The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Care And Repair Of The House
Concerning Insulating Materials.
While no material will entirely stop the passage of heat through a wall or roof, marked progress has been made in recent years in the manufacture of efficient insulating, materials, many good brands having been placed on the market. Some are made in blanket form of soft, flexible materials, such as felt, wool, hair, and fiber, to be stretched and tucked between the studs, floor joists, and rafters: others come in loose form and can be packed into hollow spaces; and others are in stiff board form to be used as sheathing, plaster base, or merely as insulation.
The manufacturers of insulating materials are usually glad to cooperate with the prospective users by furnishing literature describing their products and giving full instructions for applying them and by also supplying special advice where necessary.
Where Insulation is Most Needed.
The roof is the most exposed part of the house, being subject to the direct rays of the sun in summer and to strong cold winds in winter. In an unfinished attic a great amount of heat is lost through the roof during the winter months. The rapid melting of snow on the roof is evidence of this. In the summertime the heat passes through into the attic, making the temperature in the upper part of the house almost unbearable. It is therefore important that the roof or the upper story of the house be insulated.
How to Improve Conditions.
If the attic is being used and there is necessity for keeping it at a comfortable temperature throughout the year, application of at least one-half inch, preferably more, of good insulation to the underside of the roof rafters or against the roof boards between the rafters is advisable.
If there is no necessity for keeping the attic space at a comfortable temperature, insulation is best applied under the attic floor on top of or between the joists. If there is no floor, a few boards may be laid down to walk upon.
Spaces between the studs at the floor line should be boarded over. This boarding not only blocks the free passage of air from within the walls but also provides a fire stop, which is recommended for good construction.
Attic windows should be weather tight, and if there are louvers, or vents, to admit air, they should be made to close like shutters or be provided with doors on the inside to be closed during severe weather. The louvers should also be screened to keep out insects, especially those which injure woodwork.
