Pitched roof insulation is a topic our technical team receive many queries about. From whole house refurbishments being overseen by architects to homeowners who are looking to improve the thermal performance of their home there are questions concerning achieving the required building regulations and concern around condensation and moisture.
what are the BUILDING REGULATIONS when undertaking pitched roof insulation?
When looking at refurbishing a pitched roof then an obvious place to look into first is what the building regulations require in terms of insulation. The regulations can be found in Approved Document L1B.
Part L states that where more than 50% of the roof is being renovated the insulation value should be upgraded to achieve a U-value of 0.18 W/m2K.
This can be challenging to achieve when working within the constraints of refurbishing an existing property but the regulations do go onto say that:
where the standard…is not technically, functionally or economically feasible, then the thermal element should be upgraded to the best standard that is technically and functionally feasible…”
It is important to note though that despite the fact that building control may be happy to accept a lesser u-value you should always be looking to achieve a u-value of no worse than 0.35 W/m2K.
RISK OF CONDENSATION
Condensation can be a major concern for architects, homeowners and building experts. As part of the building regulations it is also a requirement to minimise the risks of condensation with regards to pitched roofs. Introducing or improving your insulation within your roof can increase the risks of condensation but there are ways of reducing this risk.
Our spray foam insulation can be applied directly onto the roof covering or breather membrane. Each property should be assessed before any work is carried out to make sure the condensation risks have been considered and reduced.
HOW WE CAN HELP
Our product Duratherm® is our closed cell polyurethane spray foam, perfect for pitched roof insulation. It has both KIWA and LABC certification and we have approved contractors across the country who can help you with your project. It has excellent thermal values meaning the depth of insulation required to meet the building regulations for u-values is less than for other types of insulation.
For more information on how our spray foam insulation product can help you to refurbish your roof and increase its insulating properties please contact our technical team.
