How to Insulate Flat Framed Assemblies

To help your house become more energy efficient you need to check, maintain and repair the insulation. This can be a little more difficult in a flat framed assembly situation, but with a little effort and some skill and knowledge you can do it, creating better energy efficiency in your home.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Examine the space you wish to insulate. Sometimes, the areas which need to be insulated are between trusses in the attic, such as behind a cathedral ceiling. Determine whether you can fit insulation within these spaces, and if not, proceed to the next step.

2. Look at the framing around ceiling transitions, skylights, and knees walls. The face of the drywall faces the inside of the house.

3. Fasten batts of insulation to the assembly, including the framing, using Simplex nails that are five inches long. The head of the nail is large enough to hold the batt insulation in place as you insulate the flat framed assemblies. The length of the nail also helps to keep it from compressing the insulation.

4. Use five inch Simplex nails when insulating skylight wells. Here, as well, the length of the nail will help keep the insulation from compressing too much, whereas using staples would have the opposite effect.

5. Insulate knee walls without insulating the voids in between each of the studs. Employ batt insulation that has a kraft paper face, and hold the insulation in place by applying staples to through the kraft paper.