Some Insulation Ideas

Insulation Calculator:
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Roxul

ROXUL products are mineral wool fibre insulations made from basalt rock and steel slag. This combination results in a non-combustible product with a melting point of approximately 1177°C (2150°F) which gives it excellent fire resistance properties.  ROXUL mineral wool is a water repellent yet vapour permeable material. It absorbs water only when water is pressed or forced into the material and once the pressure is relieved, the water will evaporate without any loss of integrity to the material’s shape or insulating properties.  ROXUL stone wool is, quite simply a better insulation material. The matrix of inter-connected ROXUL fibres trap air, prevent circulation and convection to deliver high insulation values. ROXUL insulation delivers permanent, cost effective performance. The fibres will not deteriorate even when exposed to extreme weather conditions or solar radiation.

Installation Details:

1) Begin with ventilation. You must ensure that you have good air flow from the soffit vents right up to the ridge vent at the peak of the roof. There are two ways of accomplishing
this. You can insert batt insulation leaving a space of 2” along the entire underside of the roof. The other way is to use baffles up against the roof deck before insulating to give a smooth 3/4” air channel all the way through. You can buy prefabricated baffles at any building supply dealer. This way, not only will the air flow better under the roof, but the cold air will not penetrate into the batts.
2) Put as much batt insulation between the rafters as possible, keeping a clear airflow and without compacting the
batts. If you are using baffles, and you have at least 4” deep rafters, you can easily fill the rafter cavity with R-12 insulation batts.
3) Eliminate thermal bridging by placing 1-1/2” of STYROFOAM Extruded Polystyrene Insulation over the entire inside rafter surface. This will reduce the potential for future
condensation and increase the ceiling’s overall insulation values.
4) You have two STYROFOAM product choices for this job; STYROFOAM SM and STYROFOAM WALLMATE. STYROFOAM SM comes in 2’x 8’ lengths with a shiplap
edge. This will give you the best insulation coverage but will require 3” drywall screws to penetrate 1” into the rafters when attaching the drywall through the STYROFOAM insulation.
Alternatively, you can also use STYROFOAM WALLMATE. This also comes in 2’x 8’ panels but the edges are slotted to accommodate 1”x 3” wood strapping, which fits flush into the
STYROFOAM WALLMATE board edges. These wood furring strips are screwed into the rafters and in turn provide a nailing base for drywall on 24” centres. Run the 8’ length of the STYROFOAM WALLMATE and the strapping perpendicular to the rafters.
5) When you are installing the boards that butt up against walls which meet sloped ceilings, be sure to cut a beveled edge down the side of the STYROFOAM insulation which butts against the wall. This will give a snug fit as well as cover the wall header. The header is another thermal bridge where heat and cold can travel right through the framing.
6) Cover the ceiling with a 6 mil poly vapour barrier or, if you prefer, seal all the joints between the STYROFOAM insulation with adhesive compatible with polystyrene insulation. Make sure that any electrical wiring and the plumbing stack are sealed airtight. It is critically important that as little moisture as possible be allowed to pass into the constrained roof space.

There are several types of insulation material, each designed to do the best possible job in a specific application. As it is important that you get the biggest energy savings possible at the lowest installed cost, check out these Owens Corning materials to see where they fit in your insulating plans. In this brochure, insulation thickness is given to help you work out the space needed to accommodate it. Remember, if it is packed too tightly, compressed to less than its designed thickness, if there are gaps, or if it gets wet, then the actual in-place
R-Value will be less than that shown.

FIBERGLAS PINK® Insulation is non-combustible (except for RSI 2.4 and RSI 3.87). It is inorganic, will not settle or rot and will not sustain vermin. Measuring insulation When you look at insulation, always go by its R-Value (or RSI number) and its thickness. These numbers indicate a material’s resistance to heat flow-with the larger number representing greater resistance.

Recommended R-Value                                           RSI     R Attics                                                            7.0     40
Cathedral ceilings                                             6.1     35
Exterior walls                                                   3.5     20
Basement walls more than 50% above ground        3.5     20
Basement walls more than 50% below ground        2.1     12
Floors over unheated spaces                              4.9     28
No basement: heated crawl space                       2.1     12
No basement: concrete slab on ground                 2.2     12.5
No basement: heated slab                                 2.6     15