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Don't bother to insulate in any manner without applying a vapor barrier inside. Poly sheeting doesn't make very attractive wallpaper, but interior paints such as Glidden Insul-Aid will seal in moisture. Caulk thoroughly around floor and ceiling moldings. Keep interior walls and ceilings freshly painted. Today's light-colored interior paints reflect much radiant energy. Drapes, furniture, and wall hangings absorb most of what's left.

Roofs and Ceilings

In our latitude, the energy code mandates a minimum of R-30 in the roof or top-floor ceilings. That's 8 1/2" of fiberglass, rock-wool, or cellulose. It can go in the roof, in the attic floor, or both. Placing 5 1/2" (R-19) of insulation between 6" framing in both roof and in attic floor will give you R-40. With end walls insulated and eaves filled loosely, snow on your roof won't melt over rafters.

Our rafters, in contrast, did melt snow, and I found that we had only three inches of aged insulation—much of it mouse-holed or compacted—between ceiling joists in the attic floor. I vacuumed and fluffed it, filled the mouse holes, put a layer of 6" batts on top. In the part of the attic used for storage, I covered rafters with two layers of 1" rigid-foam R-6 panels (R-6 x 2 = R-12), and then covered that with 1/2" plywood (R-5).

Next I insulated the attic floor by installing short lengths of rigid-plastic vent-space baffle along eaves at the perimeter of the insulation. If you plan to install fiber-glass in a sloping roof, staple vent-space baffles along the underside of sheathing to maintain eaves-to-roof-peak ventilation.

You also need a contiguous poly-vapor barrier between living space and the bottom of roof insulation. If insulating be tween roof rafters only, staple poly to rafters under insulation, double-fold and tape seams. When insulating the attic floor, lay overlapping sheets of poly between joists and snugged down into the spaces between before placing insulation.

Handling insulation in hot attics is no fun. Glass fibers stick to your sweaty skin, and can itch. To avoid handling, rent a blower to put rock wool or fiberglass insulation into the attic floor—but be doubly sure to use a respirator. Loose cellulose can be blown in as well. However, because it lays out more easily than mineral fiber, it can be easily distributed with a rake.

Working on an unfloored attic, please don't try to hop around on the floor joists. After slipping and pushing a boot through the kids' bedroom ceiling, I hauled a pair of 4 x 4 plywood panels into the attic and leapfrogged them around to provide a solid kneeling floor.

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