You can lose a lot of energy through the roof of your home if it is not insulated (properly). With a good roof insulation you can save money and moreover you are doing something sustainable. That’s why the government subsidizes home insulation, but then you have to take another insulation measure besides roof insulation, for example cavity wall or window insulation. We describe a few aspects of roof insulation in this article.
Insulation materials
We will now first address some types of insulation materials. These are:
PIR
EPDM
Glass wool
Rock wool
PIR
PIR is the abbreviation for Polyisocyanurate. For roof insulation, PIR insulation boards can be used. The boards insulate better and are mechanically stronger than those made of PUR (Polyurethane).
EPDM
EPDM stands for Ethylene-Propylene-Diene-Monomer. It is a highly elastic material, which can be applied to a flat roof for insulation purposes. For this purpose, EPDM is cut to size. It is highly resistant to all kinds of weather conditions and has a very long service life.
Glass wool
The use of glass wool is mainly for insulation. It is made from recycled glass and sand. It is a light material, which can be cut to size. When handling glass wool, one does need to protect oneself with adequate clothing, shoes and a dust mask.
Stone wool
Stone wool is made from basalt or diabase. The material comes in the form of mats or slabs. They can be cut or sawn to size. As with glass wool, you need to protect yourself properly when working with stone wool.
Placement
You can insulate your roof on the inside as well as on the outside. On the inside, the insulation material can be installed between the joists. Fixing it is relatively easy. You can also see the presence of the aforementioned beams as a problem. Then you can choose to apply the insulation material on the outside. In that case, however, it should be resistant to precipitation. With a flat roof, the insulation material will usually be applied on the outside.
To do it yourself or not?
Insulation boards in particular are usually relatively easy to install. The same is true of rock wool. A handy do-it-yourselfer can do it. But as mentioned earlier, protective clothing and a dust mask are required when using rock wool. That may be a reason not to do it yourself, but to hire a professional for it. Installing insulation material on the outside of a roof is usually better left to a specialist.
Insulate your roof yourself or hire a professional? .