Ceiling Insulation

[perhamus]

Hi- I wish I had found this forum earlier, as it would have been helpful. I just had a nice 3BR, 3Bath, kitchen, large living room house with front and back porch. It has a 5' tall crawl space. A/C in each BR. Cement house, with black windows, screens, etc. I am retired, living in Sukhothai. I had worked at money things and built 10 houses in New York State, doing all the work. Sukhothai is not as modern as many places, so I had to do things a little differently.

I quickly learned that I must hire good people and let them do their best. The builder did not want to insulate the ceiling, but insisted on Aluminum paper just under roof tile. A good Idea. He would not put in rotating roof vents. Instead of fighting with him, I retrofitted. I had 2 rotating roof ventillators added, after he was done. I put insulation in the ceiling later. I suspended a 24" fan under one of the ventillators and wired it to a switch that also ran an bathroom fan. I turn it on at night. A 30" ceiling access door is left open and the air is pulled up and out. Can I get closed cell foam insulation in bags? Where? How much? The way they suspend gypsum made insulating difficult and the ceiling needs much more insulation- Any ideas welcomed- John

[pluto_manibo]

Yes, you can. I think they are called "HI Kool" or "Stay Kool". They come in aluminium foil bags of around 4 meters-5 meters. You can find them in Home mart or Home Pro. I think they keep the room cooler by about 1-2 degrees Celsius. Good luck!

[katabeachbum]

Yes, you can. I think they are called "HI Kool" or "Stay Kool". They come in aluminium foil bags of around 4 meters-5 meters. You can find them in Home mart or Home Pro. I think they keep the room cooler by about 1-2 degrees Celsius. Good luck!

yepp, 5 or 10 meters rolls, 90-100cm wide. 5 mm (1/5 inch) with aluminum one side equals 3 inches of fiberwool insulation. also comes in sheets 2 feet x 2 feet.

ROI for aircon rooms 25C 10 hours a night is approx 2 years for ceiling only

[SanSaiExPat]

Yes, you can. I think they are called "HI Kool" or "Stay Kool". They come in aluminium foil bags of around 4 meters-5 meters. You can find them in Home mart or Home Pro. I think they keep the room cooler by about 1-2 degrees Celsius. Good luck!

yepp, 5 or 10 meters rolls, 90-100cm wide. 5 mm (1/5 inch) with aluminum one side equals 3 inches of fiberwool insulation. also comes in sheets 2 feet x 2 feet.

ROI for aircon rooms 25C 10 hours a night is approx 2 years for ceiling only

Do you lay the bags on the ceiling board or do you somehow attach it under the tiles?

[apetley]

Yes, you can. I think they are called "HI Kool" or "Stay Kool". They come in aluminium foil bags of around 4 meters-5 meters. You can find them in Home mart or Home Pro. I think they keep the room cooler by about 1-2 degrees Celsius. Good luck!

yepp, 5 or 10 meters rolls, 90-100cm wide. 5 mm (1/5 inch) with aluminum one side equals 3 inches of fiberwool insulation. also comes in sheets 2 feet x 2 feet.

ROI for aircon rooms 25C 10 hours a night is approx 2 years for ceiling only

Do you lay the bags on the ceiling board or do you somehow attach it under the tiles?

Ours were laid on the ceiling board.

Op was right about the ceiling suspension wires getting in the way of fitting but our labourers carefully cut slits in the bags where it clashed with the wire and retaped it.

Edited June 22, 2010 by apetley

[powderpuff]

Buy the stuff in rolls, roll it out & cut to fit. Can use multiple layers if you wish.

[tangcoral]

I am planning to purchase "stay cool" insulation for my ceiling.

They come in various thickness, but the one I am looking at is the 6inch or 3inch

Why would one go with the thinner one other than the cost?

I would imagine thicker would be better or depends on my application.?

And the r value I was was 37.

[janverbeem]

I am planning to purchase "stay cool" insulation for my ceiling.

They come in various thickness, but the one I am looking at is the 6inch or 3inch

Why would one go with the thinner one other than the cost?

