One of the problems with insulating raised, aka Cathedral ceilings, is that it is… well, a ceiling. The insulation has to be applied underneath it, and usually at an awkward angle. Batting is impossible to attach without extra planks and panels. Rigid foam insulation has to be cut with painstaking precision and then glued onto the ceiling. In other words, it’s a pain in your DIY.
Well, it’s a good thing then that someone came up with the spray foam! Toronto insulation specialists now use only it to solve this problem. But before we tell you about the foam, let’s say a word or two about the raised ceiling.
The Cathedral Ceiling Phenomenon
A relatively recent phenomenon, the cathedral ceiling is essentially attic space that is used for interior design purposes. The effect is of a much-larger indoor space, with lots of room for decoration and storage. A cathedral ceiling essentially means no attic space and the ceiling itself is pretty much the roof. This created the need for some heavy insulation, which the builders didn’t quite address. They often installed inadequately thin batts with some space above them for ventilation.
The result was a whole trend that looked amazing, but felt as cold as an outdoor shed. This beautiful disaster leaked air, released heat, created ice dams and brought in moisture. With moisture in came its two best friends – rot and mould. And if you think that this is bad, consider that some roofers often tried to “solve” the problem by making “improvement” ventilation openings in the roof. Do we need to say that it made it all much worse? Right.
Raised Ceiling Insulation – Done Right
No wonder, therefore, that many homeowners who’d inherited or bought a home with this type of great-looking but often poorly insulated ceiling, are now looking for ways to insulate it properly. The first problem they encounter, as we just mentioned, is moisture.
Moisture can kill everything around it, making drywall stained and sagging, making supporting beams rot and rendering batting insulation soggy and mouldy. When you are contemplating an insulation solution that will solve this problem once and for all, the only one that we can suggest that really works – is foam insulation.
Foam comes in two forms, the open cell and closed cell types. The open cell is when the foam’s bubbles burst as it sets, resulting in a soft, spongy insulation layer. The closed cell type’s bubbles remain intact, creating a firm rigid surface, not unlike styrofoam.
The R-value of the closed cell foam insulation type is 60% higher and it is far more resistant to humidity, staying dry when the open cell foam might become soggy. This way the rigid closed cell foam acts as an air barrier as well as vapor barrier. If moisture does find its way between the insulation and the ceiling, it will usually just slide and drip off, instead of getting absorbed by the softer insulation types.
The advantages of using closed cell foam insulation in your Toronto or Mississauga home are obvious, especially when we consider that the firmer foam will, in addition to its main purposes and advantages, also strengthen the roof deck! Those snow loads that keep us worried in the winter are not going to be such a source of worry anymore. The snow will not make the roof flex down, creating leak points.
This is, of course, not a DIY project. It requires special tools, training and protective equipment to ensure that a safe, reliable insulation job is done. Call Jerry’s Insulating now and enjoy working with the foam insulation Toronto and Mississauga specialists.
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