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Manufactured home attic cavity - insulate more or gable vent?

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Atokatim:
There are soffit vents but they are small (2" or so) and only 2 or 3 on each side of the house.  The whole eave has a perforated plastic cover but I don't know if that is actually doing anything.

The insulation up there now is some sort of white clumpy stuff and it is probably 6" to 8" deep from what I could see when I replaced the vents to install the metal roof.  I could not reach down and touch the insulation where I was so it has plenty of room to fill.

I would guess there is about 24" at the peak and probably 8 to 10" at the edge of my roof.

There are some wires up there but they are for the ceiling fans or light fixtures.  Most all the other wiring is run under the house since it is a manufactured home.

Mary B:
They make a plastic chute looking piece that should be stapled to the underside of the roof between each rafter if you are going to pack the area tight. It will remove moisture buildup so you don't get mold growing in the insu;ation

Atokatim:
If I could install something like that I could.  I am not sure I explained how LITTLE room I have to work in and insulate.  The house is a double wide manufactured home.  In order to install plastic in my roof, I would have to remove the entire roof off the frame since there is very minimal room.  This is why I am wondering about a gable vs insulation.  The only part of the roof cavity I can move around in is the very center of the house where there is about 24" of room then it slopes smaller from there.

klsmurf:
It's tough with such a shallow pitched roof, but you just got to tell yourself.   At least it's not crawling in a muddy crawlspace!

A manufactured house should have the same code requirements, so your insulation is probably adequate.  In Tennessee you are probably more concerned with keeping the heat out more than cold.  Air circulation is must to help keep the temperature down in such a small area. You should check that there's no obstructions in your soffit vents.  Cooler air must come in from below for your roof vents or gable vents to work properly.  A couple passive gable vents will probably help some.  A power vent would definitely help, but that's electric and some noise.

Kevin

MattM:
You have to ventilate that attic.  Does the top ridge have venting?  If so then your vented soffit is key to get adequate air flow.  You can always insulate during the next reroof with 1.5" or better four by eight sheets of insulation dropped over the old roofing.  (Screwed down with tabs every 16" of course. Just depends on your building codes, some jurisdictions don't allow two old roofs under a new one.).  If your current roof has gabled ends you can add a blower on one end for active cooling.  Double hipped roof can still be active cooled, but it's more work.  You want negative air pressure in the attic, so a blower should never blow in, always out.  Many people don't know that.

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