I would imagine thicker would be better or depends on my application.?

And the r value I was was 37.

Take a closer look and you will see that the value you mention is Rt value which is different from R value.The R value will be around 12 .For your further information,Global house sells a similar product at half the price of homemart end homepro.

[craigt3365]

Great advise! I am also looking at roll insulation and ceiling fans/whirlybirds. I had a guy come over and said he could not do whirlybirds as the roof won't support it. It is the tile type with roof tiles that hang on aluminum "stringers" that run horizontally and across the vertical metal supports. He said it would be quite a bit of money to build the necessary supports to install the whirlybirds.

So...now looking at roof insulation. We have a gypsum ceiling. My concern is all the exposed lighting wires up there. Back home, I would buy "cans" that covered the lighting. Have not been able to find them here. So not sure what I am going to do.

But like mentioned above, the builder said insulation was a waste of money. I should have listed to my "inner voice" and done it anyway. ROI in 2 years is pretty good. I'll head over to Global House and see if they have a company they work with that does the installation.

[Beardog]

Great advise! I am also looking at roll insulation and ceiling fans/whirlybirds. I had a guy come over and said he could not do whirlybirds as the roof won't support it. It is the tile type with roof tiles that hang on aluminum "stringers" that run horizontally and across the vertical metal supports. He said it would be quite a bit of money to build the necessary supports to install the whirlybirds.

So...now looking at roof insulation. We have a gypsum ceiling. My concern is all the exposed lighting wires up there. Back home, I would buy "cans" that covered the lighting. Have not been able to find them here. So not sure what I am going to do.

But like mentioned above, the builder said insulation was a waste of money. I should have listed to my "inner voice" and done it anyway. ROI in 2 years is pretty good. I'll head over to Global House and see if they have a company they work with that does the installation.

Craig I really do not think whirly birds do jack shit. When we lived in Soi Kaoh Talo we rented a place with 4 huge whirly birds that made a hell of a racket & I went up in the attic & took a temperature reading n 6 spots of the interior roof to see what it was then Jammed some wood to stop all 4 birds & checked them days later (same time of day -same 36 degree heat )& it was identical to the temperature when they were working, I kept the wood jams in to keep the howling down & it stayed the same grueling unbearable heat in the attic.

I think Naam has the best info on adding fans to help cool down the house & unfortunately Thailand is a baking desert & I agree with his assessment that along with active or passive cooling (or both)Ac is needed when it gets unbearable in hot season. Luckily our homes in our area has a good amount of wind to add some cooling affect. Whirly birds are Imho a waste of money & building materials that can be more wisely spent on fans that actually do something.

Edited February 11, 2011 by Beardog

[craigt3365]

Great advise! I am also looking at roll insulation and ceiling fans/whirlybirds. I had a guy come over and said he could not do whirlybirds as the roof won't support it. It is the tile type with roof tiles that hang on aluminum "stringers" that run horizontally and across the vertical metal supports. He said it would be quite a bit of money to build the necessary supports to install the whirlybirds.

So...now looking at roof insulation. We have a gypsum ceiling. My concern is all the exposed lighting wires up there. Back home, I would buy "cans" that covered the lighting. Have not been able to find them here. So not sure what I am going to do.

But like mentioned above, the builder said insulation was a waste of money. I should have listed to my "inner voice" and done it anyway. ROI in 2 years is pretty good. I'll head over to Global House and see if they have a company they work with that does the installation.

Craig I really do not think whirly birds do jack shit. When we lived in Soi Kaoh Talo we rented a place with 4 huge whirly birds that made a hell of a racket & I went up in the attic & took a temperature reading n 6 spots of the interior roof to see what it was then Jammed some wood to stop all 4 birds & checked them days later (same time of day -same 36 degree heat )& it was identical to the temperature when they were working, I kept the wood jams in to keep the howling down & it stayed the same grueling unbearable heat in the attic.

