Green Energy

Roofing Insulation-Options Available

There are so many roofing insulation options you have to shade your home in an effective manner. However, all are not aware of this. It is very vital to have an idea about this even if you are not a carpenter. You will be able to choose the best alternative that will suit for your needs if you have good knowledge on this. Insulating your roof can save you loads of bucks in so many ways. You would not have to consume much energy during summer if your home does not have extremely high temperatures. Even if your house has a lower ceiling compared with the others, it will not affect you if you have an insulated roof. Below are some roofing insulation options you can consider.

• Fiberglass –Most of the homeowners use this today to insulate their home. It certainly does the trick. It can cool down your home if that is what you only want. But the real problem is: since it makes use of formaldehyde which is a carcinogenic substance, it can be really toxic. It can have harmful effects too on your health so fiberglass is not an ideal option.

• Soy insulation –this is one of the green solutions in insulating your roofs. This is derived from soybean oil. It is sprayed onto the top of your home and will be left to dry. It has several benefits. It is flame-resistant so it gives extra protection to your home. When it expands and reaches the cracks, it will harden after some time so it also serves as a sealant; hence, saves your money.

• Recycled cellulose fibers –these are merely a type of roofing insulation solution that is made out of paper products that are no longer in use. It is very eco-friendly as you have recycled wastes and did something beneficial about it. You only have to treat the fibers with boric acid and spread it into your roof and use a specific compressed blower that is designed for such propose. This will help make your insulator not just fire but mildew resistant. It can even shield you from banging external sounds.

• Sheep’s wool –It is also an effective insulation option. The advantage with this is: it is fire resistant and also it doesn’t get damp easily. The other important thing is: It will not have any harmful effects to your health and easy to operate. You can also use it for a long time repeatedly. The only problem with this is that it is quite expensive.

• Spray foam –as the name implicates, this roofing insulation type is applied through spraying a foam. It will require some chemicals so that the foam can be produced. It necessitates polyurethane, polyisocyanurate and phenolic. This is a pricey option too. You can be sure though that the temperature inside your home will be neutralized at once especially if you will use it on your attic. This part of your home is the culprit behind energy loss. With spray foam, there would be no air leakages.

• Cellular glass –this has been around since early 1940’s and is now considered as commercial grade. The best part of it is its durability. It is made of mixture of bits of crushed glasses and other agents that are put into a high temperature. This is also a fire-retardant, and most homeowners like this.

• Radiant barrier foil –this is an ideal roofing insulation for various reasons. It will give an extra protection from the scorching heat penetrating into your home. The barrier foil would block the heat and save it for some time so you can use the saved heat during the winter. However, if you opt for it, you cannot insulate conductive heat.

• Radiant barrier paint – It is very much similar to the barrier foil in terms of its functionality. However, it cannot be stapled or rolled over. Instead it has to be painted; hence, the name. In addition, it does not reflect as much heat as the barrier foils do.

No matter what roofing insulation options you use, it will not be effective unless you consider the essential things such as the ideal distance of the ceiling to your floor. The alternatives above can only help you much.

Article by Joseph Wilkerson of LosAngelesRoofingExpert. For more information on roofing in Los Angeles, visit his site today.

Radiant Barrier – Green Energy Barrier