You may be aware of the fact that roof insulation extends the performance life of your roof, but this is just the maintenance factor that engineers would tell you. If it’s a small home, you may rely on the roofing company Toronto to choose the roof insulation, but as a facility manager you have to consider a lot of other factors too. Such as:
- Thermal needs of the building
- Energy codes
- Roof assembly according to the specifications of the insurance carrier.
To perform successfully, insulation has to become an integral part of the roof assembly and must function in concert with the membrane and the structural deck. Wise insulation choices result in successful roof systems that perform over the long term, while poor choices can be detrimental to roof performance. If you’re looking for a reliable roofing company, you can visit Logik roofing Toronto that has been offering all types of roofing services to homeowners and businesses alike.
A variety of rigid insulation types are available to managers. These are:
Wood fiber is an organic insulation board composed of wood, cane, or vegetable fibers mixed with fillers and binders. The insulation can be asphalt impregnated or asphalt coated to enhance moisture resistance. Managers should consider uncoated insulation in applications where the selected roof covering is incompatible with asphalt-based coatings.
Perlite insulation board is composed of inorganic, expanded silicaceous volcanic glass — perlite — combined with organic fibers and binders. The top surface of the insulation board features an asphalt coating or a proprietary coating formulated to limit adhesive — asphalt — absorption into the insulation during the roof-membrane application.
Extruded polystyrene consists of a blended polystyrene polymer heated and run through an extrusion process. The material is exposed to atmospheric conditions, which causes it to expand and create its closed-cell structure. Extruded polystyrene is available in densities of 1.3-2.2 pcf.
Polyisocyanurate is a closed-cell foam plastic insulating core sandwiched between organic or inorganic felt facers, glass-fiber mat facers, or glass-fiber-reinforced aluminum foil facers. A chlorine-free blowing agent expands the foam material, creating the closed-cell structure that gives the insulation its high thermal resistance. Air diffusion into the insulation cell structure results in a slight reduction of thermal resistance, but its insulating efficiency remains higher than other rigid insulation.
Polystyrene insulation is made two ways: expanded and extruded. Expanded polystyrene consists of the polystyrene polymer impregnated with a foaming agent. The material expands when exposed to heat and is molded into a uniform, closed-cell insulating material. Expanded polystyrene is available in densities of 0.70-3 pounds per cubic foot (pcf). Most roof-covering manufacturers require a minimum density of 1.25 pcf.
Cellular glass insulation is composed of crushed glass combined with a foaming agent. The components are mixed, placed in a mold, and heated, which melts the glass and decomposes the foaming agent. This process causes the mixture to expand and create uniform, connected closed cells to form the insulating material.
Gypsum board is a non-structural, non-combustible, water-resistant, treated gypsum core panel. The board is available with a proprietary, non-asphaltic coating on one side to enhance roof-membrane adhesion. Gypsum board typically is used as a cover board over foam-plastic insulations, as a thermal barrier over a steel deck, or as a vapor-retarder substrate.