It’s a safe bet that you don’t think about your roof cavity too often. If anything, you’re likely more concerned about regular roof maintenance. However, the cold air and uninsulated cavity space between your roof and your home’s ceiling is a temperature leech that wastes energy, money, and affects your comfort. With the rise of innovative roof insulation techniques, it’s easy to retrofit roof insulation, even if your home doesn’t already have a solution. Today we look at why this is so vital, and how it will save you money.
How your home is cooled and heated
If you think your home stays warm or cool simply because you flip the switch on your HVAC unit, it’s time to delve into the science. Wherever possible, if you have two extremes, it will equalize with time. Think of a pan on your stove. Without heat, it will slowly cool to the ambient temperature of the room. If you could theoretically place that pan in an insulated box, surrounded by an equal amount of cold air, you would end up with a pan temperature and an air temperature that were equal. The air would be hotter, and the pan cooler, meeting in the middle through thermal conduction.
With respect to your home, the only thing that prevents this heat transfer from happening all the time is when we manually place a barrier. We wear clothes so that warm air is trapped by our skin instead of released. We place our chilled drinks in a cooler box so the warm air doesn’t heat them. Hopefully, you’ve already placed insulation in your ceiling to stop it from robbing your home of comfort.
Why the roof is your biggest problem
When it comes to functionality, our ceilings are only a thin, decorative layer added under the roof to improve the looks of your home. Otherwise, you would be staring directly into rafters, roof trusses, and the underside of your roof. Roofs are not airtight, so there’s a lot of heat transfer with the outside world. While your ceiling blocks a little of this, it’s not a very efficient process.
This means that the comfortable home environment you’re trying to maintain with your HVAC, radiator, and air conditioner is slowly having the ideal temperature leached by the roof space. Not only does this mean your appliances have to work harder to heat or cool the home, but you’re also paying extra in energy costs to achieve the ambient environment you want.
Running a more energy-efficient home
No one wants to pay more for energy than they have to. However, there are other concerns to consider around your energy usage, too. ‘Green homes’ have been a large focus of the architectural industry over the last few decades. Cutting down on the carbon footprint of your day-to-day activities can also have an effect on the health of the planet. Reduced energy consumption helps contribute to fewer fossil fuels being burned, which creates a happier, healthier planet.
What can you do to improve the insulation of your roof?
Now you know about the problem and how it happens, it’s time to talk about fixing it. Many modern properties are built with insulation in mind, so you may already have a solution in place. If not, the best way forward is to retroactively add insulation to the roof cavity, and there are several methods to do this. The most common involves a specialist company like Foam Comfort Inc. Using a hose-like system, they will blow the foam insulation material into your roof space, making sure to cover all areas adequately and creating a more airtight environment. With this thermal-preserving layer in place, you will now have an insulated layer between you and the leaky roof space. It will also help improve air quality.
If you want to make your home even more energy efficient, consider adding a ‘geyser blanket’ to your hot water heater’s pipes, preventing the heat from leaking away and again cutting down on energy wastage. If your budget accommodates it, modern insulated windows can do a lot to prevent heat from escaping through the glass during winter as well.
Running a green home not only helps the planet, but it helps your pocket too. Unlike many home repair jobs, adding a thermal layer to the roof cavity is a simple and relatively cheap process, yet it will make a huge difference in your energy bills and your comfort. Why not make the investment today?
