Insulating A Non Vented Flat Roof

A non vented flat roof.

Insulating a non vented flat roof.

Any type of roof from tpo to epdm can be either hot or cold. It depends on where the insulation is installed. For such constructions the principles and benefits of unvented attic construction are similar to that occurring in a single family residence. A cold roof or hot roof.

How much ventilation does a flat roof need. The answer depends on the type of roof you have. In an un vented roof foam can serve as the air barrier and vapor retarder and prevent moisture from getting in to the roof cavities. Flat roofs have often been built with the insulation all on top of the vapor closed drainage plane as this avoids dew point condensation issues inboard of the roofing.

Cold roofs have insulation beneath the. Nail 1 furring along every rafter side against the roof deck. However in many situations the insulation may need to be primarily or entirely below the flat roof membrane and between the roof joists if so what are the best options. Mid century modern home has flat torch down roof.

This space is currently accessible only by removing facia rim joist on soffit. Low slope and steep slope unvented roof systems i e. Insulation mineral wool rests on the interior ceiling and is approx 4 thick and provides minimal insulation r 11. Basically the term cold roof refers to a traditional roof or vented roof while hot roof refers to a roof that is not ventilated and which has foam insulation attached directly to the roof sheathing.

In a vented roof foam can seal the openings and serve as an air barrier and a vapor retarder in addition to its insulating function. But spray foam insulation used at the underside of the roof deck would need to be covered by a thermal barrier and intumescent coatings are commonly used. Hot roofs have the roof deck then insulation then the roofing material. Cut and insert 1 or thicker high r foam insulation sheets r 8 per inch against the furring giving a 1 or greater air path between the insulation and the roof deck under the cathedral ceiling.

Insulation and air barrier are applied directly to the underside of the roof deck are common in applications where designers are seeking cost effective and energy efficient roof assemblies. There are about 10 between roof decking to interior ceiling. Foam insulation can play an important role in both vented and un vented roof assemblies. If you don t want to use sips or nailbase read this article tolearn the four basic approaches to insulating unvented roof assemblies.

In this case you can learn a lot from foam tech s article vented vs. Unvented roofs which provides a detailed explanation of each.