Foam Insulation On Roof Sheathing

There are lots of different ways to insulate this type of roof but one of the best methods calls for the installation of rigid foam insulation above the roof sheathing.

Foam insulation on roof sheathing.

Plywood has an r value of 1 25 and fiberglass batts have an r value of 3 14. Unvented roof strategies with open cell and closed cell spray polyurethane foam insulation sprayed to the underside of roof sheathing have been used since the mid 1990 s to provide durable and efficient building enclosures. Featuring integrated moisture air and thermal protection zip system r sheathing completely reimagines traditional wall assemblies by streamlining exterior water air and thermal management. Johns manville r panel rigid roof insulation board offers r values of up to r 23 6 providing high thermal efficiency.

Moisture from indoors can diffuse through the foam and find the cold roof sheathing where it accumulates and eventually rots the roof. There have been isolated moisture related incidents that raise potential concerns about the overall hygrothermal performance of these systems. R panel is manufactured with a closed cell polyisocyanurate foam core bonded to fiberglass reinforced facers and designed for use over metal nailable and non nailable roof decks with a variety of membrane systems. 3 benefits of rigid foam sheathing.

More effective insulation with r values ranging from 3 6 to 8 0 rigid foam sheathing has much better insulation per inch than other materials i e. R 7 5 scored squared edge rigid foam board insulation sheathing. Both papers basically came to the same conclusion. Zip system r sheathing is the simple all in one structural panel with built in exterior insulation.

In warm climates zones 1 through 4 low density open cell spray foam insulation is the typical choice since it is vapor permeable and will allow drying of the exterior sheathing and roof framing if they happen to get wet via diffusion into the interior of the building. There are at least two good reasons why this approach makes more sense than installing the insulation under the roof sheathing. If installing closed cell spray foam or other low permeance insulation to the interior it is very important to verify that the roof sheathing and framing are dry e g. Open cell spray foam insulation is risky in all climate zones we already know open cell spray foam is risky in cold climates.

Insulated roof assemblies can be vented or unvented.