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I am building a small fishing cabin (less than 1,000 sq ft) that has a 10/12 pitch roof. The ceiling is going to be vaulted. Will I need to vent it?
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Todd,
Joseph Fusco
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vent it
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Todd,
Joseph Fusco
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why wouldnt you vent it?
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Hi everyone:
I am just beginning a project similar to Todd's. 1200 sq feet main floor, 2 story with 2 loft areas and cathedral ceiling. The roof (12/12 pitch) will have a large parallam beam with rafters (either TJI pro 250 or 2x12's) attached.
Located in Leavenworth Washington, hot in summer, lots of snow in winter. To vent or not to vent, that is the question. Well one of many questions I have.
FredL, you said to use gable vents but how would there be an air passage along the rafter bays? By a vaulted ceiling we mean the interior ceiling attached to roof rafters, correct? It would seem the only possible vent would be a ridge vent. Except for the soffits of course. Why is venting needed at all, what is the difference between sealed roof rafter cavities and wall cavities anyway?
I have read with great interest many viewpoints on venting, insulation, poly or no poly, housewrap or not, crawl space insulation and venting, etc., etc. The debate seems to rage on and on. Or should I say flame on and on.
Always respectfully
Jim
*Jim , I think that was sarcasm from FredL .Do a search for attic venting and you'll get the big picture and if your like me you'll also get very confused and maybe a little sleepy . Chuck
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Jim,
My plan is to have the roof rafters exposed from below. On top of the rafters I will likely use some type of tounge & groove planking (1"), then some type of insulation & a metal roof. I have seen may ceiling like this in magazines, but the locals where I live look at me funny when I inquire about this type of construction. I will not have an attic & can't see where venting fron inside will help, or even how it could be done. There are tons of windows & doors in this space.
I want to maintain a rustic look while not making any mistakes with venting. I have heard so many conflicting theroies.
I am building all of this out of salvage materials I have collected from tearing down old buildings (not recommended if you are not young & single). These older homes & cabins were built to last & much of their construction goes against many opinions today.
Very confused & tired at this stage, but hopeful.
Todd
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I'm planning a vaulted ceiling right now also. To satisfy the WA State Energy Commission (WSEC) guidlines I find I can only get there with 2x10s and by using XEPS with a gap between it and the sheathing.
*Guess I did , sorry .
*Todd and Jim,You will get many different opinions, as Joe prophesised. You will just have to turn on your bulls**t meter and try to fathom the facts as best you can. Good luck.My take on it, after listening to people get hysterical about it for over a year on this board, is that if you can stop air infiltration into the rafter bays with a dense insulation such as sprayed in foam or dense-packed cells, the only rationale for venting is shingle longevity, which is dubious at best. If you build a conventional fiberglass-filled roof cavity, you will have no choice but to vent, pay higher fuel bills, and still have a high likelyhood of moisture problems.I would go for an SIP that you buy with the t&g pre-applied to the underside and a sheathing pre-applied to the top(quicker, more materials cost). Or I would would go with Fred's advise and do dense-packed cells (slower, less materials cost).Steve
*Darrell and all,You are all correct when you use the term "vaulted" in describing your ceiling construction. It may not be the politically correct design name, but it is the correct construction term. Before wasting you time and money, do visit any of the national building sites, or roofing manufacturers sites and check out the information regarding the need for proper ventilation.Gabe
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Fred, I agree with you about the best way to insulate his particular ceiling, but to be more specific, how would you suggest he go about dense packing cellulose in that type of construction?
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I am building a small fishing cabin (less than 1,000 sq ft) that has a 10/12 pitch roof. The ceiling is going to be vaulted. Will I need to vent it?
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Darrell,
Do you know how the WSEC guidelines differ from Oregons? I had a Cape Cod on the drawing board last year and my local design advisers said I'd have to use 12" rafters to meet the insulation requirements. The insulation installers who did the house I just finished were wanting them to go to 14" because of the difficulties they had with 12" rafters. Forgive my ignorance, but what is XEPS?
Thanks, JonC