roof insulation
im interested in exposing the rafters on the top floor of my brownstone, but would like to isulate the top of the roof. has anyone put down rigid insulation and rubber roofed over it ? costly ? difficult ? to code ? thanks ! any advice would be greatly appreciated.
im interested in exposing the rafters on the top floor of my brownstone, but would like to isulate the top of the roof. has anyone put down rigid insulation and rubber roofed over it ? costly ? difficult ? to code ? thanks ! any advice would be greatly appreciated.
There are two basic ways to get what you’re trying to achieve. 1. You pull off all plaster board, or sheet rock along rafters, insulation and who knows what else and expose the underside of the wooden deck. (Try to figure out if you have pipes and wires running up there.) If your current roof is in good shape, I would try to preserve it and insulate over it, using thick 4″ insulation, and then a rubberized roof, or hot tar roof, over that. If it’s not in good shape, tear it up and any insulation under it, hopefully not damaging the deck. Glue down 4″ insulation so no nails show through deck, and install roof over it. Roof insulation is intended to keep your rubberized roof from being affected by the changing climate inside your house when adverse weather conditions occur outside. It will also insulate the inside but that is why I would use 4″ instead of thinner recovery board.
2. Remove your plaster etc. from inside the rafters and install a false wooden drop deck in its place using matching dark wood. You can install trim around all inner edges to neaten up the appearance. It will look like your original deck at a glance and you’ll basically have an all-wood ceiling.
In terms of cost, difficulty, and code, you should have a licensed roofer look at your brownstone. If you have any further questions, feel free to call our foreman Kevin, at 718-205-2226. We own Roofmaster together.