Home Improvement

Ask a Home Improvement Question, Get an Answer ASAP!

Have your own Home Improvement question?

5 Home Improvement Experts are Online Now

characters left:

Not a Home Improvement Question?

Question

I have a vaulted ceiling that I have had painted and then had popcorn on ceiling removed due to condensation on ceiling. We have discovered that there are no baffles between the roof sheating and the insulation. Does this require taking down wallboard from ceiling and redoing it?

Submitted: 88 days ago.

Category: Home Improvement

Value: $15

Status: CLOSED

Posted by Rick 88 days ago.

Answer

Hi XXXXXX
If you have ridge and soffit vents then you need baffles above the insulation to allow cold air to circulate under the roof sheathing. This is the primary means for preventing ice dams. If you have no vents then there is no point installing baffles.

If you have a cathedral ceiling with the insulation in the rafter space then the only way to install baffles would be to remove the wallboard. If you do, be sure to install a vapor barrier just behind the new wallboard.

88 days ago.

Reply

Will my problem be solved if in the attic we can not see down the rafter because the board at the peak blocks the view and presumably the flow of air. Will air be able to circulate properly from the soffits if it can not exit?

Accepted Answer

If there is a framing member blocking the rafter space then it is also likely blocking any potential air flow. Even if you have soffit vents you also need a ridge vent or gable vent at the very least. Air enters the soffit vent then rises along the sheathing and exits out the ridge vent.
There is another method for dealing with cathedral ceilings and that is to pack the rafter space tight with insulation preventing the warm air from the living space from infiltrating up into the rafter space. This method is often used when a cathedral does not have a continous un-obstructed rafter space from soffit to ridge.

Accepts:
Expert:	Rick
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
Answered:	8/26/2009

General C&ontractor

Licensed Construction Supervisor & Remodeling Contractor 35+ years experience

Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.