Reno Update of Existing Construction
House built 1990
I am having to gut the ceiling and redo the V in HVAC in the first floor ceiling. I noticed before I began doing this that bees,etc gained access to the house most likely due to gaps in construction but as i am peeling away the ceiling, i am discovering that the shingled veranda roof is pretty much open to the first floor ceiling area. That means that i am getting insects, air, etc from this roof.
I am having to do the gut job as a result of squirrels getting in to this area and destroying the flex venting and making a serious mess (literally!).
I need to know if this is standard and necessary construction best practices to have the shingled roof open up into the house via the 1st floor ceiling area. I would like to proceed with air sealing the roof from the living area using Tuff R or similar product to limit air infiltration and insect access.
Would really appreciate your feedback.
Thanks!
Replies
No, not standard practice, at least not for the past 50-60 years.
thanks for your reply
any suggestions on proceeding with the foam air sealing? There are nicely framed areas where i would like to add the tuff r (poly iso i believe) type foam with great stuff around it and maybe staple in some hardware cloth to seal the porch roofline off from the living area.
as i type this i am remembering that i have a utility room where most of the utils run from and the only thing separating that opening is some plastic so i will have to do the air seal over there as well.
Yeah, you don't want to rely on foam or plastic to keep critters out. Even wood will be gnawed through if the critters sense an opening. Some sort of metal flashing or hardware cloth is generally the best choice.
much thanks DanH
take care