INTRODUCTION

Impact insulation is the key part of any passive designed helping To keep heat most roofs construction
will be ventilated and should include Air gaps while ventilation is essentially in roofs space to prevent
Page | 1 harmful condensation and remove water vapour while roofs design reduse condensation and moisture
issues with our roofs tiles and extraction method room ventilation is a system that allows air to circulate
the Attic .

MAIN BODY

Insulation is a material designed to prevent heat or sound from being transmitted

from one area to another its normally used to keep heat and or sound in or out as
your home or to confine it to certain part of our house.

Insulation can work in a number of different ways but it most commonly in

corporates materials that consist of million of tiny pockets of air, still air is an
extremely good insulator and trapped pocket of air are what give most types of
insulation their high thermal resistance.

INSULATION

Insulation is divide into:

1. Providing one insulation

2. Floor insulation
3. Purposely made paint
VENTILATION:

On other hand is the entering introduction of outdoor air into a space of

ventilation.
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Ventilation: is the process of replacing or circulation of air in the environment

Ventilation interm of Wall

1. Providing windows
2. Providing court yard
Ventilation through the roofs

1. Providing domers
 2. Providing skylight
Ventilation is devided into two (2):

1. Cooler air : Cooler air is denser than hotter air

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2. Hotter air: Hotter air is less than collar air

Ventilation
• There must be a continuous 50mm gap above the between-rafter insulation which is vented to the
eaves and the ridge. When locating the insulation between the rafters, it is common to include 50mm
battens attached to the rafters in the ventilation zone up to which the insulation can butt.

• Ventilation is required at the eaves equivalent to a 25mm continuous strip and at the ridge
equivalent to a 5mm continuous strip.

Air tightness
• In most instances, a combined air tightness / vapour control layer (VCL) should be located on the
warm side of the insulation.

• It is essential to maintain the air tightness of the construction. If services are run behind the air
tightness layer, punctures are to be expected through pipes and wires entering the habitable space.
These punctures should be located through rigorous site inspections and sealed accordingly.

• An alternative is to form a ‘service zone’ (shown in the above example) by adding battens to the
underside of the VCL before covering with plasterboard. (This strategy is usually only available if space
is not at a premium.)

General design and installation

• Before commencing work, examine the roof timbers for rot, damp and infestation

• Confirm with the insulation manufacturer the expected u-values and suitability of planned
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construction particularly where condensation control is required.

• Ensure that fire protection is provided to the underside of the rafters by using12.5mm plasterboard
or similar.

• When using rigid insulation boards, preference should be made for interlocking boards. All joints
should be taped and the joint and the junction between the rafter and insulation is sealed with foam
(leave a 5mm gap).

• Air cavities where occurring between the vapour control layer and the u/s of the insulation should
be sealed top and bottom.
 • Ensure that the space between the wall and roof insulations is continuous at eaves.

• Avoid recessed lighting

• Cables less than 50mm away from plasterboard should be enclosed in metal conduits
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Insulation and ventilation

The existing roof condition

exising ventilated roof

• In addition to the possibility of defective / decaying materials, existing roofs are unlikely to meet
with current regulations – even less with best practice standards of thermal performance and air
permeability.

• Ensure to check the condition of timbers, sarking felt, and roof tiles / slates before proceeding with
the works.

• If sarking is not present or roof battens are defective, a new 'ventilated' or 'un-ventilated' roof
covering should be considered.

The converted / refurbished roof

converted or refurbished vented roof

It is very unlikely that an existing roof can be brought up to regulation or best practice standards by
the installation of insulation between the rafters alone. Naturally, rafter dimensions vary considerably
with some Victorian housing featuring rafters of as little as 75mm (labour = cheap, materials =
expensive) and with the requirement for a continuous 50mm air gap beneath the sarking, there is
often very little space to exploit.

