Sunroom Addition and Insulation

prattden asks,

I'm having my covered patio converted into a sunroom, and was advised to have this area insulated. I contacted an insulation company who told me they wouldn't want to bother just insulating that small space, but would be happy to insulate the entire attic, which is already insulated…for 600 bucks. So I'm thinking of doing the insulation myself. The problem is the area in question is hard to access. I would have to crawl back there, and of course run the risk of stepping through the ceiling, etc. Any advice on how I can accomplish this without putting a hole in my ceiling? Also I have fiberglass insulation, but obviously blowing in insulation is not an option for me, so what kind of insulation should I buy?

Our Answer

I'm seeing two questions here, so let’s address both:

First, I often encounteer sunrooms that are poorly insulated. Typically sunrooms overheat in the summer and are miserably cold during winter. so yes, it's wise to insulate a sunroom properly.
But a more pressing concern: A sunroom on top of a patio is a potential violation of building codes. Patio construction is not the same as home construction. Typically, patios are poured on top of dirt, with no foundation. Converting this into “living space,” then, will most likely violate building code and could potentially reduce the value of your home. I strongly advise looking into this before proceeding, for both safety and resale reasons.

You ask about attic insulation. More insulation is always good, but if the attic is terribly difficult to access, you should consider having this done professionally. Make sure that if fiberglass insulation IS used, you allow for proper attic ventilation. Ridge and soffit is the most popular ventilation for these scenarios, but no matter how you do it, it's crucial that you have free-flowing ventilation throughout the attic; otherwise, the attic will overheat in the summer, getting the fiberglass insulation damp and making it ineffective in winter.