Historic England Insulating Roofs

There is a lot of information about roofing on historic england s website but it can be hard to find.

Historic england insulating roofs.

Insulating roofs at rafter level insulating at ceiling level insulating flat roofs insulating thatched roofs vernacular slate and stone roofs in england. You can insulate a traditional building in a various ways to reduce heat loss and save energy. Historic england holds an extensive range of publications and historic collections in its public archive covering the historic environment. Traditional single glazing isn t a good insulator.

Advisory note lead roofs on historic buildings see further information it is. A range of insulation materials are suitable for use with older properties both listed and unlisted. Cold roofs versus warm roofs. Insulating pitched roofs at ceiling level historic england.

Published 30 november 2015. High levels of ventilation can usually be achieved which reduces the possibility of any condensation occurring within the cold roof space. Additionally insulation serves as a way to enhance sound proofing on the uppermost envelop of your house. Careful thought must be given to the insulation that best suits a building s original fabric.

Bats do not pose a significant threat to the building fabric or the health of the occupants and under section 9 of the wildlife and countryside act 1981 it is an offence to intentionally damage destroy or obstruct access to any place used by bats even when bats are apparently absent or to disturb bats while roosting. Insulating roofs at ceiling level for most roofs placing insulation above the ceiling of the top floor can be cheaply and easily achieved without significant modification. Floors in historic buildings. Historic buildings insulating flat roofs this guidance note is one of a series which explain ways of improving the energy efficiency of roofs walls and.

Energy efficiency and historic buildings. Insulating in and around your roof attic space also prevents long term damage from moisture build up or ice damming which results from the warm air trying to escape through the apex of the roof but instead heating up the snow. Other measures are often cheaper and easier for example insulating and draught proofing windows and doors and insulating roofs and floors. And current best practice.

Insulating pitched roofs at rafter level. Insulating pitched roofs at rafter level. Around 25 per cent of heat loss occurs through a building s roof but high levels of insulation in historic roofs can be counter productive sometimes even accelerating heat loss in the long term. Jonathan taylor s article unpacks the key issues including the role of moisture ventilation and buffering.

Insulating the walls should be last on your list when trying to improve the energy efficiency of a traditional building.