Air Sealing Case Studies: Dense Packing a Cantilever in Colts Neck, NJ

Challenge

Looking at the exterior of this house we see the deck attached to a cantilever. A cantilever is a floor that sticks out past the wall below it. This homeowner in Colts Neck, NJ had complained of cold drafty rooms. Unfortunately for this owner their cantilever was poorly insulated. A poorly insulated cantilever allows air to leak in, creating cold floors above and cold ceilings below.

Solution

A simple solution to a poorly insulated cantilever is drilling holes in each joist bay of the cantilever soffit. Using a special mesh bag we insert the bag into the hole and fill the bag using a flexible hose with our TruSoft cellulose insulation. Once the mesh bag is packed full, the bag is pushed back towards the house and the cantilever spaces are dense packed with our TruSoft Cellulose insulation. This mesh bag acts as a dam by eliminating air from seeping into the cantilever soffit. Our TruSoft Cellulose insulation eliminates air flow and insulates. Finally after dense packing we plug and patch the holes. The homeowner will need to paint over the plugs at the owner’s convenience.

We have eliminated the cold drafty rooms by insulating the cantilevers floor. The homeowner now has a more comfortable home, lower fuel and electric bills.

Project Summary

Products Used: TruSoft Cellulose Insulation & Mesh Bag