How to Insulate Your Roof

Choosing Your Insulation

When insulating your roof, you need to decide if you are insulating to keep out the cold or keep out the heat.  Your ceilings require protection at the joist level to stop heat loss in winter and heat gain in the hot summers.

The best results for Ceiling insulation is R2.0 wool blanket or 90 mm polyester non allergenic insulation bats, or blanket.

The depth recommended for insulation has been increased lately, so you may have to increase the depth of the beams if you want to create usable platforms of storage space.

Blanket insulation

One of the more commonly used is blanket insulation and it is easy to work with. Always wear long sleeved shirts and pants for protection against the insulation getting into the pores of your skin as this can be very irritating.

Before you start, make sure that you have measured the surface area of your roof correctly, and that you get the correct depth recommended for your location.

Recycled  insulation

Recycled insulation is a natural and non-itch choice to fiberglass blanket insulation. The method for laying this are the same, but non-irritating insulation makes it a more comfortable process. Read the directions on the product to make sure that you are installing it to the manufacturer's specifictions. 

How to Lay Blanket Insulation

Clean away any debris from between the beams of your roof. Find out whether a vapour barrier is required. If your drywall surface is silver-backed, you won't need a barrier — if not, it is prudent to install one.

Lay out the vapour barrier, cutting and laying lengths in between each pair of beams. Fix the barrier to the sides of the beams using a staple gun. Cut holes in the barrier to go around any electrical hardware.

Do not open the insulation until you are in the roof. This will keep the insulation fibers contained to the work area.

Roll out the insulation between the joints, making sure you do not compress it. Tuck it into the sides of the joists. Put the lengths of insulation next to one another with no spaces. Cut holes to allow for electrical hardware or pipes.

Keep any cables or wires above the insulation to keep them getting over-heated. Any heat they do give off will rise into the cold attic. If you need more than one layer of insulation, lay it at right angles to the first layer.

Using Sheep's Wool

Sheep's wool is another user-friendly option to conventional fiberglass insulation. Build up depth by laying subsequent layers at right angles to the preceding layer. Check the instructional literature for depth requirements.

As long standing architects of building design aspects, the Nova Design Group provide good advice when you are looking for the best solution to insulate your kithome.