The Benefits of Insulating Your Roof
Before you engage the services of a Miami insulation company to carry out your attic insulation installation, let’s discuss whether it is better to insulate your attic floor or your roof, and the implications of each option.
Heat Loss and Heat Gain 
Heat always tries to move from an area of higher temperature to an area of lower temperature. During cold temperatures, homeowners use HVAC systems like gas furnaces to warm up their home.
These systems place the home at a higher temperature than the outside environment resulting in heat inside the home trying to find ways to get outside. To prevent heat loss, an insulating material is placed as a barrier between the home and outside.
The barriers between your home and outside, are the walls, the floor, and the roof. You must insulate each of these zones to prevent heat loss. You can lose up to a quarter of your heat through the roof without proper insulation.
During hot weather, the sun warms up your home’s roof. If the roof is not insulated correctly, this heat will be transferred to the attic and leak into your living space.
The good news is that roof insulation lasts more than 40 years and recoups the cost of installation in terms of reduced utility bills for your HVAC heating and cooling system. Contact a Miami Insulation company for a quote today!
Roof Insulation
Roof Insulation is the placement of heat resistant material between the angled beams that support the roof.
Applying the insulation between the roof rafters regulates the temperature of the attic, controlling heat gain or loss through the roof.
Attic Insulation
Applying insulation on the attic floor will not prevent heat gain or loss through the roof. Therefore, the attic will be very hot during the summer, and very cold during the winter.
If the air conditioning ducts are placed in the attic, they will be affected by heat loss and heat gain through the roof. For example, during the summer when the ducts are carrying cool air, the air will be warmed up by the hot summer heat moving in through the roof.
During the winter, when the ducts are carrying warm air, the air will be cooled by the cold being transferred from the outside through the roof.
The variation of temperature in the ducts transporting the air compromises the functionality of the system when the attic floor is insulated rather than the roof.
Another side effect of not insulating the roof is that moisture accumulates in the attic. This excess humidity is conducive to mold formation in your attic. Mold can damage priceless items and is known to cause disease and illness.
This is the distinction between roof insulation and attic insulation.
Benefits of Roof Insulation
There are several benefits of having Miami insulation installers insulate your roof by placing insulation between the support beams, as described previously
Comfortable Attic
Roof insulation regulates heat movement in the attic. The attic will not be too hot in the summer nor too cold in the winter because the insulation acts as a barrier between the roof and outside.
Energy Efficiency of Your HVAC
As previously discussed, if the roof is not insulated, ductwork will have a temperature that varies with the external temperatures. This reduces the efficiency of your HVAC system.
Reduced efficiency means increased energy requirements to either cool or warm up the rooms throughout your home leading to higher utility bills.
The Attic as a Living Space
After the insulation is applied between the rafters of the roof, the space below the roof is a temperature-controlled environment. This means that you can use the attic as an extra living space or even bedroom.
When insulation is not applied between the rafters, the space below the roof acts as a greenhouse creating stifling temperatures in the summer and freezing temps in the winter, making the space unusable.
The Attic as a Storage Space
If you do not protect your attic from temperature variations by insulating the roof, items stored in the attic are subject to the temperature variations mentioned above. For example, furniture stored in the attic would be subject to warping if not made of wood, or any items containing liquid, such as a snow globe could freeze.
