Insulation blocking air-flow from soffit to attic
After installing a ridge vent and tearing out the soffit in order to replace it with new material, it seems insulation is filling the space between the 2X8 rafters which are 16″ OC. It’s about an 8′ or 9′ run from soffit to peak of room ceiling which is accessible from attic space as well as from the rafter ends.. Does anyone have a brilliant way of compressing the insulation so I can slide some baffles on top of the insulation and get air flow to the attic. This A.M. I tried attaching a paint roller to a pole and rolling it up over the insulation from the soffit end to see if I could compress it enough to leave space between it and the roof sheathing (which has nails coming thriugh it.) and it worked for a few feet. (I think making the roller heavier somehow may be an improvement.) The insulation paper side is stapled to the bottom of the rafters and the stuff I’m trying to compress has no paper so snagging the stuff is a p[roblem. The insulation can’t be removed. Anyone? Appreciate it.
Replies
Is the insulation run up the entire way from soffit to ridge, or just a few feet?
Yes all the way
since I posted this, I cut a piece of 2" PVC 14" and it slips conveniently over a regular paint roller. I put it on a 10' pole and slid it up between the rafters to the peak. By sliding it back and forth over the insulation, it does compress it somewhat. Now the problem is how to slide the 4' sections of baffle (made out of the flimsy stuff they use for egg cartons) without getting it hung up on the roofing nails.
Maybe the compression with the roller will allow enough air through to make the soffit of use but it would be nice to get something on top of the insulation to keep it open for air since it'll probably expand into the space again over time.
And now's the time to take care of it before the new soffit makes it inaccessible.
Any ideas of some thing economical to slide up there and create a vent?
Well, I'm not sure why exactly you are on this couse yet!
Why are you venting this cathedral ceiling? What is the problem you are trying to solve?
If you are hell bent on this, you can make rigid foam board channels. I would use EPS foam as it's more breathable.
Get a 1" thick 4x8 sheet. cut it into three 16" x 8' strips on the table saw. No set your tablesay depth to be 3/4" and width of cut to be 1". Run each section through so you make the 3/4" deep cut on the same face on both long edges.
Fold those edges over. Now you have a U shaped channel with a 1" air groove that will fit between 16" rafters (14.5" gap between, you channel is 14" wide). Stuff those up there.
Need air to get to attic
The "cathedral ceiling" does not go to the ridge of the structure. The peak of the cathedral ceiling is below the rige vent by about six feet. The air supposed to go from the soffit to the attic cannot because of insulation filling the space between the rafter run up to the floor of the attic. (about 11 feet) the rafters continue up another 8' or so.. Clearing this blockage means air can flow up from the soffit into the attic and out the new ridge vent. I finally did solve this by cutting some underlayment paper into 13" stripes, wrapping them around the 2" PVC roller rig I hooked up and rolling the paper out and rolling it up between the rafters over the insulation batts and stapling it below and above in the attic. It creates a 3" or 4" space above the batt of insulation without the need for baffles.
Thanks.
If you can slide pieces of PVC in there, maybe you could just leave the PVC in place?