Open Question

R-13 Batts in Attic Room

Hi David,

The room in your attic may or may not be subject to actual "code" requirements as I understand it to be simply a free standing room in the attic with one wall being an outside wall with dormer.

More to the point would be the question of whether the R-13 batts were sufficient insulation to keep the room comfortable in winter and summer?

You didn't mention what part of the country you live in, and the code or common sense requirements for something like this vary in different parts of the country, from R-13 to R-19 in outside walls.

If you needed to raise the R-value and didn't want to disturb the walls or fiberglass, you could spray some closed cell foam on the outside with a foam insulation kit and tack up some sort of foam board or paneling or something over it for aesthetics (not sure how "visible" and "finished" your attic is), but I would say you probably aren't violating code insofar as the insulation, but I don't know that you are in code as far as electrical, structural and ventilation, etc... and not knowing where you live, means I don't know what "up to code" means insofar as R-value from you question, but I hope these answers help somewhat.

Moose

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