Roof insulation: Now is the right time

Roof insulation: Protect your home from cold and damp.

The roof is the point of the building which is exposed to all weather conditions (sun, rain, snow, etc.) throughout the year. For this, although it has a smaller area than the external walls, it exhibits equally large thermal losses. It is also important to know that the warm air is moving upwards, so the heat in our house rises upwards making the insulation of the roof necessary to maintain the internal temperature.

Insulation and energy saving

The insulation of Roof is one of the most important work to save energy. It contributes significantly to energy saving since in this way it is limited to a large extent the transfer of heat to and from the environment. So we have a reduction in the costs of heating and cooling of our space since the temperature inside is maintained for a long time. We create and maintain conditions of thermal comfort in our homemaking our stay pleasantly, avoiding the unbearable heat in the summer and the intense cold in winter.

Whether you are considering investing in hot water supply systems through solar energy (otherwise solar water heaters) or other renewable energy sources, the first step you need to make is to improve the insulation of your home. This will help you maximize the use of natural resources and not waste energy that translates into extra unnecessary costs. If you omit this step, you will end up spending a whole lot of money in order to buy some very powerful systems to meet the energy needs of a poorly insulated house.

How much money you will save by insulating your home depends on different factors such as the type of insulation, the size of the house, the existing frame systems, etc. Still, based on the age of the house, you will need to get more or Less energy-saving measures for the best possible result. The positive part of the story is that you generally no longer need to issue some permission from the town planning for the work of the External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) or insulation roof.

Usually, the new and modern houses are built with quite good insulation specifications but old buildings in Greece need work in this area. In the second case, there are probably several options to improve the energy efficiency of your home. When your home remains very cold, the heat can be lost in many directions. So you are very likely to think of the solution of integrated insulation to keep the heat in the house.

You can obviously insulate partially or combined the roof, walls, floors, windows, and doors. The most important loss is the walls as for a typical house the walls reach 30-40% in thermal losses. The roof comes second with about 25%. After doors and windows lose 20% and finally the floor has the least loss especially if it touches the ground.

Types of insulation

A) Insulation class

In this category, we will meet types of insulation such as conventional classic, inverted and light-type insulated roof. The types of thermal insulation and the types that we will analyze energy upgrade our house offering energy-saving and protection from heat and cold.

1.Conventional thermal insulation

It is the classic method with a low load of 35 to 40 kg per square meter and the waterproofing is placed at the finish of the application and above the thermal insulating materials.

In this type of insulation type usually used foam or Perlobeton with the main material of thermal insulation performance inflated or extruded polystyrene. These types of applications are not offered for heavy use of the roof as well as mechanical pressures from point loads

 2. Inverted thermal insulation

Type of application The waterproofing materials precede the thermal insulation. They are considered heavy constructions because they consist mainly of cement mortars and slabs or tiles.

These kinds of applications for roof insulation are offered for frequent traffic and all kinds of stresses. The most common type of this application is the DOW buttons that contain the thermal insulating material but also the patency material.

3. Light-type Insulated roof

The light-type roof insulation has a weight not exceeding 10 kilos per square meter. This type of application includes double waterproofing where it is placed above and below the thermal insulation plates.

The most common material for these types of roof insulation is the extruded polystyrene that is resistant to mechanical pressure but has minimal absorption of water vapor resulting in not losing thermal insulation properties over time.

B) Category Waterproofing

The types and types of waterproofing are mainly referred to in torch materials, with hot air, impregnation sheets, and abrasive cement and polyurethane materials.

The roof waterproofing protects the construction of the building and the reinforcement from the ingress of moisture.

1. Bituminous membranes are one of the most common applications.

Bituminous membranes are considered a reliable roof insulation solution, economical and with a life expectancy of more than 10 years.
The placement of the asphalt is done with the use of flame and the patness is limited only to a visit and not to use with sharp objects.

2. Synthetic polyester with glass fibers and thermal insulating properties

It is affixed with special bituminous glue and is covered with a molded mixture of white rubber.
It is a prefabricated sealing sheet very resistant to perforation and with a life expectancy of more than 10 years.

Brush made cement, polyurethane, acrylic and hybrid materials are the third and most economical category of the previous ones. These materials will need maintenance after three or four years in order to continue their proper operation.

These types of waterproofing are very economical but also helpful for substrates with difficulties and obstacles such as photovoltaic solar vents and various other machines that prevent the application of some prefabricated Foil membrane.

4. Glazing with bituminous emulsion and final form the aluminum varnish. Glass panels are impregnation sheets, flexible in their use and a very economical application for roof insulation.

The specific materials can withstand up to 8 years on terraces with smooth substrates and without withholding water.

What is the best time to insulate the roof?

The best time to insulate your roof is before winter, now!

You should keep in mind that this kind of work should not be carried out during the winter season for many important reasons. It is certain that insulation carried out under such conditions are precarious and will last much less than their expected lifetime.

When thermal insulation work is carried out on the roof in winter we need to know that the low temperatures contribute to the contraction of the plate and with the humidity lurks the risk of being trapped between the thermal insulation and the plate of concrete with consistency Further erosion of the reinforcement.
As we know, waterproofing and insulation of roofs need specific temperatures and ambient conditions to be applied.

The same applies to all thermal insulating and waterproofing materials as reported by the producers of companies.
You could reduce the sudden problem that was created in the insulation of your roof during the winter with simple maintenance solutions and in many cases with the installation of vents that help in the unlocking of moisture until you apply properly The new insulation after the winter.

As regards the problem of temperature difference from lack of thermal insulation, we recommend that no thermal insulations are made during the winter season.

In InHouse Group We undertake the insulation roof each building, making use of the most qualitative and durable materials. We combine excellent insulation with high aesthetics, upgrading both energy and visually the horizontal surface of the roof.