But the best solution is actually to insulate both the attic floor and the underside of the roof.
Insulate attic roof or floor.
In this way you prevent the heat from the rooms below escaping to the attic rooms above.
Insulating a finished attic there are two basic ways to insulate a finished attic.
Unless in air conditioned attics insulation is typically installed on the ceiling plane not on the sloped roof assembly.
If you do need to install insulation in the roof assembly take into account some rules.
At the same time the areas below the roof benefit from increased comfort both during the winter and the summer.
Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new insulation on top of the old.
Insulating the roof is a priority if the ceilings of your home happen to be part of the roof deck as is the case with cathedral ceilings.
In this case the area behind the knee wall will be uncomfortably hot or cold.
Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor.
Then you could simply insulate the pitched roof.
Insulate the attic floor if possible.
Whenever possible do insulate the attic floor underneath the subfloor and final flooring materials.
It s more effective and easier to install insulation on the attic floor than in the roof assembly.
But if the floor is covered in plywood you can t stuff enough insulation beneath it to do the job sufficiently not even in warm climates.
This is the best way to conserve energy in the main part of the home especially if the attic is on its own zoned heating system or if it s used infrequently and its cooler warmer temperatures negatively impact the rooms below.