Where to begin with enclosed porch insulation?

4 years ago

Hello! We purchased our home this past year. The previous owner enclosed the screened in porch to make a fourth room. I eventually want to make it a home office when we can't use our third bedroom as one anymore.

Pretty sure it's not insulated. Very, very cold and very, very hot with the changing seasons. And quite a few bugs end up in there. But I'm not totally sure either if that's the case because there's just no duct work so there's no air flow at all.

The floor is concrete (brick on exterior) but I've pulled back the carpet a bit and the floor is definitely concrete. How can I tell if it is insulated or how to go about fixing/insulating it? We have no idea where to start. I have attached pictures if that could help. TIA!

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User

4 years ago

It’s not even built as a legally habitable space. If you want to use it as that, it will need all the walls ripped off and everything rebuilt, required, insulated, etc. With the permits and inspections that were not pulled for the first go around . Maybe even footings if those weren’t dug.

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Comments (6)

DavidR
4 years ago
As one of our former members used to say, this isn't "internet-able." I don't see any way that anybody here can determine how the place was built, or how to go about possibly improving its comfort and utility, without looking at it in person and probably opening things up to have a look inside.

Did you have a pre-purchase home inspection? Did the inspector note anything about this room?

If it's unpermitted, that can give you headaches when you go to sell the house. At that point, you may indeed be looking at demolition. Whether it's safe or practical to use as a home office until then, I can't say, and I can't even suggest who locally might be able to advise you. Sorry. I hope someone else here has ideas.
Stephanie Rodgers thanked DavidR
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Lyfia, I'm very confident in my terminology about my windows. I have no idea why you would assume I don't know if my windows open or not. The are Andersen casements. They open. Some actually have screens. On the end, the two Pella have retractable screens. And open. I collected each and every one of them, including the other 15 around the house, from Craig's list, H4H, reuse centers, etc. To suggest that to someone they wouldn't know if their own windows are fixed or open is a real, "Whaaat?" Seabornman. good questions. Soo. Currently, the porch ceiling is open, with soffit vents. Until just recently with me closing the porch in with the (mobile) casements and French doors, they didn't vent anything but have provided birds with a great nesting area for over a decade . I am putting in a ceiling, and the soffits would ventilate the porch, but given there isn't any return, or escape for the heat, they're kind of doing nothing. The original owner built the porch, connecting it to the house over the house's eves. That's why I was thinking of taking the insulation stuffed into those attic eves out, so the hot air in the porch could rise into the attic, and out the gable and ridge vents. And a fan to suck it up there. A fan or two. It has since occurred to me, that I'm going to have to give the porch ceiling insulation more thought. If I block the space between the joists with insulation, air can't be drawn up and out through the attic. So since they're 2x8" joists, 2x6" insulation should be the key. At least in my imagination. I do have a triangular space above the double French doors on the end. I was thinking of a van there, but as big as the porch is it would probably need to be an airplane motor, and I'm hoping for quiet. Your question also gave me pause about the front of the house. I know the original owner also stuffed those eves with insulation, with the ventilated soffits being 8' out farther. But there isn't any way that ventilation is going anywhere! Now I'm wondering when I repair the electric on the front porch, and have to take the ceiling down, should I just leave that insulation out so the porch hot air (another flat-ish roof) can go some place? Like into the attic and out the gable and ridge vents! Does that give a better description?
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sandk
4 years ago
An infrared camera can detect missing insulation in the walls and ceiling. If it is uninsulated, blown in or foam insulation can be added without completely starting over.
mike_home
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Since you bought the house last year, can we assume your local municipality did not object to the addition to your house? If so then improving it should not be an issue. You may still have to apply for permits depending on what you do.

It is hard to believe someone would build an addition with a door, windows and electric service outlets and install no insulation within the wall cavity It possible, but highly unlikely. If this was built with a permit application, then ask you code official if he has any drawings showing how it was built. It may have information about insulation.

Trying to bring in the duct work from the main house through exterior brick is not an easy chore. I think this would be a good application of a mini split system. A single head could service the whole room. You would have an independent thermostat to set the heating and cooling. You can set back the thermostat and save money when you are not using the room.
User
4 years ago
It’s not permitted as a habitable space, because that required heat. Its going to have elevation issues too if you I want to try to get an insulated floor. My garage has drywall and windows and no insulation. As did the 3 season room. That was pretty much the as built norm for those types of spaces. Removing drywall to fix the sins beneath is is actually the easiest and cheapest route to go to start down the road to this being safe, comfortable, and legal to occupy.
Stephanie Rodgers thanked User
sktn77a
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Check the walls with an IR thermometer as suggested above. If there's no insulation in the walls, get some blown in. Waterproof and insulate the slab (thick foam and carpet are probably best for this) and then see if you can get an HVAC duct and return put in. It won't be a "legal" bedroom but you can certainly use it as one.

Where to begin with enclosed porch insulation?

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