Insulating a 100yr old pyramid shaped roof
Last Post 06 Aug 2020 10:53 AM by newbostonconst. 1 Replies.
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CasaDelGatoUser is Offline
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06 Aug 2020 05:06 AM
I'm back to working on this old farmhouse.
The upstairs area was probably originally an attic, and had been converted to living space a long time ago.
The rafters are 2x4, 12/12 pitch.  House is square, so the roof is a pyramid.
It currently has some 2" foam board insulation (often poorly fit with large gaps) under the (badly installed) drywall on the rafters.  (Note that all this work is being done due to a bunch of interior fire damage)
I'd like to make the roof decently insulated so the upstairs doesn't roast/freeze.
I may build it thicker using horizontal 2x4's. Fiberglass would probably be easiest to install - though leaving venting space is a problem.
The main problem is that there is NO venting of any kind. 
It's hard to do a ridge vent on all 4 of the pyramid ridges, and doing one at the peak will only vent the 4 center rafter runs.
I was thinking that if I did put a peak vent in, and then set it up so the horizontal 2x4's leave a inch or two open at the top, this would leave an gap up the length of the ridge to the peak. (though the flow would be up the underside of the roof to the ridge, then have to flow sideways over the old rafter in the gap left by the horizontal 2x4's)

Would that work?
Other suggestions?
Note that I'm in WA state, just a bit north of Seattle.

The roofing is only a few years old, so I'd rather not do major changes to it.
newbostonconstUser is Offline
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06 Aug 2020 10:53 AM
Might be less work to just remove the whole roof and put a gable roof on it....How are the shingles?

I took the roof off our old 1950's bungle (was 30' by 30') and made everything easier. Fixing crappy drywall and insulation sucks....

And you can gain square footage that will pay you back a lot when you sell. Like cover the cost of it all. If you add 300 sqft that will add $30,000 value for $100 per sqft cost at time of sale.

We got a crane and lifted it off in 2 sections 12,000 lbs each and burned...Good Luck.
"Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience." George Carlins
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