I think Naam has the best info on adding fans to help cool down the house & unfortunately Thailand is a baking desert & I agree with his assessment that along with active or passive cooling (or both)Ac is needed when it gets unbearable in hot season. Luckily our homes in our area has a good amount of wind to add some cooling affect. Whirly birds are Imho a waste of money & building materials that can be more wisely spent on fans that actually do something.

Good point. I did hear from another member who said he put some kind of fan up in his attic...but that it made a hell of a racket. Bummer.

What do you think about ceiling insulation? The roll type like they use to have sitting outside HomeWorks? I'm still debating that one, but with the wiring mess up in the attic, not sure it's the best idea.

I would love to have the "cooling" system Naam has, but if I am not mistaken, he had that built into his house...I'm stuck with what I have!

[Naam]

Great advise! I am also looking at roll insulation and ceiling fans/whirlybirds. I had a guy come over and said he could not do whirlybirds as the roof won't support it. It is the tile type with roof tiles that hang on aluminum "stringers" that run horizontally and across the vertical metal supports. He said it would be quite a bit of money to build the necessary supports to install the whirlybirds.

So...now looking at roof insulation. We have a gypsum ceiling. My concern is all the exposed lighting wires up there. Back home, I would buy "cans" that covered the lighting. Have not been able to find them here. So not sure what I am going to do.

But like mentioned above, the builder said insulation was a waste of money. I should have listed to my "inner voice" and done it anyway. ROI in 2 years is pretty good. I'll head over to Global House and see if they have a company they work with that does the installation.

Craig I really do not think whirly birds do jack shit. When we lived in Soi Kaoh Talo we rented a place with 4 huge whirly birds that made a hell of a racket & I went up in the attic & took a temperature reading n 6 spots of the interior roof to see what it was then Jammed some wood to stop all 4 birds & checked them days later (same time of day -same 36 degree heat )& it was identical to the temperature when they were working, I kept the wood jams in to keep the howling down & it stayed the same grueling unbearable heat in the attic.

I think Naam has the best info on adding fans to help cool down the house & unfortunately Thailand is a baking desert & I agree with his assessment that along with active or passive cooling (or both)Ac is needed when it gets unbearable in hot season. Luckily our homes in our area has a good amount of wind to add some cooling affect. Whirly birds are Imho a waste of money & building materials that can be more wisely spent on fans that actually do something.

Good point. I did hear from another member who said he put some kind of fan up in his attic...but that it made a hell of a racket. Bummer.

What do you think about ceiling insulation? The roll type like they use to have sitting outside HomeWorks? I'm still debating that one, but with the wiring mess up in the attic, not sure it's the best idea.

I would love to have the "cooling" system Naam has, but if I am not mistaken, he had that built into his house...I'm stuck with what I have!

a few important points:

-whirly birds work when there's a good breeze to drive them

-whirly birds hamper attic ventilation when there's no breeze or not enough breeze

-ideal is an electrical exhaust fan to prevent hot air built-up in the attic

-power of the fan depends mainly on the roof area and partly on attic volume, rule of thumb 100watts per m²

besides roof ventilation an ideal addition to save on aircon energy is a "whole house fan". in a fully airconditioned home where slow cross ventilation is abhored (like mine) a powerful fan is used for a short time during the cooler hours to supply fresh air to the house. in the cooler months november till february i am cooling down the whole house (except the airconditioned master-bedroom where Mrs Naam sleeps late because she is a night owl) with the outside ambient temperature by running the fan from 04.00hrs till 07.00hrs. reason for the rather long runtime is that not only the inside air is replaced by cool air but floors and walls too (which is important).

both, attic and whole-house fan are available at fair prices and one doesn't need the golddust/diamond setup with frequency regulators. important is to find an easy mounting way. on the roof itself there's the danger of leakage due to shoddy installation. if the house has gables (mine does not) then installation of an attic fan is a breeze whereas installation of a whole-house can be a bit tricky. in my case it took quite some time to explain to the builder "why, where and how exactly i want the fan to be placed".

