Effects of Wildfire Ash on Thermal Performance of Attic Insulation Batts

This study investigates the thermal performance of typical residential attic insulations under wildfire ash deposition. Adding a layer of wood ash to the surface of other materials, such as insulation batts, may theoretically increase the overall thermal resistance of the integrated layers; however, in case of penetrating the wood ash into the fibers of the porous insulation materials, the direction and magnitude of change in overall thermal resistance remains uncertain. There have been many questions in public whether the layers of ash can affect the thermal performance of insulation batts, and if it does, how much this effectiveness will be, although the studies reported in open literature on this topic are limited. This study attempts to address these questions through analytical and experimental approaches.