Is it possible to simply drill and loose fill my ceiling to improve efficiency?
I have a 1950’s split level in northern VA. My upstairs is 5-10 degrees colder than the rest of the house. Thermostats are on the main level set to comfortable levels but if I try to get the top level to the correct temp, anyone downstairs will melt.
I am going to do an energy audit to check for obvious leaks, however I believe most are going to come back with indadequate insulation in the roof. The roof is 5 year old (previous owner installed) so replcaing the roof and fixing the insulation at the same time is not an option I am planning. One contractor came out and told me they could drill and fill, however after talking to some people they informed me that there could be an issue with airflow and the inability to properly fill the space, allowing for properairflow above the loose fill. I do not have the budget to remove the ceilings and solve the issue from the inside so is using loose fill a viable option, or could that potentially cause more serious issues with my roof?
Also, the walls are damn near frigid to the touch. i assume I also have an issue with insulation in the outer walls of the house (which, coincidently is how all ducts are run, along the outer walls because of the age of the house). Is loose fill an option for outer walls, or can those potentially be spray foamed without having to remove the drywall and replace all the walls?
I am happy doing as much work on my own as I can, however this is a bit out of my league. Thanks.
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I take it you don't have an attic, is that correct? This may answer your question about the roof: https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/how-build-insulated-cathedral-ceiling
Correct there is no attic at all and because its an older house I was trying to see if there is a way to do this, without replacing the roof or entire ceiling.
Depending on how bad the enegy audit turns out to be, the only cost reasonable solution for the immediate future, might be some room heaters and when the time comes to do any roof or ceiling repairs, fix the bigger issue at that point.
The one contractor quoted me $4k (before taxes) for doing loosefill in the ceiling and another $3200 for the walls ($4/sq foot).
I wont even mention how much he wanted for windows that he said probably need to be replaced also...lol. Thanks.
If you dense-pack the rafter bays with cellulose you could be OK if all roof pitches face south, but with north facing or shaded east/west pitches there is some risk to the roof deck. If you planned to re-roof at any time in the next decade you could dense-pack the rafter bays now, and add rigid insulation above the roof deck when you re-roof. In your climate zone (US zone 4A), as long as the exterior R is at least 30% of the total-R there is very little risk of excessive wintertime moisture buildup in the roof deck. Assuming you have 2x6 rafters, dense-packed cellulose would give you R20, which would mean you would need 2" of exterior EPS foam (or 2" rigid rock wool) when you re-roof, or 1.5" of polyisocyanurate. You'd also need a sacrificial nailer deck of half-inch OSB or plywood through-screwed to the rafters, onto which you would put the new layer of felt & shingles. If the shingles ever leaked you'd have to replace a few sheets of nailer deck on subsequent re-roofing, but the structural roof deck would be fine. These prescriptive values assume R49 total R for zones 4 & higher, but it's the ratio that matters from a dew-point control perspective: http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/irc/2012/icod_irc_2012_8_sec006.htm
If the roof is sufficiently low pitch that even the north side gets at least some sun by early March and the shingles are dark, you'd usually be fine just dense-packing, and not worry about the exterior R. Drill & fill with low-density fiber is not an option, since the risk of air-transported moisture loading with low-density fiber is too high.
Cellulose would be the preferred insulation if you're going without without the requisite amount of exterior R, since it will buffer and "share" the moisture burden with the roof deck, keeping it drier. Neither foam-pours, injection foam, or blown fiberglass/rock-wool has that characteristic.
On the walls it's generally safe to blow in low-density cellulose (not necessarily dense-packed) from the exterior. If there are pre-existing batts it may take 2-3 times as many holes, in which case it might be easier to snake a dense-packing hose in there, and have only one hole to patch.
Erik,
The trouble with this type of retrofit work is that some contractors are skilled and know exactly what to do -- paying attention to issues like venting, moisture management, and air sealing -- while others (the majority) don't have a clue.
If I were you, I would look for a local home-performance contractor or energy rater (one certified by RESNET or BPI); call them up and ask if there are any conscientious insulation contractors in your area.
This is a tricky job. You have air sealing issues and the need to retrofit insulation in a cathedral ceiling. The work is not simple or easy. The best solutions are expensive (i.e., a re-roof job including thick exterior rigid foam, or an interior job that starts by demolishing all of your ceilings).
Good luck.