Raising accessories requires extensive extra work and in many instances is simply unachievable; thereby resulting in an inferior product. Clearance on rooftops is to be a minimum of 6-inches, and 8-inches is standard practice. Carlisle has developed a new product which solves this issue and far exceeds the current system utilized throughout the Midwest.
Today’s traditional insulation of 1-inch has an R-Value of 5.7. Carlisle’s new Optim-R VIP insulation boards of 1-inch have an R-Value of 19 by comparison. Whenever feasible, we specify two layers of 2.6 (15 R-Value per 2.6 panel) insulation to achieve an R-Value of 30. With Carlisle’s new panels an R-Value of 38 is achieved with two layers of 1-inch; or just one layer of 2.6-inch, resulting in three less inches of roof buildup height. So not only does the eventual roof height drastically decrease but the R-Value is in turn significantly increased.
Though these panels are significantly more expensive than the traditional insulation boards used, a cost saving should be seen when compared to the labor involved to raise rooftop accessories. These insulation panels are by no means perfect and certainly will not solve all the issues commonly encountered on rooftops. However, they do address two of the crucial issues commonly encountered: Rooftop Clearance and Rooftop R-Value.