The only realistic way to upgrade the thermal performance of a roof and maintain the existing
covering, is to add insulation to the underside of the rafters. Sometimes this can be achieved by
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effectively extending the rafters, but the commonest way is to fix rigid insulation with an integral
vapour control layer to the underside of the rafters.
 Typical U-values: between and below rafters Ventilation Design &
Specifications
How to Avoid Inadequate Attic Venting, Attic Condensation, Ice Dam Leaks, Attic Mold, & Roof Structure
Damage
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Attic ventilation fixes: here we explain how to correct improper or inadequate attic or under-roof
ventilation in buildings.

This article series describes inspection methods and clues to detect roof venting deficiencies, insulation
defects, and attic condensation problems in buildings. It describes proper roof ventilation placement,
amounts, and other details.

Roof Ventilation Choices, Design & Specifications

Turbine vent shown on rooftop (C) Daniel Friedman These attic or roof ventilation recommendations are
based on a survey of building science literature combined with 40 years of building inspections, on the
observation of the locations of moisture, mold, ice dams, condensation stains, and other clues in
buildings, and on the correlation of these clues with the roof venting conditions at those properties.

Roof system ventilation is required by the model building codes such as International Residential Code
(IRC) which includes IRC-R806 “Roof Ventilation” that requires ventilation for attics and cathedral
ceilings and ICC R905.1 “Requirements for Roof Coverings,”

that requires builders to follow the manufacturer’s installation instruction.

The latter implies a requirement for ventilation as that is specified for many roof coverings such as
asphalt shingles.

Best Practices author Steve Bliss points out that most asphalt shingle manufacturers will void their
warranties if roof venitlation rules are not followed. They require:
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1 square foot of net free vent area (NFVA) per 150 feet of attic floor.

1 square foot of NFVA per 300 square feet of attic floor if a vapor barrier is installed on the ceiling
below.

The IRC adds that the NFVA ratio can also be reduced to 1:300 if 50% to 80% of the required ventilation
is located in the upper portion of the attic (or cathedral ceiling) and the rest is located at the eaves, with
the upper vents at least 3 feet above the lower.

We have measured very large changes in airflow, temperature, and moisture before and after installing
roof venting. We include references to building and industry experts as well.
 Our photo (left) of heating tapes along a roof eave are a reliable clue that the building owners have been
concerned with ice dam formation and leaks at the roof edges - a problem found in poorly vented or un-
vented roofs or poorly-insulated buildings in cold climates.

In such buildings we may find costly leak damage, mold contamination in the attic, walls, and ceilings,
Page | 5 and loss of the R-value of wet building insulation.

All residential building codes require some form of roof ventilation. These rules were first developed in
the 1940s, when attic spaces first started to develop problems with mold and mildew due to excess
moisture.

INSPECT ATTICS for MOISTURE or MOLD

With the growing use of plywood, asphalt shingles, insulation, and better doors and windows, houses
were being built tighter. The tighter spaces retained more of the normal household moisture generated
by cooking, bathing, household plants, crawlspaces, and exposed basement slabs. As the stack effect
drove this moisture up into attic spaces, problems ensued.

INSULATION AIR & HEAT LEAKS .

Un-Vented "Hot Roof" Designs Risk Costly Hidden Damage

Two approaches for insulating cathedral ceilings and flat roofs (C) Carson Dunlop Illustrated HomeAn
alternative un-vented "hot roof" design (the right-hand cathedral ceiling structure shown at the right in
Carson Dunlop Associates' sketch) is touted by some building experts who argue that under-roof venting
is not needed whatsoever.

Roof surface temperature affects the life of the roof covering. Studies in Florida confirmed that asphalt
roof shingle surface temperature varies more as a function of shingle color than as a function of whether
or not the under-roof cavity is ventilated.

Mark Cramer informs us that an insulated roof is only 7 deg. F. hotter than an un-insulated roof. By this
view roof life may not be reduced significantly by an un-vented design. But here are some concerns that
the "hot roof" design leaves incompletely addressed:
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Details about hot roof designs are found

HOT ROOF DESIGN PROBLEMS

Hidden leak damage: If insulation is placed between the roof rafters, especially using some water
resistant foam insulation products, leaks into the roof cavity from outside are likely to cause significant
and costly structural damage (and possibly mold infection) before the leak is discovered.

