Attic Insulation and baffles

Hello,

I am looking for some advice given the following information.

I have an older 1957 home which has attic insulation at the R19 level (old blown fiber glass with batts on top at a depth of 8 or 10". I was going to install baffles and blow in an additional R-30 when I hit a snag.

As I went to install the baffles, I noticed that the R-13 batts were Jammed into the soffits??? I went to pull it back but the old insulation just rips apart. I have about a 50/50 success ratio of pulling the insulation away vs ripping and being stuck.

What should I do? Do the best I can, and install baffles as close to the soffit as possible where I can't get all the insulation out? Or install no baffle in these areas.

There is also a small addition in which I don't think the insulation will pull away easily and am planning to not installing baffles in this area. I feel it is way too difficult.

I have no ridge vent, by do have 2 gable vents, and one roof vent.

I've attached some photos, any advice is appreciated.

 

Welcome to the forums! The crammed insulation will need to be removed, period. Once it is removed and your baffles installed, you can blow in or reinstall batt insulation as high as you want. I know it is a difficult job, but laying on a 3' x 4' piece of plywood will help keep the pain from your body. Kneeling down would not be an option.

While not the best in regards to air ventilation, the gable vents coupled with the eave vents should provide adequate air movement. A ridge vent, being the highest point would extracate the most hot air in summer. Is your roof vent passive or motor driven? Is it a whirly bird or a box type?

 

I agree with Chandler, out with the stuffed in batts. You want air flow in each cavity. Once the new baffles are in place then you may want to stuff some batt insulation back to be sure the new blown-in insulation can't fill the siffit area.

As for the addition where you are thinking of leaving the channels blocked (no baffles) that could be risky. If the soffits there are vented then you should make an attempt to allow air flow.

As a side note, in the world of insulation, neatness counts. Just looking at the pictures. Also that kneewall should have something like Tyvec on the attic side to limit air flow into and out of that insulation.

Bud

 

OK, after seeing Chandler's comments I sucked it up and was able to clear a good chunk of the soffits. That said, you comment about neatness raises another question.

Should I just toss the old batts and insulation that is torn and just spend a little extra and get more blown in to replace?

Also, how do my baffles look? My roof's pitch makes it difficult to install these baffle so i stapled two together end on end and then wedge them in there. I can only secure the mid to upper part. I am really shocked how deep my soffits are.

Should I wrap the knee wall area in a radiant barrier type sheet? The other side is a channel for a skylight over my stairs.

 

You could cover the kneewall with drywall or a house wrap as they do not act as vapor barriers. Rare that your temperature conditions would need a vapor barrier, where are you?

Your baffles only need to extend past the top plate where your insulation will stop. Too far down and the end of the baffle may be blocked by whatever is stopping it. Here is a related link: (with pictures)
http://www.dos.ny.gov/DCEA/pdf/Energ...insulation.pdf
Before the insulation is blown in be sure all of the gaps leading to the soffits are blocked. It is a disaster when the soffits get filled with insulation.

If you can straighten up the batts so they fill those cavities nicely they will be fine to leave. But a ½" gap on the side virtually defeats that section of insulation.

Bud