I have a 1.5 storey house, no soffits vents, none on any of the houses in this area. Do I need them? you are always saying VENTILATE. Is there an easy or hard way (I'm sure there is a hard way) to fix this problem?
Answer:
Insulating the story-and-a-half attic can be done as effectively as any other provided the principles of insulation, vapour barrier and ventilation are respected. Ventilation to the upper attic from the lower cavity(s) is about the most important aspect and can be accomplished by using thin-walled central vacuum duct to reach from the lower attic to the upper. Two or three of these evenly spaced between each pair of rafters will do the job as well as this roof design permits. Proper ventilation of the upper attic will finish the job. Insulating the floor of the lower attic can be done but insulation should only cover from the outer wall to the knee wall. The knee wall needs bat type insulation that can be held in place by chicken wire or some such while the upper attic can be done in either a blown-in product or bats. Vapour barrier is applied so one third or less of the insulation is on the heated side of it and air has to be able to travel from the soffits up into the lower attic and out through a venting system as highly placed as possible on the roof; a baffled ridge vent going from gable to gable serves this purpose better than any other passive system.