Higher heating/cooling costs: A sloped, insulated roof has a larger radiating surface area than an
insulated attic floor, increasing building cooling or heating costs.
 The conversion of the attic space to a "conditioned" space (by placing insulation between roof rafters) is
a bonus in some buildings if the space is to be used, but a cost in buildings where it is not to be
occupied.
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Lack of moisture damage resistance: A building with an interior moisture problem that results in
moisture movement up through the building to the roof underside is more likely to suffer mold and rot
problems if that moisture is trapped in an un-vented attic or roof cavity.

Good building management includes identification and correction of leaks or other sources of un-
wanted moisture.

But good building design takes into account "real world" conditions that actually occur in the field, not
just optimal conditions that describe what people should do.

Leaks and moisture problems are common on buildings in most climates and these conditions are likely
to occur over the life of a building. Good building design resists water damage.

Use of Gable End Vents with Soffit and Ridge Venting?

Question: should I add gable end vents to my attic space?

I will be siding my house in the near future. I currently have soffit vents along with a ridge vent.

Will adding gable vents to the two sides of the house add or hinder the air flow? - Mike Martino

Reply:

We recommend against adding gable end vents where a continuous ridge and soffit vent system is
installed. Adding gable end vents will prevent proper roof ventilation so long as you have un-blocked
soffit intakes and ridge outlet openings.

When warm air in the attic moves upwards by natural convection and exits at the ridge, cooler drier air
is drawn into the attic or under-roof space at the building eaves or soffits.
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We want that incoming air to treat the entire under-roof surface, from the lower edges or eaves up to
the ridge, by flowing along the underside of the roof deck and out at the ridge.

If you were to add gable end vents, some of the draft created by air exiting at the ridge will be satisfied
by incoming air at the gable ends, as the gable vents are naturally closer to the ridge at either end of the
building than are the soffit intake vents.

As a result, less air flow will be provided for the lower center portions of the roof, and the benefit of
cooling and drying the entire roof underside surface will be impeded.
 This attic air movement theory can often be confirmed in practice by careful observation.

Home inspectors sometimes observe the combination of soffit vents, ridge vent, and gable end vents on
Page | 7 a home where they also find that the more serious condensation and least effective under-roof
ventilation is apparent at the lower center portions of the roof slopes, while on a similar home with
similar interior moisture conditions, materials, age, construction, but using only soffit and ridge venting,
having omitted or blocked off the gable end vents HOT ROOF DESIGN vs LEAK RISKS

At the end of that page you'll find our entire article series on hot roof designs.

What impact does insulating the roof deck with open cell foam cause? Will it heat up the singles beyond
the factory specification and cause premature failure?

Dealing with Condensation Problems Under a Flat Roof

It is very difficult, in my opinion almost impossible, to vent a flat roof effectively; there's just not enough
air movement up through the roof even if the soffits are vented and there's air space above the roof
insulation.

For this situation I prefer

1. a hot roof design - give up on ventilation

2. a careful inspection on the roof annually to be sure there are no roof leaks

3. a careful inspection inside to seal any ceiling penetrations - most moisture movement into a roof
cavity is at joints and penetrations, not through the ceiling drywall

4. address indoor sources of excess moisture such as a wet basement, plumbing leaks, or millions of
plants indoors, or my daughter cooking pasta for hours at a time

CONCLUSION
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At the end we know that ventilation the act or process of ventilating circulation of
air of room with good ventilation

While insulation is the act of covering surrounding to stop heat, sound or

electering from escaping or interring or the fact that the something is covered in
the way

References
 Good environment Choice Australlia (GECA).

Insulation Council of Australia and New Zealand (ICANZ), (2010). Insulation

handbook, part 1: Thermal performance total R value calculation for typical
Page | 8 buildings, ICANZ, Melbourne.

Luther M (2007). Air leakage in building review of international literature and

standards, Environment design guide, TEC 23, Australian Institute of
Architects, Melbourne.
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