Attic Baffles Requirements

Ben ericksondecember 27 2007 at 4 52 pm.

Attic baffles requirements.

Ventilation openings having a least dimension larger than 1 4 inch 6 4 mm shall be provided with corrosion resistant wire cloth screening hardware cloth perforated vinyl or similar material with openings having a least dimension of 1 16 inch 1 6 mm minimum and 1 4 inch 6 4 mm maximum. For batts or rolls calculate the number based on the width and length of the product you re using. When you have insulation without ventilation though humidity and moisture can build up. Proper air circulation in the attic is all about preventing moisture buildup.

For loose fill read labels. Each bag lists the required depths for a range of r values and the number of bags needed to cover 1 000 square feet at those depths. How important is using baffles in attic insulation. During the summer soffit and gable vents draw.

Rafter vents or insulation baffles install in any rafter space. Baffles are a critical component to our attic insulation process that provides multiple benefits to a difficult construction aspect. This can cause all sorts of problems from mold to decay. Ah the bad are easily spotted as we labeled them.

Cut side fin and fold baffle at the measured mark to allow for correct insulation height. That airflow is intended to churn the stale air in. First for the good is how they have the baffle running up past the insulation by at least 16 which helps prevent almost any possibilities of wind washing from occurring. Basic functions of baffles baffles are chutes that when installed properly can provide a channel for air to flow from your exterior soffit vents up into your attic space.

Fasten top portion of baffle in place to allow for a minimum 1 inch space between baffle and roof deck. For all eaves with vents fasten bottom of baffle in place to allow insulation to completely cover the top plate. A first off a fiberglass plug is basically worthless and does not meet the air sealing requirements in the 2009 iecc. Surprisingly even the most well insulated attic space may still require the assistance of attic baffles to provide the additional air circulation.

You can situate the baffles where the circulation is mainly required. Bob using the formula above you would need 8 8 square feet or 1 267 square inches of vent space in your attic. Since each 4 diameter hole would have an area of 12 56 square inches 3 14 x r you would divide 1 267 by 12 56 to come up with 101 vents. The second major issue is the large gap between the baffle ridge and the insulation.

An attic needs to be insulated to keep your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The main function of an attic baffle is to draw the air in from outside your home and allowing it to circulate around your attic.