Do Attics With Spray Foam Insulation Need Ventilation

Nope you absolutely do not need to ventilate a spray foam house and here s why.

Do attics with spray foam insulation need ventilation.

Therefore providing mechanical fresh air ventilation is especially important in spray foam houses. The ventilation helps to keep the air fresh in the home the insulation stops warm air from escaping and cold air from leaking in. Earlier this year i got a question about a home that had spray foam insulation in the attic. I have a spray foamed attic.

It has been said that insulating with spray foam insulation at the roof line will lead to moisture problems with the roof sheathing. They know roofing materials underlayments flashing and attic ventilation. We also recommend to do no harm when we. Tell them the attic is to have no ventilation of any type.

Mechanical ventilation systems allow a constant flow of outside air into the home and can also provide filtration dehumidification and conditioning of the incoming outside air. When we seal the attic with spray foam it s as tight as a butter tub. If a blower door test reveals that your spray foam insulation reduced ventilation beyond an acceptable level you may need to install one of these units in your home. One huge benefit of the spray foam insulated attic is that conditioned air leakage from the ac furnace duct system is contained and used to condition the attic.

Some know more than others of course but you should probably assume the worst any time a roofer comes to your spray foam insulated home. A lot of builders and homeowners are going with spray foam insulation because of the airtightness benefits. They need the right level of ventilation but they also require insulation in order to help improve the energy efficiency of the property. Sometimes humidity levels spike in an attic after a spray foam job.

Whereas too little spray foam insulation can leave for thermal bypass because of the complete lack of insulation in the attic. Unvented attic assemblies unvented attics rely on an air impermeable insulation installed to the roof deck s underside i e. However in a traditionally insulated attic insulation on the ceiling the attic is vented. High attic humidity often results from spray foam insulation.

Do attics with spray foam insulation need ventilation. But then the questioner mentioned that the spray foam contractor had intentionally left big holes to the outside by not sealing the gable vents. Moisture is also another huge issue when it comes to spray foam insulation in an attic. Because basically now that attic is a conditioned space.