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Do I Need To Insulate My Home If My Roof Is Flat?

While many traditional homes have slanted roofing, your property may come with a flat roof. Since these types of buildings have different layouts, do you still need insulation? The experts at Foam Bear Orlando are here to show you the importance of insulating your flat roof and what type of insulation is best for the job!

The Difference Between Flat and Slanted Roofing

With sloped roofs that are prominent in most residential areas, there is typically an attic or crawl space underneath that separates the roof from the main part of the house. With flat roofs, there is hardly any room for such a space. The main habitable area is directly under the roof, which makes it difficult to find areas to insulate. Despite all that, flat roofs do have certain advantages like being easier to maintain since you can walk on top with less risk, and the cost of repairs is typically lower for the same reason. However, insulation is still important regardless of the type of roofing for countless reasons.

Why You Shouldn’t Skip On Insulating Your Flat Roof

Like with any type of roofing, insulation is pretty much essential for maintaining a comfortable environment. Proper insulation is what regulates your temperatures so you’re not too hot or too cold, and staying at the temperature you want without any air leaks present can help lower your energy bill. Insulation can also help prevent many hazards that can affect your way of living. For instance, air leaks may affect your temperature, but they can also invite fungal spores or moisture that can grow into mold and pose a risk to your health. Condensation buildup can also degrade the structural integrity of your property. Any way you look at it, insulating your roof comes with many advantages.

Benefits of Insulating Your Roof:

  • Maintains your ideal temperature
  • Lowers your energy bill by preventing an overworking HVAC
  • Reduces the chance of mold
  • Improves air quality for preventing illnesses
  • Keeps out pests like bugs and rodents
  • Increases the lifespan of your flat roof

If you want all these wonderful benefits for your property with minimal work and long-lasting results, spray foam insulation is your best bet. It involves spray-on foam that expands when applied which practically guarantees an air-tight seal. But is this type of insulation something that you can apply yourself, or should you seek out professional help?

The Risks of DIY Spray Foam Insulation

Insulating a flat roof, yourself can be tricky, even if you use easy-to-apply spray foam insulation. Since there’s minimal space underneath flat roofing to work with, you may have a hard time figuring out where to spray the foam for efficient results. In order to avoid having to do guesswork just to have something go wrong somewhere during the installation process that could even damage your roof, it’s better to hire experienced and knowledgeable professionals who know exactly how to handle insulating flat roofs. They are the most qualified in using the right methods for the most optimal results so you can make the most out of your insulation.

Call Up the Experts At Foam Bear Orlando!

If you have a flat roof in need of insulation, let the experts at Foam Bear Orlando take care of it for you! Pitched roofs and flat roofs alike, we do it all with the most efficient care and with high-quality spray foam insulation. Call (727) 580-1090 today to get started on a free estimate!

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Is Spray Foam Considered Passive Fireproofing?

Fire hazards are always a viable concern for any type of building, but what can you do to help protect yourself should an accident occur? For the best chance of making, it out of an emergency situation safely, you may want to upgrade your property with some passive fireproofing components. Does spray foam insulation fall into that category? The experts at Foam Bear Tampa are here to show you how you can equip your home to better handle fires.

Understanding Class Fire Ratings

When it comes to fire-resistant features, there is a system referred to as the class fire rating. Since most components are resistant to fires rather than being completely fireproof, it’s more practical to judge them by how long they can fend off flames rather than if they’re impervious to flames or not. These class fire ratings typically go by the number of hours a structure can last before combusting. For example, having a “class 1 hour” fire rating means the structure can resist flames for an hour before it’s prone to igniting. This is especially helpful as it can give people enough time to properly and safely evacuate the premises.

Building Components With Fire-Resistant Properties

Having fire-resistant elements with class fire ratings is nice to have for your property, but what type of building features qualify for passive fireproofing? Anything that can slow down the spread of flames is applicable, including:

  • Fire doors, window frames, walls, floors, and ceilings that have a fire-resistant coating
  • Fire-resistant glass panes
  • Coated cables
  • Anything that gets in the way of flames entering openings like vents
  • Spray foam insulation with a class fire rating

Types of Fire-Resistant Spray Foam Insulation

People often wonder whether or not spray foam insulation is flammable. While spray foam is technically considered flammable, top-grade closed-cell spray foam insulation comes with a class 1 hour fire rating meaning that it can help stop the spread of the fire for a safer means of escape. While you shouldn’t completely rely on it to protect you, it will certainly give you more time to evacuate. This is why spray foam insulation can be considered passive fireproofing to some degree.

Out of the different types of available spray foam insulation, closed-cell foam is the denser type which is how it’s more likely to repel natural elements like fire, air, and moisture. It’s commonly applied to corners and crevices where there’s direct exposure to the outside, ensuring adequate protection. Open-cell spray foam is still a great insulator, but closed-cell is the better choice when it comes to preparing for fire-related accidents.

Where to Get Closed-Cell Spray Foam In Tampa

Want to equip your property with fire-resistant properties? Huntsman-brand closed-cell spray foam from Foam Bear Tampa has a class 1 hour fire rating which can help you in case of a spreading fire. Your safety is our priority which is why we will install your spray foam with the utmost care and precision for the best possible application. Call us today at (727) 580-1090 for a free estimate!