How Insulation Affects Roofing

Insulation is vital to any building, but does it have an affect on your roof or vice versa? It certainly can and could cause increases to your energy bill. The installation of both the roof and insulation can have affects. There is always the possibility that weather can negatively impact both as well.

Installation & Upkeep

There are a few different types of insulation available for your home. One being spray foam insulation. Spray foam sticks to certain structures in your roof. This can lead to structural damage in the future. Non spray foam insulation can affect your roof only if it touches it. This is why it is recommended to avoid over insulating your attic. If you do over insulate, it can cause your energy bill to increase in the summer. It can also worsen air flow and air quality. There will also be the additional wear and tear on your HVAC system.

Weather

There is always the possibility that any part of your home can be affected by weather. With insulation, if there is excess moisture present, it can lead to mold growth. This can then spread to the underpart of the roof. Another affect that poor insulation can have on a roof is causing an ice dam. This is when the insulation is not installed properly and heat escapes to your roof in certain areas. Thus causing the snow to melt then refreeze once it reaches the cooler part of the roof, creating an ice dam. For more information, refer to one of our past blog posts about ice dams.

What to do about your roof?

Since poor insulation can affect your roof, it also means a poorly installed roof can affect your insulation. If the roof is not fastened down correctly, it could lead to the excess moisture that seeps into the insulation. Any damage to the roof should raise concern for the structure of building. One way to be sure that nothing else has been affected is with a core sample. During a free estimate, Royalty will take a core sample to determine the quality of the roof at each layer. No worries, we will patch the area that the core sample was taken from as well.

If you believe that your home has poor insulation, it is best to call a professional to assess the situation. This is extremely helpful when you are buying a home. Ask the inspector is they found any troubling signs regarding the insulation. If you believe that poor insulation has resulted in roof issues, call Royalty for a free estimate at 800-303-8392 or fill out the form below.