I am adding a second level to my raised ranch. The original structure has a shed roof. I am building a knee wall around the perimeter to level the roof (max height of knee wall is approx 36″) and then building the second floor up from there. The original 2×8 rafters in the shed roof are insulated. With the new level, there will be an open space between the old roof and the new floor. Since the old roof is insulated, do I need to insulate the new floor which is exposed to the open space created by the knee wall? Or do I just need to insulate the knee wall around the perimeter of the structure. Any input or advice is greatly appreciated.
Brian….Bayview Renovation
Replies
If the roof portion of the kneewall space is sealed and insulated right down to the floor, your kneewall space is essentially inside the weather envelope. In this case, the floor of the kneewall space would not need to be insulated.
Bring kneewall spaces inside the weather envelope is generally the better design, IMHO.