ceiling insulation is another tricky problem due to the supports (hanging straps) of the gypsum ceilings. blown-in insulation is (to the best of my knowledge) not available in Thailand. adding any other insulation is half-assed and of course a pain in the àss. ideal but extremely expenses is hard foam sprayed directly on the ceiling boards. prices vary between 450 and 500 Baht per m² for a minimum thickness of 2" (5cm) which gives you an R-value of approximately R30-R40.

completely useless is (done often in Thailand) aluminium foil (aluminum for our American friends ) under the roof tiles or foam sprayed in 5mm thickness on the inside of the tiles. a lot of people will now crucify me for my claim and swear all holy oaths that because of that they don't need AC in their homes

[craigt3365]

a few important points:

-whirly birds work when there's a good breeze to drive them

-whirly birds hamper attic ventilation when there's no breeze or not enough breeze

-ideal is an electrical exhaust fan to prevent hot air built-up in the attic

-power of the fan depends mainly on the roof area and partly on attic volume, rule of thumb 100watts per m²

besides roof ventilation an ideal addition to save on aircon energy is a "whole house fan". in a fully airconditioned home where slow cross ventilation is abhored (like mine) a powerful fan is used for a short time during the cooler hours to supply fresh air to the house. in the cooler months november till february i am cooling down the whole house (except the airconditioned master-bedroom where Mrs Naam sleeps late because she is a night owl) with the outside ambient temperature by running the fan from 04.00hrs till 07.00hrs. reason for the rather long runtime is that not only the inside air is replaced by cool air but floors and walls too (which is important).

both, attic and whole-house fan are available at fair prices and one doesn't need the golddust/diamond setup with frequency regulators. important is to find an easy mounting way. on the roof itself there's the danger of leakage due to shoddy installation. if the house has gables (mine does not) then installation of an attic fan is a breeze whereas installation of a whole-house can be a bit tricky. in my case it took quite some time to explain to the builder "why, where and how exactly i want the fan to be placed".

ceiling insulation is another tricky problem due to the supports (hanging straps) of the gypsum ceilings. blown-in insulation is (to the best of my knowledge) not available in Thailand. adding any other insulation is half-assed and of course a pain in the àss. ideal but extremely expenses is hard foam sprayed directly on the ceiling boards. prices vary between 450 and 500 Baht per m² for a minimum thickness of 2" (5cm) which gives you an R-value of approximately R30-R40.

completely useless is (done often in Thailand) aluminium foil (aluminum for our American friends ) under the roof tiles or foam sprayed in 5mm thickness on the inside of the tiles. a lot of people will now crucify me for my claim and swear all holy oaths that because of that they don't need AC in their homes

I installed a thermostat controlled attic fan in my house in San Diego. Extremely easy as I had gables...as you mention. Don't have them here!

I think it will be a pain to get that done properly here...so might have to pass on this all together. We are near the Ambassador....so close to the sea. We get pretty darn good breezes every day. I do open several doors and windows when I get up around 7am. And for sure it does cool things off a bit. And yes, like yours, wifey stays in her AC master bedroom until a bit latter in the day! And it keeps that room really cool for hours after we turn off the AC as the tiles, etc, retained the coolness.

I notice that around 11am, it is hotter outside than inside! So we sometimes just keep the house closed up until the sun goes down...sometimes using the AC...but only during the hotter months.

Ceiling insulation. Blown in is what we used in my Mother's house in the US. Great R-value....but never seen it here. Plus, with the wiring mess that's up there, not sure I really want to do that!!!! Might have to just suck it in and pay an extra 1-2k baht per month to keep the place cool....not a big deal. I'm just trying to be ecologically sensitive, and potentially save a few satang!!!

[doglover]

So...now looking at roof insulation. We have a gypsum ceiling. My concern is all the exposed lighting wires up there. Back home, I would buy "cans" that covered the lighting. Have not been able to find them here. So not sure what I am going to do.

