Insulation, Radiant and Vapor Barriers - Insulation for old sleeping porch

We have an old house in Kansas City built about 1910 that had a sleeping porch that was enclosed in 1935. I know the date because as I was taking some boards off the walls, I found the upper cavities (where it was screened in) stuffed with old newspaper!

The room (about 7'x16') has a flat metal roof and can get very hot in the summertime. I want to put some insulation in the walls and ceiling to help keep the tempature more moderate as I would like to turn it into a playroom for my boys.

I am planning on blowing the wall cavities with cellulose as there is a lot of old paint (leaded) that I would like to avoid disturbing. I will just cover the walls with some fiberboard or sheetrock.

I am not sure what to do with the ceiling though. The roof joists are 2"x4"s and it is divided up into 24 pockets; each about 4'x12''. What is the maximum R-value I can get up there? Is there any way I can get it to R-30?

The smallest width for batting I can find is 15". Can I cut it down to 12"? I suppose I should stick with the 3 1/2" insulation as I've read that compressing it reduces its ability to insulate.

If I blow cellulose in I will have to drill and cover 24 holes. Not the quickest thing to do.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hello tkcent! Welcome to DIY!


I had posted this a couple wks.ago in this forum...

a GREAT link!


http://www.owenscorning.com/around/insulation/insulationhome.asp


It has a detailed project "list" and you can calculate by zip code what you need!

I hope this helps, if you have any ?s, pls write back!

http://www.resercon.com/Insulation.html