Roof details have long been a thorn
in the side for energy-conscious
builders. Providing high insulation
levels, adequate ventilation, and a
continuous vapor barrier is a real
challenge. Among the builders I
interviewed for this article I found a
wide variety of solutions to these
goals, but also some similarities.
Insulated Ceilings
Insulated ceilings (unheated attics)
are not as common as insulated roofs
(cathedral ceilings) among the
builders and designers I spoke with –
most of whom are primarily involved
with custom homes. Al Topping, a
builder in Merrimack, N.H., and
Chuck Silver, an architectural
designer in New Paltz, N.Y., use a
very similar system in which the ceiling
joists are boxed off with a rim
joist, and the rafters are