Need to insulate a 600 sq ft second story ceiling. What are your recommendations and experiences? Concerned about ease of installation, cost, durability, hazards, problems, etc. Insulation will need to go between rafters on '19" centers'. All the fiberglass I've seen is 15" or 24" wide. Do they make 17.5" wide fiberglass?

-- paul (primrose@centex.net), January 14, 2002

Answers

Had a similar problem and layed sheets of foam insulation with aluminum film on both sides, across the rafters, so the 8 foot pat of the sheet was across the 19" centers and then slid insulation, paper side down out on top of the foam sheets. It an't conventional, but seems to work. Does cut down on your space between the insulation and roof, could affect your venilation flow and those other things that allow for flow out at the eaves.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), January 14, 2002.

NO EXPERT! Cellulose apears to be the least expensive. Foam generally has almost twice the r value, but there generally is lot more probllems associiated with the appliication.

-- ken (you@surfbest.net), January 14, 2002.

Hi Paul,

Rather than using batt, you can pour bags of chopped fiber into the spaces. Or you can have it blown in. Cellulose is available that way as well as other materials.

Oscar

-- Oscar H. Will III (owill@mail.whittier.edu), January 14, 2002.

At our local lumber yards if you buy the cellulose insulation they loan you the blower.

-- kevin in S.C. MO (rosewd@fidnet.com), January 14, 2002.

I've come across the same thing in our old farmhouse except the rough cut studs range from 18-24" on center.my plan is to put styrafoam or plastic vent channels in the space which will not only give you ventilation for the attic but also a barrier to protect the insulation.once these channels are in I will then put up the drywall and mud the joints.Then when I fill the attic with insulation I can just fill each cavity with cellose,making sure not to fill the channel cavity.We put 40 bags of cellose in a different part of our house last year,my wife feed the machine and I ran the hose,it definately is a time saver when covering large areas and costs less than other types of insulation and has a better R-value per inch .I know there was a story of mold on cellose but that had to do with a moisture problem probably poor attic ventilation or a roof leak I believe.Good Luck.Dave

-- Dave (duckthis1@maqs.net), January 14, 2002.