Bungalow & Kneewall Insulation in Detroit, MI

Bungalow and kneewall insulation is a fix for one of the most common complaints in Detroit-area houses: the upstairs room that is freezing in January and stifling in July. Story-and-a-half bungalows are a familiar sight in Detroit and its inner suburbs; in Warren, for example, Wikipedia notes that much of the southeast side's housing is bungalows built right after World War II. The upstairs in these homes is tucked under the roof, wrapped by short kneewalls, sloped ceilings and small side attics.

Where the heat goes

A bungalow upstairs has five problem areas. The kneewalls, those short walls with little doors behind them, often have thin batts or nothing at all. The floor of the side attics behind the kneewalls is open to the joists of the room below, so cold air runs under the upstairs floor. The sloped ceilings may have an inch or two of space between the plaster and the roof. The flat ceiling at the top has a small attic above it. And the gable ends connect it all. Air moves freely through those spaces, which is why the room never holds temperature.

How we fix it

The approach depends on access. When the side attics can be reached, we seal the open joist bays under the kneewalls, insulate the kneewalls themselves (often with foam, or rigid board plus foam at the seams), and insulate the side attic floor. When the slopes are tight, we dense-pack them or move the insulation line to the roof deck with spray foam, which turns the side attics into part of the conditioned space. The top attic gets sealed and blown to depth.

Roof-line foam vs kneewall insulation

Spraying the underside of the roof from the eave to the peak wraps the whole upstairs in one air-sealed layer. It is often the cleanest fix for bungalows with ductwork in the side attics, but it costs more per square foot. Insulating the kneewalls and side attic floors costs less and works well when there is room to do it right. We explain both on the quote.

Rebates and code

DTE's 2026 insulation page lists a $25 rebate for kneewalls of at least 100 square feet and $600 for roof and attic insulation of at least 500 square feet, for homes where DTE is the primary heat provider. The Michigan code in force lists R-38 for ceilings in Climate Zone 5A, which is a useful target for the flat attic and slopes where space allows.

Ice dams on bungalows

The short attic spaces in a bungalow leave little room between warm air and the roof deck, so they are prone to ice dams in a snowy Detroit winter. Sealing the kneewall area and slopes usually cuts the melt that feeds them.

Tell us which room gives you trouble, and we will trace where the heat is going. Get a free estimate