Insulating above stairway ceiling?

[Ironman1079]

i have a 2 story cape cod.

i noticed since it has been snowing that when i stand outside house and look at roof, that the area above my stairway going upstairs is not covered with snow and that heating is escaping through there.

on top of it is no insulation, but how can i get insulation in between the plaster ceiling on the stairway and between the roof deck?

thanks

jr

[Wgoodrich]

Sounds like your ceiling joists above your stairs are also the rafters. If this is the case then you might be able to take a blow in machine shoving the hose down those rafter spaces to the bottom then blowing in insulation pulling the hose as the insulation fills those cavities. Be sure to slide a foam shoot down each rafter space to ensure a 1" air gap between that insulation and the bottom of the roof decking.

Doubt you will be able to reach full insulation value required in your area for ceilings, depending on size of rafters.

If you have plenty of head room from stair steps to ceiling you may be able to remove the plaster and lathe and install a ceiling joist below the original rafters increasing the area to be able to insulate again maintaining the 1" air gap below the roof decking. Then drywall and finish the new lower ceiling.

Good Luck

Wg

[Ironman1079]

sorry for reposting like 9 months after the original but i never got to the problem and the first downfall of snow this fall/winter i noticed from the outside the same thing and it bothers me again for now.

there is only like 18"s of space above ceiling so going up there is out of the question?

I dont really want to tear down plaster at this time of year so what about those boards of insulation? i mean the ones that come in like 10' pieces and are about 2 feet wide?

Could i possibly slide those up from the bottom behind knee wall. Obviously i would have to cut them in about 3-4' lengths and push them all up.


thanks.

[Bumblerazz]

Trying to slide rigid foam insulation into an area like that will be very difficult , extremely frustrating and not very efficient. Better to pay the increased heating bill until you have the time/opportunity to put in a new ceiling as suggested by Wg. Not having the insulation air tight, or worse, having it air tight without a proper breathing space is just throwing money away, it wouldn't be made up in the savings in heat.