Flat Roof Insulation Techniques

What is flat roof insulation.

Flat roof insulation techniques.

A flat roof is defined as any roof that has a pitch of less than 10 degrees. This provides an insulating value of r 11 for 2 4 walls and r 19 for 2 6 walls. Insulation is rated according to its r value or resistance to heat loss. Flat roofs usually come with a 10 to 20 year warranty but can last 25 years if you build the roofs right and maintain them using commonsense rules.

In practice a flat roof is pretty easy to spot because essentially it is horizontal. Look for water stains on the roof sheathing or damp or moldy spots on attic joists and existing insulation as a clue to where leaks might be. Standard fiberglass insulation has an r value of about 3 5 per inch of thickness fig. The insulation for flat roofs is commonly produced as rigid boards making them easy to handle and install with the variety of waterproofing types and systems.

Protect water heaters to extend their longevity and lessen the amount of energy needed to heat your water. Flat roofs are an attractive aesthetic choice that give homes a unique form. Homes with flat roofs require a different approach to insulation than the standard approach used for homes with pitched roofs. Also flat roofs don t tend to have the loft space that you normally associate with pitched roofs so on the whole they won t have the loft hatch in.

To produce a hot roof rigid insulation is fitted outside above the weatherproofing. Ordinarily polyisocyanurate pir insulation is used within warm roof construction as it has excellent dimensional stability and compressive strength which enables it to withstand foot. Because most flat roofs don t have an attic crawl space or venting. The higher the r value the higher the insulating value.

Protect your garage external walls attic and basement initially as these areas are most vulnerable to temperature change especially with all the various types of roof insulation out there. It creates a breeding ground for mold and mildew and ruins the air trapping pockets that block heat flow. Cold roof a very bad idea. Cold roof systems are highly inadvisable as insulation from the inside will inevitably lead to the formation of condensation.

Water is insulation s enemy. This is then covered with a further weatherproofing layer.