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Editor's Notepad

Editor's Notepad


When Does a Conditioned Attic Make Sense?

comments (0) April 20th, 2011 in Blogs
ScottG Scott Gibson, contributing writer


HVAC ducts and uninsulated attics are a bad combination, but what's the best alternative?

James Fincher doesn't sell himself as a "green builder," but he is trying to build better houses that use fewer resources than one built simply to code. That decision, he writes, has added a "whole new level of complexity" to his building process. One of them is what to do about the attic.


Further Resources


How to Air-Seal an Attic

Airtight Attic Access

Does Fiberglass Still Make Sense?


Fincher is weighing the relative merits of making the attic a conditioned space, where he could safely house heating and air conditioning equipment, or keeping it an uncondioned space. His instincts have him leaning in favor of spraying polyurethane foam insulation into the rafter bays and bringing the attic inside the house's thermal envelope.

But he's not convinced the approach is best suited to the relatively large houses he builds. His post at GreenBuildingAdvisor's Q&A column draws a number of replies and is the basis of this week's Q&A Spotlight.

Read the whole article at Green Building Advisor.



posted in: Blogs, energy efficiency, insulation, hvac, attic

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