Spring Remodeling: Ceiling Insulation

Stained ceiling insulation panels.

Spring is a time for renewal. It's also a time we take trips to warm places like Arizona. During our absence, our good friend John has been working hard back at the cabin with several spring remodeling projects.

When we became Canadian Permanent Residents in 2008, we briefly thought about building a larger cabin. But we love our place, it just needed a few modifications. We added a bathroom, a covered side porch, a new colour for exterior paint, kitchen appliances, and John made custom furniture to maximize space.

New ceiling hard plastic insulation.

This spring I mentioned the possibility of some remodeling. Wayne didn't seen too enthusiastic, but to my surprise asked me to tell John about it.

Over the 16-year life of our cabin (time flies), the ceiling insulation panels became stained from woodstove condensation. When John built our cabin, his first priority was minimal weight. Extra weight pushes the cedar log float down, causing them to waterlog.

Plastic will not absorb moisture, clean easily.

John decided to install new twin-walled plastic panels over the existing Styrofoam, a messy and hard job. Each panel had to be cut to specification, and working over your head is never easy. Plus, dust in our storage loft was a huge mess. It all had to come down to give John access to the full length of the ceiling.

New ceiling panel installation complete.

This time, John extended the insulation all the way to the peak. That should give us extra heat-keeping properties in winter. And, the rigid plastic surface will be easier to clean. To hold the panels in place, John added pine strips to the open beams. These will match my new pine paneling, to come in a later step. Doesn't it look great? -- Margy