Can a home have Grade 1 insulation quality and ceiling strapping?
user-5142394
| Posted in Energy Efficiency and Durability on
Strapping with fiberglass batts seems to be what is used on most/many new New England construction. You could achieve closer to grade 1 insulation with a blown in product but even that will most likely have some voids/gaps. How do you grade this common practice? Some areas near Maryland go to another extreme with sprinkler piping. The code officials are making the batts go above the water pipes creating hugs gaps. Can this be grade 1?
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Replies
Loose blown insulation would solve the situation shown. The first pic is pretty good, the second is an F-.
Mark,
Energy-conscious builders know that ceiling strapping can provide channels for convection currents. Ceiling strapping only works if the building envelope is very carefully air sealed -- and even then it is problematic, because many above-code programs require the air barrier to be in direct contact with the insulation layer.
There are solutions -- use blown-in insulation, or convince the drywall crew that they can learn to hit 1 1/2-inch-wide framing members with their screw guns, and do without the strapping.
The sprinkler problem is a whole 'nuther kettle of fish. Abe Kruger wrote a good article on the topic for Home Energy magazine: http://www.homeenergy.org/show/article/nav/issues/page/4/id/1775