Can blown loose insulation be used in cantilever floor?

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Permalink Reply by Ed Ballard on January 2, 2012 at 1:56pm

Chris-----------We blow cantilevers all the time. They are prevelent in splits and second story overhangs. It sounds like you have the perfect opportunity to dense pack this area as you have already sealed the joist bays. Access sounds easy and all you will have to do is drill through your blocking and blow.

Ed Ballard

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Permalink Reply by Chris Heenan on January 3, 2012 at 9:46am

Thanks Ed. I appreciate your help. I can do nice, tight, smart A/C installs all day but insulation knowledge for me is still growing. Thanks.

Chris

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Permalink Reply by Bruce Navin on January 3, 2012 at 11:40am

Chris- you should note the difference between your term "loose" and Ed's description. Dense pack is the way to go.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Heenan on January 3, 2012 at 3:49pm

How can I diy this?

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Permalink Reply by Ed Ballard on January 3, 2012 at 4:55pm

Chris-----DIY may have some challenges. You will need to find a blower that has air and feed adjustments. Most box stores that have loaner equip. do not have this capibilitie. The idea of DENse pack is just that. To install the cellulose at a density that will prevent it from settling and to inhibite air flow through it. If you try an open blow into the cavity you will end up with a gap between the top of the insulation and the bottom of the subfloor. NOT GOOD.

Get on your favorite search engine and olok up dense pack cellulose insulation. It will be quicker than me trying to explain your air/feed setting. To know if you are getting in the range/pack needed push your finger into the blow . If you have trouble pushing your finger into it you are heading for bullseye.

Good luck--------just do it

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Permalink Reply by Joseph J. Ilacqua on January 5, 2012 at 7:24am

Loose fill at this point will help, you have minimized the air movement with your air sealing and considering the delta T in your location you may be ok. Up where I come from it would have to be dense packed not loose filled.

 

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Permalink Reply by Jose Macho on January 5, 2012 at 2:17pm

The perferred solution is closed cell foam combined with a joist cavity  air seal R board located in line with the exterior shell sheathing. The extended joists create a building shell problem with generally heavy air leakage. The 2nd option would be dense pack cellulose either netted or packed behind R board and exterior sheathing applied over the R board or netting. Fiberglass is a poor choice in a cantilevered space particularly in colder climates as you need both a good thermal and air boundary. Again, you need to air seal/insulate the joist cavity for a good thermal shell boundary at the exterior framing sheathing.

 

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Permalink Reply by Allan G Hurst on January 6, 2012 at 2:59pm

I continue to find cornice crews are taught to install soffit vents at preset spacing regardless of conditions. A vented panel along a cantilevered extension can cause air infiltration in that area. We then have air/pressure into the wall section or joist cavity. In the South moisture is a concern, but I consider sealing the soffit vent so to create a true thermal barrier when insulation is installed. ....Allan

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