# Insulating a seasonal cottage not heated and closed for winter



## ksmith5 (Sep 17, 2020)

What TYPE of insulation should I use for the INSIDE walls and OUTSIDE walls in a seasonal cottage not heated nor used in the winter months? Is there a mold resistance type or is this necessary?


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

What is the exterior cladding or construction going to be? Where is the home/cottage?

Wall construction (i.e. depth).


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## carpdad (Oct 11, 2010)

If it's not very leaky, air conditioning doesn't need as much insulation. As such, i wouldn't insulate. If attic heat can be felt in the rooms, insulate the attic floor to r40 and attic exhaust fan set to 120 F or so. If no ac, whole house fan to cool the house in evenings.


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## ksmith5 (Sep 17, 2020)

The cottage was built in the 60's and had the black boards on it covered with vinyl siding. Cottage is in Canada Penetang/Midland, Ontario. 20 x 100? ft side approx.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

By "black boards" I wonder if you mean what I know as Tentest, which is some kind of fibreboard impregnated with a tar product. Built in the '60s I'm guessing it has single pain windows. I'm not sure you'd gain much by insulating the walls (I see absolutely no need to insulate interior walls). You might get better mileage out of making sure the attic is properly vented since I'm willing to bet it is substandard. If anything, toss some insulation in the ceiling.
If you are determined, I would consider mineral fibre (Roxul) or rigid foam, but I'm not a pro. I've never been quite clear on the issue of vapour barrier in unheated seasonal buildings.
In another thread you asked about drywall. I have seen lots of unheated cottages with drywall that seems to survive, so long as the structure is stable. Usually if anything fails it is the tape joints. Keep in mind that humidity is a summer problem, not winter.

BTW, I'm just down the road from you.


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## ksmith5 (Sep 17, 2020)

*Re: Insulating a seasonal cottage not heated/no air and closed for winter*

This cottage is one floor and a crawl space area under the cottage with a attic/rafter area up to the roof area.

So do I drywall the ceiling in the rooms the same thickness as the walls which are going to be done with 1/2" drywall if not what thickness do I use for the ceilings?

Do I put a layer of insulation above the ceiling drywall or in the roof rafters or just put insulation above all the ceilings of the cottage? There is a big area from ceiling to roof to cover (I guess you could call it kinda like a attic),it is a straight/standard peak roof.

Also here's a geeky question - All the little mices will have a nice little spot to run around above the ceiling and nest in the insulation. Yuck! I guess there isn't a way to prevent this or limit them from nesting up there?

I am in Tiny Beaches area.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

I know insulation is very important and am not disparaging it's use, but why worry about it in a building that will not be occupied, nor heated through the winter. Insulate for creature comfort when it IS occupied, by all means. If it is not heated, insulation will just sit there and have no effect on the "coldness" inside the cabin. There's nothing to insulate against, nor is there any differential in temperature. If it gets to 4 degrees outside, it will be 4 degrees inside.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

An insulated non conditioned bldg will become the same temp as outside but the insulation will slow down the temperature transfer time. Attic insulation goes next to the ceiling. You want air flow from the soffit vents to the ridge or gable vent to help remove heat or moist air from the attic space.



5/8" drywall is used on ceilings, especially if the ceiling joists are on 24" centers. 1/2" can be used if the framing is on 16" centers.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

As the two previous posts mention, insulation will slow the heat movement between inside and out. Since it is not winterized, keeping heat in doesn't concern you. Insulation will slow outside summer heat coming in, but is it worth the cost and effort. Knowing Tiny Beaches, you are not likely to be out in the open with the sun pounding down on the building all day. Open up the windows and doors if you are positioned to get a lake breeze, button it up if it's a dead air day. You can only do so much about summer humidity.
The attic space gets hot both from heated air rising from the living space as well as the radiant heat from the roof (depends on how shaded you are). If you want to insulate, you insulate the ceiling, not the roof.

About mice, welcome to a never ending battle. You best course is eliminating any place they can get in; soffits, fascias, plumbing, gables, etc. but I'm guessing a 60s-built cottage has holes you can't even see.

Does the cottage actually have a crawl space; i.e. concrete foundation and short walls or is it just raised off the ground on piers?


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## ksmith5 (Sep 17, 2020)

No it isn't really a crawl space it's kinda just an area for accessing plumbing, wiring, etc if need be but the height isn't very much like 3-4 feet under the cottage. No concrete floor under cottage it has all sand as the floor fully under the cottage. Brick around the cottage as the base then wooden walls with vinyl siding. Not located on beach front either and the cottage isn't raised up with piers/pillars/posts. Basically the under ground wiring comes up into the rooms and the plumbing to kitchen and bathroom. Initially my dad built the cottage and was planning on putting heating venting I believe under cottage to feed to the vents into the rooms but that never happened unfortunately. Thanks everyone who is answering my questions, I greatly appreciate it so very much.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

I'm a tad confused, because 3-4' of brick isn't usually seen as foundation but, hey, with something 'dad-built' 60 years ago, anything is possible and if it hasn't sunk into the sand by now, can't argue with success. My reason for asking was if it was raised on posts and either not or poorly closed in around the perimeter, I was going to suggest adding critter-proofing to your to-do list because skunks, porcupines, etc. just love living under there and chewing on stuff. Cheers


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## carpdad (Oct 11, 2010)

OP: wondering if the cottage is in one of the nj coastal towns. Seems to fit one of the many older summer beach houses. Leaky but pests may not be one of the problems. Such towns empty out in cold seasons and no food for pests to eat.:smile:


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

carpdad said:


> OP: wondering if the cottage is in one of the nj coastal towns. Seems to fit one of the many older summer beach houses. Leaky but pests may not be one of the problems. Such towns empty out in cold seasons and no food for pests to eat.:smile:


OP is in central Ontario near the west shore of Georgian Bay. Smaller critters like to get into structures to nest, particularly in the winter. The presence of any food is a bonus. Larger ones like the safety and shelters of crawl spaces, attics, etc. It sounds similar to what you are describing in that there are a lot of older seasonal structures - of any number of construction methods and quality - interspersed with old ones that have been extensively modernized and new builds after they knocked down the originals.


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## ksmith5 (Sep 17, 2020)

nj??? not sure what you mean? cottage is located in Tiny Beaches area. Tiny Township (Midland,Penetange area), Ontario, Canada. Thanks again for all your help and advice.


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## carpdad (Oct 11, 2010)

OP, sorry, just maybe a comparison but glanced over and quickly forgotten, your post about the location.


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