Ignoring the more trivial issues that can be associated with a retrofit insulation job, such as protruding sharp nails, which are typically present and can take you by surprise (by the way, it pays to scan the area for these before you get stuck right into it), there are some circumstances that have the potential to either make or break the insulation installer.
It Starts with Sweltering Conditions Inside the Roof Space
The installer checks the weather forecast, and automatically braces himself for what will be a hot, tough day. He starts early in the morning and things don’t seem too bad, but he knows from experience that it’s coming. The sun comes out and starts beating down on the roof, making it more and more uncomfortable to work. It is then in the best interest of the installer to get the job over and done with as quickly as possible. The question may eventually be raised of whether or not it’s safe to even be inside the roof, as it can quickly heat up well beyond the outside temperature.
Can’t Fit the Bags Through the Manhole
Unfortunately, there are several more circumstances out of the installer’s control that will slow down the process considerably. The first is the question of the manhole. Roof insulation comes in bags which normally fit through easily enough, but some manholes are just too small for the insulation bags to fit through. Even if they barely do fit through the opening, low hanging rafters can make the job of pushing the bags into the ceiling space impossible. Then the installer often has no choice but to split open the bag and feed the insulation batts through the hole manually. This is not a pleasant task, especially if he is on his own.
Low Pitched Roofs You Can Hardly Sit Up In
Low pitched roof can easily be spotted from the outside. In the worst cases, installers are barely able to sit up on their knees whilst installing the ceiling insulation. The outer corners or edges are entirely out of reach and the insulation for these parts will only be able to be fitted using a long installer’s stick (which is usually nothing more than a broom stick or similar with a nail sticking out at the end) from an awkward crouching position.
Uneven Spacing in Retrofit Ceiling Insulation
You could possibly survive all of the above without the final nail on the coffin: uneven spacing between the ceiling joists. This basically means that all the roof insulation segments will either need to be cut to size, or have additional small pieces of insulation fitted into the gaps to adequately secure them into place and to achieve a satisfactory performance r-value. Considering the areas that are out of reach and must be accessed with a mere stick and nail, this can be quite the juggling act.
As you may well understand, the worst retrofit ceiling insulation jobs are not for the faint hearted.