Maybe there will be a better suggestion but this is mine...(for which I accept no liability). Back home (Canada) we install metal junction boxes to house the wiring splices and then also hang/mount lights, fans and devices from/to the 2 mounting screws that come with the JB's. Pot lights come with there own "pot" as part of the fixture and need no JB as there is an enclosure within the fixture for the splices. So I am unaware of any "can" you just slap over the top of splices left out in the open attic space with no enclosure (typical Thai style). I would just lay the rolls of insulation over top of the mess of stray wires and tape the seams as normal. For any splices of the wiring I would cut out a hole in the insulation leaving 2 - 3 inches from the splices and accept that these will be small hot spots in your ceiling. Hopefully the electrician only used splices above the light fixtures themselves and then the positive of this hotspot is it will vent the heat from your lights when they are on (negative situation though with a whole house fan). But likely he also used splices at the top of your wall above many outlets and only ran down 1 set of wires rather than 2 sets which would have eliminated the need for a splice in the case of receptacles. I mention this cuz you should really insulate the top section of each wall that protrudes up into the attic space.

completely useless is (done often in Thailand) aluminium foil (aluminum for our American friends ) under the roof tiles or foam sprayed in 5mm thickness on the inside of the tiles. a lot of people will now crucify me for my claim and swear all holy oaths that because of that they don't need AC in their homes

Aluminum for many of your Canadian friends as well... you've given me many a laugh Naam!

I am aware of your credentials Naam. So this is a question and not an attempt at crucification.... I agree with your statement but with a ventilated ridge not so sure. Would you say there would be some value to using aluminium foil under the roof tiles if accompanied by a ridge vent system such as offered from C-Pac for the Monier line? Not sure of the name of the product but have you seen the ridge set that sort of goosenecks at the top with an opening pointing down which would allow hot air to vent at the peak? (Not sure how much rain they let in during nasty storms though). I figure that with the foil and this ridge set used as a combo it would help keep heat levels down in the attic (i would install the opening on the downwind side of predominant wind direction to create a minute vacuum effect and to keep the heat from fighting the wind). I'm thinking this is sure to provide a benefit if no fans are used for ventilation. What I'm unsure of.... Is this just a waste of cash when used in tandem with thermostatically controlled active roof ventilation with this small (but possibly important) variable?

Edited February 11, 2011 by doglover

[Naam]

I am aware of your credentials Naam. So this is a question and not an attempt at crucification.... I agree with your statement but with a ventilated ridge not so sure. Would you say there would be some value to using aluminium foil under the roof tiles if accompanied by a ridge vent system such as offered from C-Pac for the Monier line?

i am well aware of ridge vents and their functions Doglover. where i see problems is that most homes in Thailand have hip roofs (Craig mentioned "no gables") with no or only a few short horizontal ridges. and with the often accompanying high winds during the rainy season in Thailand i wouldn't dare to install a ridge vent on any sloping ridge no matter how steep the gradient. aluminium foil (aluminum for our Canadian and American friends ) installed directly under the tiles acts no doubt as a radiation barrier but its function is without any additional effect if the attic is properly ventilated. and as far as ventilation is concerned i bet my [not so] sweet butt that the ideal solution is forced ventilation by an electrically driven exhaust fan who's energy input is a fraction of the energy you can save when it concerns cooling by aircondition.

roof fans, which cost peanuts (abroad), even those with an adjustable thermostat are neither available nor is the installation simple. installing them on roofs of homes built U.S./Canadian style is a breeze. here's a satellite picture of my former home in Florida with six huge roof fans (one of them ventilates the enclosed pool area) which i could switch manually or let them run triggered by their thermostats.

[Naam]

Back home (Canada) we install metal junction boxes to house the wiring splices...

take a wild guess whether all wiring in the attic of my house in Thailand is in pipes and junction boxes

[craigt3365]

Thanks for the comments, guys! I guess I need to research this a bit more...and perhaps get a quote from a tradesman. My current contractor doesn't think it's a good idea, but that's because he doesn't understand it.

My Mom's house in Vegas has roof vents. They are individual roof tiles that have vents built into them and are scattered about the roof.

