Unvented Roof Spray Foam

Foam insulation can play an important role in both vented and un vented roof assemblies.

Unvented roof spray foam.

Control rain in any roof assembly an underlayment e g. Four options for building an unvented roof assembly. In an un vented roof foam can serve as the air barrier and vapor retarder and prevent moisture from getting in to the roof cavities. In a vented roof foam can seal the openings and serve as an air barrier and a vapor retarder in addition to its insulating function.

Lstiburek takes blame for bad language. Minimum of felt paper should be installed as the primary water barrier under the roofing. The plan is to spray open cell foam under the roof deck. However the intent of the code can be readily met with an assembly that includes fibrous insulation and an inboard air barrier and vapor control layer and is regularly approved for use as such.

This is the recommendation of all three local insulation installers. Most unvented attics incorporate spray polyurethane foam spf on the underside of the roof deck and attic walls. However as the future owner i m beginning maybe a bit too late to read about unvented roofs and i m wondering if this is really the best option. It s not coming from above the roof and it s not some new moisture source resulting from the spray foam.

As we note in our blog post yes unvented roof assemblies can be insulated with fiberglass a wufi post the building code written for the foam industry does ask for air impermeable insulation or foam. Closed cell medium density spray polyurethane foam ccspf insulation can be used to create an unvented roof assembly for any climate zone. Unvented roof strategies with spray polyurethane foam spf have been used since the mid 1990s to provide durable and efficient building enclosures. If you don t want to use sips or nailbase there are four basic approaches.

Open cell spray polyurethane foam ocspf and closed cell spray polyurethane foam ccspf insulation sprayed to the underside of roof sheathing is a popular strategy for increasing roof insulation levels in all climate zones. For unvented attics having the spray foam layer applied continuously from the roof wall intersection to the roof peak at the specified thickness encapsulating the entire interior surface area of the attic will hinder airborne moisture entry while providing an energy efficient environment.