Unless your roof is made out of thatch, it needs to be insulated to make your living space more comfortable in summer and winter alike.

Insulation is becoming more and more important for the modern home, especially with the ever-rising costs of electricity and fuel. Insulating your roof efficiently will help you save at least 10% on your heating bills every winter, and your cooling bills in summer. Very often older homes or even some modern homes will not have any insulation in the roof at all, and without insulation all the heat in winter and the cool air in summer will easily escape from your home.

Insulation retards heat in its natural quest to move from a warmer to a cooler space. In winter, when the warm room air rises up through the roof, insulation will block or at least slow down its departure. In summer, the insulation will prevent the warm air from getting into the home through the roof and also keep the cool air inside. Everyone knows how hot it can get inside your roof, so without insulation your roof will act like a heater warming up your entire home.

Is your home insulated?

If you can gain access to your roof, it is advisable to go inside and see if you have any form of material on the ceiling. If not, then your roof is not insulated at all. In many cases, the roof will be insulated but not correctly, allowing most of the warm air the ability to escape through the ceiling and roof anyway. There are a number of different types of insulation available, but the two most common ones are fibreglass and cellulose fibre:

Fibreglass

Fibreglass is probably the most popular insulating material and is easily recognisable as it is very often pink in colour and looks like a large roll of carpet. This is very easy to install and can be fitted into most roofs, even after the building stage – simply unroll the fibreglass and cut it to size to fit between the rafters in the roof. It will be a lot more effective if it is fitted in snugly between the rafters, than if it is just laid in large sheets over the top of the rafters. Always check that the fibreglass has not been compressed in hard-to-fit areas, between pipes and narrow woodwork, as the insulating abilities of the fibreglass is greatly reduced once it has been compressed.

Cellulose fibre

Cellulose fibre is made from 70% recycled paper that has been treated with chemicals to prevent it from burning and to repel insects and rodents. It is a better insulator than fibreglass and is very hardy and will usually outlast the house. The advantage of this kind of insulation is that it is sprayed onto the ceiling and will usually seal very well, as it can easily fill up all the nooks and crannies. It should be at least 75mm thick to provide adequate insulation, but if you have a flat roof, it should be a lot thicker. It does not rot and if it gets wet, it will be just as effective once it has dried out.

Foam insulation

Another kind of roof insulation is foam insulation. This is also sprayed onto the ceiling and as it dries, it expands to fill up all gaps. Some foam insulation is rigid and can be cut to size to fit into the gaps between the rafters, but it is not as effective as the spray as there will always be gaps between the different sheets. This kind of insulation is easier to have installed while you are having your home built, because it is not always very easy to access all areas under your roof after it has been built. – Antonella Dési

Pictures

Images courtesy of:
- ComfiZone
- Insulpro
- Loft-e-ladder
- ThermGuard
- Universal Roofing

For more information click here to visit the ComfiZone website.
For more information click here to visit the Insulpro website.
For more information click here to visit the Loft-e-ladder website.
For more information click here to visit the ThermGuard website.
For more information click here to visit the Universal Roofing website.

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