Insulated attic, but still feeling cold @ wall and ceiling

Hello,
First time poster here. My house is a small colonial built in 1985.

I added R-30 batts to my attic. Due to low pitched roof and angle of roof rafters, I could not get the insulation all the way out to the top plate of the outside wall below the attic. I was able to slide in rafter vents and staple them at top end. I then pushed the tall batts as far out as I could without them being compressed to much.

In addition, I had my roof redone this summer and my house resided with foam backed siding. The house had an odd front second floor upper wall at an angle which was covered in roof shingle. I had that straighten, framed to be vertical and a soffit added to match the rest of the house. It was then sided instead of roof shingles.

The new framing created a void which I had insulation blown into from the outside, I saw the insulation come up to the top plate.

Now that its cold I'm feeling cold spot at where wall and ceiling met on outside front wall. Very frustrating since effort to do attic and expense to side and reframe. As I gradually side my hand on ceilng out toward center of room, I do not feel any cold.

I guess I could blow in some addtional insulation in the gap I could not reach by hand, but I cannot even get in there to put in blocking to keep insulation for filling soffit.

Thanks for suggestions on a solution.

Have you thought about cutting holes in the drywall ( from inside the room ) and blow some expanding insulation directly there? You could also call your electrical company. they usually come out for free to test the cold area with infrared devices and give you advice. I had FPL come out and gave me a rebate I handed over an insulation company and paid nothing out of my pocket.

That is why you should blow in your attic insulation!

Buy an infrared temperature gun from Amazon, about $20.
Scan walls to see where insulation is missing.
Drill holes in walls, blow in extra insulation, check with infrared to see if problem solved.

Insulated wall makes up less than 10% of the envelope in the avg. home. Voids in wall batting might make up 30% of that 10% at the most, making the total additional insulation you would be gaining would be maximum 3%. I don't think a < 3% change in envelope insulation is going to do much for the whole home energy package. You want to drill holes and fill random spots covering @20% of your exterior wall for less than 3% gain overall? There are usually much better places to put your time and money especially if you are looking for a return on your investment. All of the insulation combined in your house does not even cover 1/3 of the total btu that you pay in energy whether gas or electric, attic insulation is one of the best ways to see a ROI, but it is still one small part of the energy consumption "package" of a house.

I understand that you are basing your comments on an "average" home.
While there are millions of homes in 10 states that suffer from poor insulation, damp and mold......there is a gradual understanding, moving from Europe, that home built and insulated to "Passive House" standard, can be heated at very low cost, usually for 10 to 20% of the normal cost. This saving amounts to thousands of dollars over a lifetime.
It is well worth while doing.

Perry -

That is because Europeam homes rely on heavier and more permanent construction materials and heat conservation rather than than the "gimmick" of R-Values used for advertising purposes with lightweight wood frame or steel syud construction.

Shouldn't use fiberglass. That said, did you air seal the attic first? How to Seal Attic Air Leaks | The Family Handyman Use rigid foam over the exterior walls to prevent wind-washing of the insulation by the incoming air: Info-501: Installation of Cavity Insulation &mdash; Building Science Information

Welcome To Home Energy Magazine Online

Or at least the other part of the baffle: Windblock

Seal the wiring/plumbing hole in the crawl to that wall?

Gary

GBR said:

Shouldn't use fiberglass. That said, did you air seal the attic first?
Seal the wiring/plumbing hole in the crawl to that wall?

Gary

Click to expand...

Interesting article, well worth reading.

I must add that any space that is more than 16mm will start a convection current that will transfer heat across a space.

Try to avoid any holes over 16mm.

You'll enjoy these from my library: http://www.buildingscienceconsultin...010-03-10_When_R-Value_Doesn t_Measure_Up.pdf

Convective Loops, Air Leaks & Heat Loss Analysis for Buildings

Gary

Gary, good site, have been there before.
You may find this handy?
WHAT IS DEW POINT? The temperature at which moisture will condense.

Example: At sea level 14.696 psiA), if air temperature is 70° F and relative humidity is 65%, the dew point is 57° F. see below.

Dewpoint varies with pressure, temperature, and relative humidity.


Dew Point Calculation Chart (Fahrenheit)


AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE IN FAHRENHEIT
20 30 40 50 60(70)80 90 100 110 120
RH%
90 18 28 37 47 57 67 77 87 97 107 117
85 17 26 36 45 55 65 75 84 95 104 113
80 16 25 34 44 54 63 73 82 93 102 110
75 15 24 33 42 52 62 71 80 91 100 108
70 13 22 31 40 50 60 68 78 88 96 105
65 12 20 29 38 47(57)66 76 85 93 103
60 11 19 27 36 45 55 64 73 83 92 101
55 9 17 25 34 43 53 61 70 80 89 98
50 6 15 23 31 40 50 59 67 77 86 94
45 4 13 21 29 37 47 56 64 73 82 91
40 1 11 18 26 35 43 52 61 69 78 87
35 -2 8 16 23 31 40 48 57 65 74 83
30 -6 4 13 20 28 36 44 52 61 69 77

At Sea Level (14.696 psiA)



Dew Point and Relative Humidity Explained

Relative Humidity and Dew Point are closely related, and are based upon the amount of water vapor in the air and the total amount of water vapor that the air can hold at a given temperature.
Perry