Can I install additional insulation on my roof?
A roof can be fitted with additional insulation in several ways, either on the inside or on the outside. Various materials can be used for this purpose, such as wool insulation, insulation panels and spray insulation. But bear in mind that not every method or material is suitable.
You can insulate a sloping roof on the inside if you have an underlayment. You can use wool insulation or insulation panels for non-complex trusses. Wool insulation is installed in between the common rafters. Insulation panels can be screwed onto the rafters. Installing wool insulation or insulation panels is challenging, time-consuming and, as a result, costly for complex trusses. In that case, spray insulation can be sprayed directly under the roof tiles or in between the beams. Spray insulation fills all cracks and insulates particularly well.
If you don’t have an underlayment, you need to install additional insulation on the outside of your sloping roof. In that case, insulation panels are attached to the outside of the structure that supports the roof after removing all of the roof covering.
If you have an unused attic below a sloping roof, you could also consider insulating your attic floor. If the attic floor has not yet been installed, you can have wool, flakes or foam placed in between the joists. If there is a floor, insulation panels can be used.
A flat roof can be fitted with additional insulation on the outside by installing insulation panels under the waterproofing material on the roof structure. This is known as the ‘warm roof’ method. The ‘inverted roof’ method involves placing a layer of ballast on top of the insulation material. The roof covering can be maintained, but the roof structure must be able to support the extra weight of the ballast. These methods can also be combined, in which case an existing ‘warm roof’ is fitted with additional insulation using the ‘inverted roof’ method.
A flat roof can be fitted with additional insulation on the inside by installing wool insulation or insulation panels under the roof structure. This is known as the ‘cold roof’ method.
Be sure to engage the expertise of professionals when fitting your roof with additional insulation to achieve the best results.
This article was published on 12-10-2023. Unless expressly provided otherwise, all information you consult or obtain here is entirely without obligation and for information purposes only. The information applies exclusively to the Brussels Capital-Region.