Insulate attic before/after new roof.

> I recently bought a bank-owned, 3 BR, 1 bath semi-detached home that I am
> going to be renting out. =A0In my area, a "semi-detached home" means ther=

> two homes side by side, which share a common wall in the middle, but each
> home has a separate owner. =A0I own my side and someone else owns the att=

> property next door.
> The home has an unfinished walk-up third floor attic. =A0The previous own=
> had framed out the attic to create walls and a walk-in closet, but didn't=

> any sheetrock, etc. =A0The existing roof =A0is asphalt shingle in poor co=

> over a prior cedar shake roof. =A0The roof doesn't leak, but my guess is =

> it will need a new roof within a year or so.
> A new roof will cost around $8,500 and it will involve a complete tear-of=
> of the asphalt shingles and cedar shakes, all new plywood decking, and th=
> the new asphalt shingle roof over the new plywood. =A0I could either have=

> new roof done now, or wait until later. =A0My attached neighbor's roof is=

> asphalt shingle over an old cedar shake roof and is in similar condition.
> He does not want to have his roof done unless and until it starts to leak=
> Ordinarily, I would just have my roof done now, but because the two homes
> are attached, it would be better to do both roofs at the same time.
> My question is about what the differences would be in terms of finishing =

> the attic before or after I have a new roof put on.
> If I have a new roof put on before finishing the attic, I would then have
> the attic finished and would have insulation put in between the attic
> rafters with proper venting etc. =A0That would be easy to figure out.
> But, if I decide to wait on the roof, and have the attic finished first, =
> think I have two options:
> 1) finish the attic now, but do not do the insulation in the rafters for
> now; then when the new roof is done in a year or so, have the insulation =

> in from the top after the roof tear-off and before the new plywood deckin=
> goes down; or,
> 2) finish the attic now, and do the insulation now; and then have the new
> roof done later.
> I am thinking that if I do the insulation now, when the tear-off is done =

> the new roof later on, the debris will end up in the insulation and will =
> a huge mess.
> So, I guess my question is, "If I decide to do the roof later, and I fini=
> the attic now, do I go ahead and do the insulation now or wait on the
> insulation until the new roof is done later on?"

>> I recently bought a bank-owned, 3 BR, 1 bath semi-detached home that I am
>> going to be renting out.  In my area, a "semi-detached home" means there are
>> two homes side by side, which share a common wall in the middle, but each
>> home has a separate owner.  I own my side and someone else owns the attached
>> property next door.
>> The home has an unfinished walk-up third floor attic.  The previous owner
>> had framed out the attic to create walls and a walk-in closet, but didn't do
>> any sheetrock, etc.  The existing roof  is asphalt shingle in poor condition
>> over a prior cedar shake roof.  The roof doesn't leak, but my guess is that
>> it will need a new roof within a year or so.
>> A new roof will cost around $8,500 and it will involve a complete tear-off
>> of the asphalt shingles and cedar shakes, all new plywood decking, and then
>> the new asphalt shingle roof over the new plywood.  I could either have the
>> new roof done now, or wait until later.  My attached neighbor's roof is also
>> asphalt shingle over an old cedar shake roof and is in similar condition.
>> He does not want to have his roof done unless and until it starts to leak.
>> Ordinarily, I would just have my roof done now, but because the two homes
>> are attached, it would be better to do both roofs at the same time.
>> My question is about what the differences would be in terms of finishing off
>> the attic before or after I have a new roof put on.
>> If I have a new roof put on before finishing the attic, I would then have
>> the attic finished and would have insulation put in between the attic
>> rafters with proper venting etc.  That would be easy to figure out.
>> But, if I decide to wait on the roof, and have the attic finished first, I
>> think I have two options:
>> 1) finish the attic now, but do not do the insulation in the rafters for
>> now; then when the new roof is done in a year or so, have the insulation put
>> in from the top after the roof tear-off and before the new plywood decking
>> goes down; or,
>> 2) finish the attic now, and do the insulation now; and then have the new
>> roof done later.
>> I am thinking that if I do the insulation now, when the tear-off is done for
>> the new roof later on, the debris will end up in the insulation and will be
>> a huge mess.
>> So, I guess my question is, "If I decide to do the roof later, and I finish
>> the attic now, do I go ahead and do the insulation now or wait on the
>> insulation until the new roof is done later on?"
>Definitely wait until the roof is done before doing the insulation.
>You are right that there will be significant debris from the removal
>of the cedar shakes. Having had a complete tear-off of an old asphalt
>shingle roof over cedar shakes on two houses, I can personally attest
>to the fact that loads of debris falls through the skipped
>sheathing.
>One day when the roofers where doing the tearoff for our current
>house, one of them rang the doorbell. My wife came to the door and
>the guy sheepishly said, "Uh, I dropped my shovel through the roof,
>can I please go in your attic to retrieve it?" So you may end up with
>more than just the old roof pieces weighting down any insulation that
>you put up before hand. ;-)
>Ken

>
> I'd say don't even finish the attic before the roof is done. And if
> you do your side before the other side, depending on th style of the
> building, a false wall on the top, looking like the fire-wall extends
> through the roof, CAN be an attractive way to separate the 2 roof
> styles. You would "step flash" both sides to keep water from getting
> under the shingles at the dividing line - they would re-flash their
> side when they do their roof. The wall would be capped with a metal
> flashing "cap"

> I recently bought a bank-owned, 3 BR, 1 bath semi-detached home that
> I am going to be renting out. In my area, a "semi-detached home"
> means there are two homes side by side, which share a common wall in
> the middle, but each home has a separate owner. I own my side and
> someone else owns the attached property next door.
> The home has an unfinished walk-up third floor attic. The previous
> owner had framed out the attic to create walls and a walk-in closet,
> but didn't do any sheetrock, etc. The existing roof is asphalt
> shingle in poor condition over a prior cedar shake roof. The roof
> doesn't leak, but my guess is that it will need a new roof within a
> year or so.
> A new roof will cost around $8,500 and it will involve a complete
> tear-off of the asphalt shingles and cedar shakes, all new plywood
> decking, and then the new asphalt shingle roof over the new plywood. I
> could either have the new roof done now, or wait until later. My
> attached neighbor's roof is also asphalt shingle over an old cedar
> shake roof and is in similar condition. He does not want to have his
> roof done unless and until it starts to leak. Ordinarily, I would
> just have my roof done now, but because the two homes are attached,
> it would be better to do both roofs at the same time.
> My question is about what the differences would be in terms of
> finishing off the attic before or after I have a new roof put on.
> If I have a new roof put on before finishing the attic, I would then
> have the attic finished and would have insulation put in between the
> attic rafters with proper venting etc. That would be easy to figure
> out.
> But, if I decide to wait on the roof, and have the attic finished
> first, I think I have two options:
> 1) finish the attic now, but do not do the insulation in the rafters
> for now; then when the new roof is done in a year or so, have the
> insulation put in from the top after the roof tear-off and before the
> new plywood decking goes down; or,
> 2) finish the attic now, and do the insulation now; and then have the
> new roof done later.
> I am thinking that if I do the insulation now, when the tear-off is
> done for the new roof later on, the debris will end up in the
> insulation and will be a huge mess.
> So, I guess my question is, "If I decide to do the roof later, and I
> finish the attic now, do I go ahead and do the insulation now or wait
> on the insulation until the new roof is done later on?"