Easiest Way To Insulate Cathedral Ceiling

Nail 1 furring along every rafter side against the roof deck.

Easiest way to insulate cathedral ceiling.

A cathedral ceiling is often difficult to insulate as they leave very little room for ventilation which is needed to keep the insulation dry. Icynene spray foam insulation and cathedral ceilings are the ideal combination. Beadboard panels are an efficient economical way to get that popular tongue and groove porchy look to cover up an unattractive ceiling. In a correctly insulated cathedral ceiling using the tight fill moisture elimination method the high density of cellulose reduces moisture penetration to the point that no vapor retarder barrier is needed.

Insulating an unvented cathedral ceiling. As mentioned earlier cellulose has a natural density that is usually two to four times that of fiberglass. One of the best options would be spray foam insulation here s why. Although the gba website already contains many articles on the topic we continue to receive frequent questions about the best way to insulate a cathedral ceiling.

Compare wood and vinyl options and choose the one that best suits your budget and diy aspirations. It s therefore time to pull together as much information on the topic as possible and publish it in one place to clarify the building science issues and code requirements. Cut and insert 1 or thicker high r foam insulation sheets r 8 per inch against the furring giving a 1 or greater air path between the insulation and the roof deck under the cathedral ceiling. The reason spray foam like icynene makes the most sense for your home s cathedral ceilings is that spray foam is able to expand up to 100 times its original size within second of application.

One of our favorite ideas for this material is covering popcorn ceiling with beadboard. Attach the baffles to the interior of the joists using a staple hammer and cover the wall plate area completely. Seal the insulation or the ceiling surface below against air leakage. Use closed cell spray foam closed cell foam board extruded polystyrene such as dow styrofoam or foil faced iso board.

The foam can then expand into tiny cracks and holes that traditional insulation might not fit into thereby effectively air sealing your cathedral ceiling. Here are four mistakes to look out for and avoid at all costs if you decide to diy your cathedral ceiling insulation.