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All of the components of a bonus room must be installed right in order for them to work well.
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By Brad Oberg
End walls are the final components of the thermal boundary of a bonus room. One of the two walls typically is adjacent to the conditioned space of the house and, therefore, is essentially an interior wall. It would only be treated differently from an interior wall if the bonus room were at a different elevation with respect to the adjacent conditioned space.
Any partial-height wall segment would need to be constructed the same way as a knee wall, with closure on all six sides. It would be insulated as if it were an exterior wall for the portion adjacent to the attic space. In addition, blocking would need to be installed in each insulated wall cavity where the insulation begins.
Often these rooms are used for TV, hobbies, or offices, which can create noise that interferes with activities in the rest of the house. Keep your client's homes a little quieter by insulating and sealing the walls between the bonus room and the rest of the house for acoustical purposes.
If the space is a home theater, the use of acoustically isolated framing, insulation and caulk can control sound transmission. Fibrous glass duct board or duct liner provide acoustic control to the air-handling system, while solid core doors with floor sweeps address the entry way.
At the other side of the bonus room, the end wall is simpler. This wall will typically be the end wall of the space and adjacent to ambient conditions. It should be constructed the same as an exterior wall.
Brad Oberg is co-founder and chief technology officer of IBACOS,a building-science company based in Pittsburgh. He has directed extensive research into the integration of ventilation strategies, residential ductwork design and performance, improved residential airtightness approaches, and durable construction approaches.
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