Insulation

They installed the insulation today.

They put R-15 in the walls and R-38 in the ceiling.

What does R mean?

“R” Means Resistance to Heat Flow

The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power.  The attic has thicker insulation because more heat is lost through the ceiling than the walls.

They put the insulation everywhere that was getting covered by the drywall.

They insulated under the platform that they put the heat pump on. It got R-38.

They insulated all around the tub and shower.

They had insulation on both sides of the garage wall.

Attic or Rafter Vents or Baffles

They were putting in these glorified pizza boxes. I Googled to see what they are.

They are called Attic or Rafter Vents or Baffles.

Attic ventilation is a critical part of creating an energy efficient building. We provide various, simple to install products.

Attic or Rafter Vents or Baffles provide the following benefits:

• They do not absorb water
• They create a drier attic space
• They prevent ice-dam formation
• They contribute to prolonging shingle life
• They assist insulation efficiencies
• They keep your attic space cooler in the hot summer months.

www.insulationmachines.net/product-category/attic-rafter-vents/

Some of them are made out of foam or plastic. Ours are cardboard-based. They are required by the Residential Building Code.

The Residential Building Code requires ventilation of enclosed attic and rafter spaces.  Energy requirements also mandate the use of attic insulation, which if installed improperly may either block or limit air circulation.  The code directly addresses this situation by requiring one inch of air clearance between the insulation, roof sheathing, and at the location of the vents.

One inch of air space clearance can be difficult to achieve and maintain with blown in types of insulation, so the energy section of the code requires the use of eave baffles at soffit vents. The baffles must maintain an opening size equal to or greater than the size of the vent and extend over the top of the insulation.

I typically find the baffles are made up of a corrugated cardboard material similar to a common box, but the code allows for the use of any solid material.

www.inspect2code.com/residential-code-requirement-for-insulation-baffle/

Code requires 1 cubic foot of ventilation for every 300 sq ft of attic space.

These seem to be the exact ones.

Cardboard Baffles

Baffles are used for ventilation to channel cold and hot air to roof vents and to keep insulation from blocking the soffit area.

Cardboard Baffles function much like the extruded foam baffles. They are made from corrugated stock that has been slotted and scored so that they can be easily folded and stapled to prevent insulation from spilling into the soffit area.

An economical 24 inch OC cardboard vent that is easily installed. The baffle is incorporated into the vent providing a wind barrier to the exterior and an interior block for blowing in attic insulation. Flexible material for installing on all joist sizes. Vent incorporates a 6 inches baffle that provides a cavity block. Stores flat and is easy to transport and handle.

They come in different sizes and cost $1.25 or so each, sold by packs of 50 or 1,000 for $1,274.00.

This guy shows the same kind of baffles. He explains how the baffles work. The baffles are used where the attic vents are at the edges. The baffle is to keep insulation from blocking the vent holes and to make sure that any wind that might come in doesn’t blow the insulation away from the edge.

 “… Bring the air up above the baffle so that your attic is getting ventilation through this baffle without blowing all your insulation away from the edge of the house.

“We want the insulation to stay there but we still want air to be able to move through the attic, so we install these baffles.”

Now they are ready to hang the drywall.