Agree that with our "horizontal" rain here, they might not be a good idea!!!!

[bbradsby]

For this climate, R-30 ceiling insulation value is adequate, with radiant barrier -aluminum - on top if you can spring for it. You also must build gyp board boxes or other noncombustible spacers around your recessed light fixtures to avoid an overheating condition unless they are dedicated fluorescent fixtures, or are labeled as IC, "in-contact" (with insulation) - not bloody likely in LOS. The MR-16 lamped fixtures so popular here ( I don't recommend them except for the rare accent spot or retail display lighting) produce prodigious heat, so beware.

Minimum attic ventilation formulas per one of the US Codes:

Floor area (square feet) x 300 = free air venting required (in square inches) for hip roofs

Floor area (square feet) x 150 = free air venting required (in square inches) for gabled roofs

BTW, I recommend against un-vented hip roofs in hot climates. If anybody has venting formulas expressed in metric units (i'm too lazy to do a conversion), please do post them!

[Naam]

If anybody has venting formulas expressed in metric units (i'm too lazy to do a conversion), please do post them!

i was about to convert the barbaric sqare feet and inches into civilised metric values when i saw "floor area" which does not take into account the actual roof area exposed to radiation depending on gradients and directions.

that's why i am now sulking and curse (in a low voice that my dogs are not disturbed) all pounds per square inch, acre foot per barrel, bushel per hectopascal, gallons per hogshead, fluid ounces per bavarian beer liter, table spoons per barrel crude oil, jigger per kiloliter, ºK per ºC...

by the way, my verdict on U.S. building codes is "80% complete and obsolete rubbish". i refrain from citing some of my experience when building three homes in Florida. not sure though whether "up north" they promulgate similar rubbish. in the case of my last home i threatened to take the County's Building Department to court if they keep insisting on bullshit².

zat vorked mirakels oond zey finally agreed to giff ze krazy tchermann ze minimum of leevay he demanded vhen building his haus.

[bbradsby]

Yeah, I think the US Code's venting area calcs take into account 'some' assumed overhang of the roof eaves, but provide for no adjustment factor between Desert Hot Springs & Duluth in the Arctic Blue North... silly. but a benchmark is better than nothing in a merchant builder culture.

The US Codes are broad-brush, one-size-fits-all, and very politically based in their development. Anything smart that may cost a merchant builder or developer one Red Cent (ah, think 9/11 and dedicated Fireman's lifts in high-rises - as required forever in other countries' Codes) quickly gets axed in the pursuit of the almighty dolla, I mean renminbi. Then there's the clown factor with the local plan checkers/inspectors. Saw more than one stumbling drunk coming back from lunch - followed them to make sure they were the ones reviewing my projects

[grin]

We had the 6 inch Stay Cool rolls installed over our suspended sheetrock (or drywall or gypsum depending on where you are from) ceilings. I just inspected the work recently and discovered that the builder did not do a great job. First they made no cuts to go around the suspension wires. They just scrunched up the insulation on one side and left a gap on the other side. I will have to get this fixed.

I noticed two other things that I have questions about. Does the insulation need to be taped up where the ends are cut? I.e. does each piece need to be airtight?

Do the seams between two rolls lying next to each other need to be taped? It seems to me that if the the whole ceiling space is more airtight then it is better insulated.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[bbradsby]

We had the 6 inch Stay Cool rolls installed over our suspended sheetrock (or drywall or gypsum depending on where you are from) ceilings. I just inspected the work recently and discovered that the builder did not do a great job. First they made no cuts to go around the suspension wires. They just scrunched up the insulation on one side and left a gap on the other side. I will have to get this fixed.

I noticed two other things that I have questions about. Does the insulation need to be taped up where the ends are cut? I.e. does each piece need to be airtight?

Do the seams between two rolls lying next to each other need to be taped? It seems to me that if the the whole ceiling space is more airtight then it is better insulated.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

No need to tape the ends & edges of the insulation batts - you're creating a dead air space within the batts - but they must be snug against each other without gaps, and adjacent construction such as walls in order to not have energy leaks. YOu actually don't want the assembly to prevent water vapor migration else you could create mold habitat. So if the batts are plastic bags, taping of joints would be a problem!

