Knee Wall Storage Insulation

Step 8 install supports photo by geoffrey gross.

Knee wall storage insulation.

In tight attics or odd shaped wall conditions i e. Kneewalls short walls under sloped ceilings are common in story and a half homes and in bonus rooms above garages. Anytime i conduct an energy audit of a cape cod or 3 story colonial or a salt box i know that a good chunk of the homeowner conversation and audit report will deal with the knee walls. Build the supports out of 2x4s making sure they re flush with the sill of the cutout.

Another alternative for knee walls conditions is to remove and reinstall the batt insulation to qii standards. The knee wall storage unit must be insulated similarly to the attic space or the room will suffer from infiltrating air leaks. If the attic is not insulated insulate the attic rafter. R402 4 1 1 n1102 4 1 1 air barrier and insulation installation table.

Then cover that same area with an r 8 fsk affixing it using cap nails. We prefer cellulose but we use fiberglass sometimes too. Knee walls are among the biggest air leakage and heat loss sources in home in part because they are such a pain in the rear to insulate and air seal properly. Although kneewalls can help turn attics into living space they often present insulation challenges most builders install fiberglass batts between the studs and some type of blown insulation between the floor joists.

Use a hammer to remove any knee wall studs from the opening. Step 9 insert dresser photo by. Walls the junction of the top plate and top of exterior walls should be sealed. Blown insulation in the knee wall and top attics.

Added bonus the floor of this knee wall leaked too so there is a line of foam just above the floor joist. If you go back and view the illustration above you ll notice there s an enclosed area behind the knee wall. The sloped roof creates a small space that can hardly be use. While they can be an ideal storage spot knee walls can t do much without being properly insulated fiberglass is layered down on the floor of the knee wall but since fiberglass doesn t stop airflow it doesn t do anything to insulate the area.

Rather than leaving this space empty homeowners can fill it with insulation for additional thermal protection. Screw two support braces to the attic floor right behind the knee wall. Exterior thermal envelope insulation for framed walls should be installed in. Also be sure to remove any insulation.

Rake walls it s easier to handle than plywood or thermo ply and still gives you an r 19 r121 assembly.