Hello from Hobart Tasmania. I have purchased 1930's weatherboard cottage with a tin roof. The roof is insulated in the main part of the house (i.e., in the attic) but the additions on the house are not insulated – there is no attic on these extensions, just the roof immediately above the rooms. As a result, these extension areas are very hot in summer and extremely cold in winter.
Recently, when we were getting a quote on insulating in the crawl space below the house, an insulator company suggested that they could simply 'remove' the tin roof above the extension, install fiberglass, and re-attach the tin.
It seemed like a reasonable way forward to make these rooms more useable – but I am curious if there is anything I need to be wary of or concerned about. Is is OK to simply remove tin, add insulation, and re-attach tin? Do I need to worry about anything else, such as potential new leaks on roof from removing the tin? Do I need to worry about moisture from the house causing rot?
Any clues would be most appreciated! I have no experience with any thing like this at all!
Best Answer
What they are suggesting is done in metal buildings in the USA, the insulation is wrapped in a type of plastic sheeting on all sides, it is made that way. It is also in large rolls and very wide, maybe 3-4ft?
My biggest concern would be the distortion of the metal when it comes to removing it. If the roof is attached with screws, you have a small chance of salvaging the roofing. If the roof is fastened with nails, the metal will surely be distorted. The fasteners to reattach the roofing, which should be screws with neoprene washers, rely on a flat surface, if it is a newer system. The refastening may not take well if care is not taken on the removal. Of all the fasteners in any given roof it will only take one to create leak, with the insulation in place and it's plastic layer, it would be hard to tell where a leak may really be or if any evidence is visible until it is too late. I refer to wet, or rotted framing after a time.
If it is the older system where the nails are driven through the standing rib, and the nail has a lead coating to conform and seal the hole from the nail,, DO NOT let them remove it unless a new roof goes back down. It may be better to insulate from the underside, even if it may be finished.
This is a sample of what I was going to suggest, It may cost more overall, but it is the metal roof and insulation combined. It will not compress like the fiberglass will and give a higher R rating