How to insulate sun-room ceiling?

Question

We have a 500 sq foot sun-room attached the back of our home. We use it as a family room and its been a great asset for entertaining. The way the previous owners built it - it is three walls of sliding glass doors (two walls have 2 doors and third wall has 4 doors). There are no walls except for the main one off the home that the sunroom is built off from. We live in So California so we can use the room about 75% of the time - but in the hottest summer or coldest winter (ok, so its only 40 degrees that still cold to us!) its just unusable. The sun-room ceiling is exposed (meaning we the roof is the ceiling) so I was thinking if we insulated the room we might be able to get some control of the heat/cold. I've been searching high and low online to figure out a way to do this & can't find any instructions. I could be phrasing this wrong but its the best way I can describe it - thanks in advance for all of your help!

Answer 1

The best insulation to use in your situation is some kind of closed cell foam. You'll find that in Lowe's or the Home Despot. It comes in 4ft x 8ft sheets. I am assuming you roof structure has 2x6 rafters holding up the roof sheeting [ plywood or OSB ] Nail 1 x 3 furring strips across the 2 x 6's 16 inches on center. If you start at the bottom of the slope of the roof put the 1st 1x3 as far down the slope as you can, nail the next 1x3 so that the center of it is 16 inches up the slope from the lowest edge of the 1st 1x3. The next 1x3 should have the center of that board 16 inches up the slope from the center of the 2nd 1x3. And continue that up to the top of the slope. The last 1x3 probably won't be 16 on center but that is alright. As you do this a light will come on in your head and you will say Oh, that's how this works. Pick up the foam [ probably 1/2 inch thick is good] at where ever, along with a box of 1 1/2 inch roofing nails and some liquid nails construction adhesive. They have adhesive that is specially for use with foam insulation. You'll need a caulking gun if you don't have one. The sheet foam I think has printing on only one side. On the side that has the printing draw lines the length of the sheet 16 inches in from either side so that those lines line up with the 1x3's you nailed to the under side of the roof. When you put the sheet up against the roof 1/2 of the up hill 1x3 should still show. Dry fit the first sheet of foam take it back down apply the adhesive to the lines you drew on the foam. If you have not used this type of caulking before you have to stick something down the nozzle to break the seal. Buy a good caulking gun and it will have built in poker for just that. It this point you should be saying to your self " Oh self that's the way it is done " .You can use thicker foam if you want you just have to use longer roofing nails Before you put the sheet with the adhesive on ti against the under side of the roof use a black marker to show you on the exposed side where the glue lines are so you know where to drive the nails. Once everything is glued and nailed into place you can paint the side of the blue foam that you can see. The foam cuts fairly easily with a utility knife, just use a long straight edge when making cuts

Answer 2

If the roof is the ceiling, that just makes it easier. If I understand correctly, the roof is the ceiling, so you should just buy rolls of insulation, cut them, fit them between the rafters and staple them up. It won't look pretty unless you also want to hang sheetrock. When working with insulation always wear a dust mask and cover your arms and legs and have baby power handy.



No matter what, you will be losing a significant amount of heat in there unless the sliding glass doors are high quality. Economy-grade sliding doors are usually made from aluminum which is a great conductor of heat meaning in the summer all the heat gets in and in the winter, all the heat goes out. Better doors are made from plastic and the joints are welded together instead of screwed together.

Answer 3

adequate insulation should be installed. the build is best made of blockwork, double glazed u-pvc windows, with damp proof courses(D.P.C), insulation in roof space or between rafters and D.P.C under roof tiles.

Answer 4

(meaning we the roof is the ceiling) means what?