at minimum 3 inches of free space and the cellulose can be used at the cold side of the assembly.
Floored Attic and Floored Kneewall Floor:
The floored cavity might be densely packed with insulation if 3 inches of free space is there. The dense-pack cellulose will wad any previous insulation. If you find that are no air leakage penetrations underneath the floored area then dense packing is not needed and should not be recommended because of its higher cost; a usual drill & blow application can be specified.
Attic Knee wall:
Recommend insulating the attic knee wall along with sufficiently insulating the knee wall floor if there is no heating or hot water pipe in the knee wall area and the attic knee wall is efficiently sealed off from the living space.
- Fiberglass Insulation – If the knee wall studs are spaced properly, fiberglass insulation shall be suggested. Installation of rigid board insulation besides fiberglass might also be recommended.
- Cellulose – If the knee wall studs are randomly spaced and open, commend reinforced mesh or rigid board insulation and cellulose.
- Transition Treatment- Determine the site of the transition area to be treated. Mark the precise area to be treated on the plan view diagram. Measure the linear feet to know the work specification.
- Enclosed Knee Wall Floor Treatment- If the knee wall floor is floored with a minimum of 3 inches of space and transitions are to be treated, then the recommendation should be enclosed blow.
- Dense pack Cellulose – If the attic knee wall floor is already surrounded, and has a minimum of 3 inches of empty cavity space with 60% of the area having top plates.
Attic Knee wall Slope:
Recommend it only if the knee wall and knee wall floor cannot be insulated, or if knee wall slope insulation already exists, or other current conditions like mechanical systems and/or distribution systems exist that allow bringing the knee wall within the thermal envelope.
Fiberglass Insulation – If the knee wall rafters are spaced suitably, fiberglass insulation can be recommended. Installation of rigid board insulation besides fiberglass should also be suggested if accessibility permits. If rigid board insulation is not installed an FSK ignition barrier must be.
31. Densepack Cellulose
If the attic knee wall slope is already surrounded and has 03 inches of free space present, suggest dense-pack cellulose so long as current insulation will not make air pockets on the cold side of the assembly. If the space is not surrounded, reinforced mesh or rigid board insulation would e required to be specified to hold the cellulose in place. If rigid board insulation is not installed an FSK ignition barrier must be.
Pipe Tenting:
When there are water pipes in an area to be brought outside the thermal envelope as included in the work scope, it is significant to amply protect those pipes from icing by including pipe tenting into the scope of work. When stipulating measure the liner length of pipe requiring tenting and times that by 3 to come up with the 11 right specs.
Insulate Attic Hatch or Door:
Recommend rigid board insulation for the back of all attic hatches and doors along the thermal boundary.
Insulate Attic Pull-Down Stairs:
Recommend the installation of an insulated attic-side cover with a fastener for all attic pull-down stairs.
Attic Tent:
Recommend the installation of an insulated Attic-Tent with a fastener for all attic pulldown stairs that do not allow installation of the standard program approved attic stair cover due to limited space.
Extra Attic Accesses:
Recommend making additional attic accesses if no current way of entering the attic area is there. Inform customer of the degree of finished work delivered with these accesses, per the M&I standards.