Devices and methods to provide air circulation space proximate to insulation material

Abstract

Insulation spacer 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 building structure comprising:
 a) a plurality of spaced apart rafters forming at least a portion of a roof structure;   b) structural paneling material applied to the structure proximate an outer surface of the rafters, wherein an inner face of the structural paneling material defines an inwardly-facing interior building surface;   c) thermal insulation material disposed between the rafters; and   d) a spacer disposed along substantially the entire length of the thermal insulation material and interposed at least partially between the interior building surface and the thermal insulation material, the spacer acting to define a ventilation channel between the interior building surface and the thermal insulation material, the spacer having a body defining a plurality of openings therethrough, wherein the openings are adapted and configured to permit the transfer of moisture therethrough between the insulation material and air passing through the ventilation channel to facilitate the ventilation of the thermal insulation material.   
     
     
         2 . The building structure of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer includes a body and a plurality of struts extending from the body along the length of the body, the struts acting to separate the spacer from the interior building surface. 
     
     
         3 . The building structure of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer includes an elongate generally planar body formed from a sheet of material defining a plurality of raised structures formed in the sheet material that act to separate the spacer from the interior building surface. 
     
     
         4 . The building structure of  claim 3 , wherein at least some of the raised structures define at least one opening therethrough to facilitate ventilation of the insulation. 
     
     
         5 . The building structure of  claim 4 , wherein the raised structures that define at least one opening therethrough include a planar land displaced from the body connected to the body by a plurality of struts. 
     
     
         6 . The building structure of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer includes:
 a) a longitudinal gridwork body having a plurality of openings defining an openwork to allow the passage of air therethrough when placed in contact with the thermal insulation material; and   b) a plurality of struts extending from the gridwork body, the struts being configured to maintain a predetermined distance between a first side of the insulation material and the interior building surface.   
     
     
         7 . The building structure of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer includes a body made from strands of polymeric material defining openings therethrough to permit the passage of moisture to facilitate the ventilation of the thermal insulation. 
     
     
         8 . A system adapted and configured to ventilate thermal insulation in a wall structure of a building, comprising:
 a) a plurality of spaced apart studs forming at least a portion of a wall structure;   b) structural paneling material applied to the structure proximate an outer surface of the studs, wherein an inner face of the structural paneling material defines an inwardly-facing interior building surface;   c) thermal insulation material disposed between the studs; and   d) a spacer disposed along substantially the entire length of the insulation material and interposed at least partially between the interior building surface and the thermal insulation material, the spacer acting to define a ventilation channel between the interior building surface and the thermal insulation material, the spacer having a body defining a plurality of openings therethrough, wherein the openings are adapted and configured to permit the transfer of moisture therethrough between the insulation material and air passing through the ventilation channel to facilitate the ventilation of the thermal insulation material.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a) a first opening defined in the building structure proximate the bottom of the studs to permit fluid communication between the ventilation channel and air outside the structure; and   b) a second opening defined in the building structure above the first opening to permit fluid communication between the ventilation channel and air outside the structure, wherein the first opening, second opening and ventilation channel cooperate to permit air outside the structure to circulate into and out of the ventilation channel to facilitate ventilation of the thermal insulation material.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the spacer includes a body and a plurality of struts extending from the body along the length of the body, the struts acting to separate the spacer from the interior building surface. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the spacer includes an elongate generally planar body formed from a sheet of material defining a plurality of raised structures formed in the sheet material that act to separate the spacer from the interior building surface. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein at least some of the raised structures define at least one opening therethrough to facilitate ventilation of the insulation. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the raised structures that define at least one opening therethrough include a planar land displaced from the body connected to the body by a plurality of struts. 
     
     
         14 . A building structure, comprising:
 a) a wall or roof structure formed from a plurality of vertically-oriented studs or rafters to form an external panel of the building;   b) a building panel applied to an outer surface of the studs or rafters, wherein an inner facing surface of the building panel defines an inwardly facing building surface; and   c) an insulation batt disposed between the studs and/or rafters, the batt including a mass of entangled thermoplastic fibers, defined by:
 i) a generally planar inner surface that is elongate, generally rectangular, and suitable for disposing against an outwardly facing surface of wallboard; 
 ii) a plurality of generally rectangular side surfaces extending generally orthogonally from the first surface and facing the studs or rafters; and 
 iii) a generally planar outer surface in intimate contact with the inwardly facing building surface that is parallel to the inner surface of the batt and adjoins the side surfaces, the outer surface defining a plurality of longitudinal ventilation channels thermoformed into the batt along its length, the channels having a length, and depth, and a width having a dimension that is on the order of the depth, the longitudinal channel defining an open flow path along their length for permitting an airflow to develop between the inwardly facing building surface and the mass of the batt to facilitate heat and mass transfer from the batt to fluid passing through the ventilation channels. 
   
     
     
         15 . The building structure of  claim 14 , wherein the depth of the plurality of longitudinal ventilation channels is substantially less than a thickness of the batt defined between the inner and outer surfaces of the batt. 
     
     
         16 . The building structure of  claim 15 , wherein the depth of the plurality of longitudinal grooves is between about ⅝ inch and about 1.5 inches. 
     
     
         17 . The building structure of  claim 16 , wherein the outer surface of the batt further includes a plurality of ventilation penetrations formed therein along its length to help facilitate heat and mass transfer from the insulation to fluid passing through the ventilation channels. 
     
     
         18 . The building structure of  claim 17 , wherein the second surface of the batt includes a plurality of transversely oriented grooves that intersect with the plurality of longitudinal grooves. 
     
     
         19 . The building structure of  claim 18 , wherein the batt further includes a membrane layer attached to and extending beyond the sides of the insulation batt, the membrane layer being attached to the studs or rafters.