Roofing insulation

My husband and I are currently comparing quotes for a new flat roof (rip off) on our Brooklyn brownstone. We have a quote from Major Homes that is very reasonable, but does not include insulation. In fact the representative says that insulation, if put over the plywood roof deck, doesn’t do much to keep heat within the house. Is putting in insulation standard when pulling off an old roof and installing a new one? Thank you for your responses!

Lincoln

in General Discussion 11 years and 10 months ago

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joey1952 | 11 years and 6 months ago

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You can Blow in Insulation with out removing the deck of the roof. I do this everyday and my custumers are very happy with the outcome. call or e mail Joey Federal Conservation 516 903 7401 jjfederal2@aol.com

mruby36 | 11 years and 10 months ago

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Hi Lincoln, Just thought I’d add one more response. I agree with gennady as to the benefits of insulating the roof and that polyiso under the roof system provides the best application. And August points out the need for a proper substrate for the particular roof system you are putting down. While not relevant to your question though, I was wondering what type of roof you were putting down as well as a few other questions I was wondering if you’ve asked? This is a link to a roofing spec for an SBS roof. Arbitrary because I dont know if this is what you’re using. http://firestonebpco.com/assets/2013/03/sbs-reroof-10-yr-6-13-2011-pdf.pdf I include it because proper roofing specs are easily obtained, and it seems to me that a good roofing contractor would provide manufacturer detail on what they are doing. If you look at this spec, by way of example you’ll see it is easy to see how the work is supposed to take place, so, when the work is taking place, you can spot a problem as or before it happens. How many roofs are under the current one. If the current one is the second system over an original one, you do have to tear off. If there is just one, then it makes sense to locate trapped moisture and limit the tear off to areas that need to have moisture remediated. A second roof is within code and saves you a fair amount. I bring up the re-roof prior to the insulation question. If you do a go over, and add insulation over the first roof, you run the risk of trapping moisture by way of future condensation happening inside the roof system. So, if you do a go over, better to just have a proper substrate under the system in accordance with the MANUFACTURERS recommendations, NOT the roofers. So, how many roofs do you have, how many bids (for the same spec) have you obtained, is there any trapped moisture, are you seeking a manufacturers warranty, if so, what is the inspection process, (they vary a lot), do you know what you have up there for insulation now, has anyone suggested a vapor barrier anywhere (if so, RUN from that person)… You as the owner are playing GC. As such, you have to specify exactly what you want and solicit bids on the same thing from at least 3 contractors. Nice representatives who sound knowledgeable are not necessarily the best option. Hope this helps! Matt R www.nyc-hs.com

Lincoln | 11 years and 10 months ago

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Thank you so much for your prompt responses! One last question; How long does a rip off roof replacement normally take? Major Roofing is saying they can do this in one day while another company stated it takes three days. What should we expect for a standard brownstone roof? Thanks!

Augustiner | 11 years and 10 months ago

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Unfortunately insulating does not seem to be standard practice with roofers. By putting a layer of Polyiso or rigid Rockwool on top you gain significant R value compared to interior insulation alone, and you move the heat barrier further out which protects you further from condensation. Roxul Top Rock is great, because it´s an additional fire barrier. You can also use Polyiso, but you should put a thin layer of plywood on top. Polyiso is no more than 1500 for the whole roof for material.

daveinbedstuy | 11 years and 10 months ago

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Assuming they need a complete tear off which isn’t necessary 80% of the time.

ventilated | 11 years and 10 months ago

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A good roofer will apply rigid insulation as part of a flat roof tear-off. A roofer you should stay away from will tell you it’s not necessary.

Arkady | 11 years and 10 months ago

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Yeah, dibs, that’s what most houses have.

daveinbedstuy | 11 years and 10 months ago

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Probably cheaper to insulate the cockloft space between roof and top floor ceiling.

ellenlourie | 11 years and 10 months ago

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Roofing insulation is extremely important. You need at least R-25 insulation above deck for our climate zone according ASHRAE. It will significantly reduce not only heating bill but cooling bill as well. Building code has roof insulation requirements as well. BTW insulation is expensive. No wonder lowest bidder come up very reasonable. But they low bid the job at expense of doing it right. If they will factor in insulation they will probably be much higher.