# How to Vent and Insulate an Enclosed Porch Converted to an Entry Room



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

It would be best to go back an add where you live to your profile.
Where you live makes a big differance when it comes to insulation.


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## psubaron (Feb 3, 2011)

Good point.... I live near Philadelphia.


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## psubaron (Feb 3, 2011)

joecaption said:


> It would be best to go back an add where you live to your profile.
> Where you live makes a big differance when it comes to insulation.


Hi Joe, what is your opinion of what I should do here? Thanks!


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Is the roof currently vented? Do you have intake air (i.e. soffits or lower vents)?


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## psubaron (Feb 3, 2011)

There are vented soffits but that's it.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Baffles at the eave (sealed and locked in place with SPF is fine), seal up the top plates of the drywall, install ridge vent, blow R-50.


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## psubaron (Feb 3, 2011)

I can't install a ridge vent because there is nowhere to put one. I should have attached a photo of the outside of the room before ....here it is.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Put in roof louvers then.


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## psubaron (Feb 3, 2011)

I was doing some research today and saw that radiant barriers installed onto the rafters significantly reduces the temperature in the attic space.

At this point I am considering installing a radiant barrier onto the rafters, rigid foam board over that onto the rafters and spray foaming the seams. Then I will have to add a louver vent near the chimney so the hot air can rise and escape. Then i would install roxul wool batts in the 2 x 6 ceiling beams, add a vapor barrier and drywall. I NEED SOME OPINIONS HERE FROM EXPERTS...thanks guys!


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

How are you planing on venting between the rafters?

Are you trying to put up a cathedral type ceiling? If not, your plan is flawed as radiant barriers are not a replacement for a proper insulation layer and certainly not in PA.

If you are doing a standard drywall ceiling with attic space, skip all of the idea you just posted and just vent the soffits, the roof louver, and blow in an R-49 after you seal the top plates.

What you just posted with the rigid foam, radiant barrier, etc is a recipe for disaster from a vapor trap standpoint as you would be stacking vapor retarder layers.


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## psubaron (Feb 3, 2011)

Between the plywood and top of rafters are furring strips which means there's about a 1 inch space between the plywood and the top of each rafter. Because of this the hot air can't be trapped by the install of the rigid foam on the underside of rafters and would travel through this space to the highest point where I would install the louver vent. 

My idea was to install rigid foam with a radiant barrier to the underside of rafters and sealing gaps between, making a channel for air flow from soffits to louver. Then I would install high r value batts and vapor barrier between the 2 x 6s in the standard eight foot ceiling and install drywall over that.

Please let me know if there's anything wrong with that plan. I appreciate your advice.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Unless you have continuous soffits and they are open the entire full perimeter on the bottom and the top, you can get moisture trapped in between.

There is no real issue (provided the air flow is continuous), except the expense. Why bother with the expensive foam if you can just loose fill it and get all the R-Value you need anyway. If you are worried about R-Value where the roof is tight to the ceiling, use rigid board in those locations and get the r-value up without obstructing the soffits.


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## psubaron (Feb 3, 2011)

Windows on Wash said:


> How are you planing on venting between the rafters?
> 
> Are you trying to put up a cathedral type ceiling? If not, your plan is flawed as radiant barriers are not a replacement for a proper insulation layer and certainly not in PA.
> 
> ...



In this post you suggested to "vent the soffits and blow in R-49". Do you mean to leave the soffit/rafter space open? And how would I blow in the insulation? My ceiling is std 8ft. I plan to add some can lights, a room fan mount and drywall. In your plan how would I get blown in insulation behind the drywall?


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## psubaron (Feb 3, 2011)

Windows on Wash said:


> Unless you have continuous soffits and they are open the entire full perimeter on the bottom and the top, you can get moisture trapped in between.
> 
> There is no real issue (provided the air flow is continuous), except the expense. Why bother with the expensive foam if you can just loose fill it and get all the R-Value you need anyway. If you are worried about R-Value where the roof is tight to the ceiling, use rigid board in those locations and get the r-value up without obstructing the soffits.


The soffit vents are fully open around the perimeter and it has good air flow. Currently there are no vents at the top. Its been like this for years already. Maybe its been okay in the summer months because it doesn't get direct sunlight til 4-5pm in the day? The main problem I have had was cold air blowing into the room from above the ceiling and warming of the room in summer due to poorly ventilated and insulated space about ceiling. 

I plan to put at least one louver vent near the chimney (high point).

Basically I need to block the heavy blowing winter air (soffits allow a continuous cold air stream) from cooling the room during winter months and robbing me of my heat. Also during summer I want to block off the heat from getting in the ceiling space and heating up that room. That's where I have seen the radiant barrier to be useful. People report that the rooms are 10-20 degrees cooler after installing over the rafters.

Please advise. You seem to have good ideas. Thanks.


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