We are mid-ktichen remodel and as the walls/ceiling are opened we have limited access to the cantilevered floor space above the kitchen. There is currently R30 stuffed in most of the cavities. Any suggestions on how to better insulate this space given the limit access.

Because the space is covered on the top, I can't drop insultation down into the channel. Any rolled insultation will have to be pushed out into the channel. My contractor believes "packing" the space with R30 is the best answer as it will be fill eith insulation. (This is a red flag for me as I thought insualtion is supposed to be fluffy to trap air and work properly.) On the flip side I'm not sure how to get the insulation out into the cavity without stuffing it.

I thought I would fill the channel with R38 and then seal the channel off with a 2" piece of foam and tape. But I am unsure if R38 is needed, and if it will be possible to stuff it back there and still be loose enough to be effective.

Any suggestions?