[grin]

No need to tape the ends & edges of the insulation batts - you're creating a dead air space within the batts - but they must be snug against each other without gaps, and adjacent construction such as walls in order to not have energy leaks. YOu actually don't want the assembly to prevent water vapor migration else you could create mold habitat. So if the batts are plastic bags, taping of joints would be a problem!

Great, that leaves me with a manageable amount of work that I can do myself before it gets too hot to work up there.

[Naam]

The US Codes are broad-brush, one-size-fits-all, and very politically based in their development.

minimum required distance between a toilet (commode if you are American) and a bidet (that thingy in which vegetables are washed) is 2'6" / 76cm. when i argued that we don't dance between toilet and bidet but just move from one to the other to wash our behinds after pooing the answer was "there must be an existing valid reason for that code to exist".

[chaihot]

I also want to use the SCG Stay Kool roll insulation but I have *NO* interest in doing the work to lay it and tape around the supports, etc.

Do any of you know someone in Pattaya area that does this work ... or HAS done this work?

I asked a contractor the other day, but he can't find anyone who has actually done the work before. I really don't want my job to be a "learning job".

Thanks

[craigt3365]

I also want to use the SCG Stay Kool roll insulation but I have *NO* interest in doing the work to lay it and tape around the supports, etc.

Do any of you know someone in Pattaya area that does this work ... or HAS done this work?

I asked a contractor the other day, but he can't find anyone who has actually done the work before. I really don't want my job to be a "learning job".

Thanks

If you locate somebody, please let us know! I am considering this also, but want a price quote first. I was thinking of asking at HomePro/Works/Global House and see if they can recommend a contractor....but have not done this yet. The 2 guys I work with have never done this before....so....like you...don't want to be the one who pays for them to learn how to do this!

[chaihot]

I was thinking of asking at HomePro/Works/Global House and see if they can recommend a contractor....

This thread has aged somewhat but is still valid.

I did go and ask the store for a recommendation on installation of insulation. They gave me the name of the company who does all their repairs and custom work.

My wife called to inquire about the installation of insulation in our attic. I had already prepped her about what was needed. What they told her both surprises and worries me.

THEY EXPLAINED to her that they do *NOT* cut the insulation rolls. They "push" it around the existing hang-wires (ceiling suspension wires) and use a seal in the un-covered spaces. Further, they do not cut the rolls because the rolls emit a chemical when cut, and that is dangerous (!?).

BTW - we told them our plan was to use the Stay Cool rolls 6" from SCG.

Their reply worries me.

They are scheduled to perform a review of my attic on Wednesday and give their opinion and price on the job. They estimate that installation begins at 80b per sq meter. We have to pay 500b for the review - creditable to the job if we hire them.

We will see ...

[merijn]

There is another solution for insulation your roof.

When i build my house they sprayed to whole roof from the inside with a special sort of expanding foam.

It is delivered in two separate barrels and mixed via a spray gun when they apply it.

They cover the whole roof including the hangers, side boarding etc etc.

The foam expand to about 10 cm and it came with a 10 year guarantee against any roof leakage and no danger any more of roof tiles blowing of in high winds as the foam acts as a glue to the roof tiles and seals everything in.

This stuff works great and is easily done even when the house is already finished as they only an access hatch to the roof.

The temperature dropped about 10 oC under the roof after the foam was installed.

Not cheap but perfect stuff.

Edited May 16, 2011 by merijn

[chaihot]

There is another solution for insulation your roof.

I am insulating the top of the ceiling in the attic, below the roof ... NOT the roof of the house.

[craigt3365]

I asked our air con guy about this a few weeks ago. He said the Home Mart on Suk near S. Pattaya Road does installations. I have not been able to check this out yet, but will in about 3-4 weeks.

I looked into that ceiling spray. Seems interesting, but I have heard of issues with rust...