Devices and methods to provide air circulation to insulation material

Abstract

Insulation devices, methods and related construction techniques are provided. An exemplary device may include a body having a plurality of openings defining an openwork, to allow the passage of air therethrough when placed in contact with insulation material. The device may further include a plurality of spacer struts and/or spacing depressions fixedly attached to the body. The struts may be configured to maintain a predetermined distance between a first side of the insulation material and a building surface. The body and struts act together to define and maintain a space between the first side of the insulation material and the building surface, for example, for ventilation. The building surface can be the bottom face of a roof, an insulated attic floor, wall sheathing or a soundproofed demising wall, for example. The spacer device can be capable of being transported and stored together with, or as a separate item from, the insulation material, and can also be stored in nested layers. The device can also be stored in rolled form. The openwork of the device can additionally or alternatively include a sheet of entangled net filaments or other similar material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fibrous insulation batt comprising a fibrous, generally parallelepiped body in turn having first and second opposing longitudinal planar surfaces joined by a peripheral edge, and at least one breathable spacer attached to said fibrous body, said at least one spacer extending outwardly from the first longitudinal planar surface, wherein said at least one spacer is distributed across substantially the full extent of the first longitudinal planar surface so as to space substantially a full extent of the first longitudinal planar surface of the fibrous body from a building surface to establish a ventilation space between substantially all of the first longitudinal planar surface of the fibrous body and the building surface. 
     
     
         2 . The fibrous insulation batt of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) the at least one spacer is made from a material different than the material of the fibrous body; and   b) the at least one spacer is attached to the fibrous body.   
     
     
         3 . The fibrous insulation batt of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one spacer includes a plurality of outwardly extending struts that extend away from the fibrous body and function to space the fibrous body from the building surface. 
     
     
         4 . The fibrous insulation batt of  claim 3 , wherein the struts includes a layer of breathable material that is attached to the fibrous body. 
     
     
         5 . The fibrous insulation batt of  claim 3 , wherein the struts are collapsible to facilitate shipment and storage of the fibrous insulation batt. 
     
     
         6 . The fibrous insulation batt of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous body is principally composed of fiberglass fibers. 
     
     
         7 . The fibrous insulation batt of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous body is principally composed of rock wool fibers. 
     
     
         8 . The fibrous insulation batt of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous body is principally composed of polymeric fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The fibrous insulation batt of  claim 1 , further comprising a layer made from strands of polymeric material defining openings therethrough to permit the passage of moisture to facilitate the ventilation of the thermal insulation. 
     
     
         10 . The fibrous insulation batt of  claim 1 , further comprising a layer attached to the fibrous body and extending beyond the width of the first longitudinal planar surface of the insulation batt to facilitate attachment of the batt to a building structure. 
     
     
         11 . A fibrous insulation batt comprising a fibrous, generally parallelepiped body in turn having first and second opposing longitudinal planar surfaces joined by a peripheral edge, and at least one breathable layer covering said fibrous body, said at least one breathable layer covering at least the full extent of said first opposing longitudinal planar surface, wherein said breathable layer facilitates heat and mass transfer from said fibrous body to maintain the thermal insulating integrity of said fibrous body. 
     
     
         12 . A building structure, comprising:
 a) a wall or roof structure formed from a plurality of vertically-oriented studs or rafters;   b) a building panel applied to a surface of said studs or rafters, wherein an inner facing surface of said building panel defines an inwardly facing building surface that faces inward toward a building cavity; and   c) an insulation batt disposed in said building cavity between said studs and against said building panel, said insulation batt having (i) a fibrous, generally parallelepiped body that is defined by first and second opposing longitudinal planar surfaces joined by a peripheral edge, and (ii) at least one breathable layer covering said fibrous body, said at least one breathable layer covering at least the full extent of said first opposing longitudinal planar surface, wherein said breathable layer facilitates heat and mass transfer from said fibrous body to maintain the thermal insulating integrity of said fibrous body.