Pros and Cons of the Different Types of Roof Insulation

Roof insulation can dramatically reduce your heating bill but the wide variety of types of roof insulation that are available means that it can be difficult to choose the right one for your home.

As well as keeping your home warm in winter, roof insulation will also help keep it cool in summer. When it comes to choosing from among the many types of roof insulation on the market, you need to take account of its R-rating which measures the quality and efficacy of the material contained in it.

The types of roof insulation you can buy include those manufactured from fiberglass, mineral wool, plastic fiber, polyurethane foam, nitrogen-based urea-formaldehyde foam, phenolic foam, cement foam, concrete block and natural fibers.

Fiberglass is one of the most popular types of roof insulation and is available in either rolls or sheets. You can also buy square cut sections of rigid fiberglass rolls with a wide range of R-ratings. Newer versions of these types of roof insulation typically include loose fibers which need to be mixed with adhesive before installation in your loft, although the newest types of roof insulation use two types of glass which curl naturally so that there is no need for an adhesive to make the fibers stick together.

Let us look now at some of the other types of roof insulation that are available on the market.

Cellulose fiber insulation is along with fiberglass one of the most popular types of roof insulation. It is made from recycled paper so is good for the environment too. Cellulose fiber is one of the cheapest types of roof insulation and is also the easiest to install.

Foam is still one of the commonest types of roof insulation, whether in the form of rigid boards or the spray variety. Boards need to be cut into the required sizes and then fixed in place but the spray will just expand gradually to fill your loft space.

Types of roof insulation that use natural fibers include sheep wool, recycled denim, soya fiber, cotton, hemp and straw. These are also more environmentally friendly compared to other types of roof insulation.