Why roof and ceiling insulation matters in Cape Town
A large share of the heat a building gains in summer and loses in winter passes through the roof. Without enough insulation, the rooms under a sunny metal or tiled roof bake in January, and the heat from a heater drifts straight up into the roof space through the winter months, roughly May to August.
Roof and ceiling insulation slows that heat flow down. Laid over the ceiling, between the joists, it keeps the rooms below more comfortable all year. Many older homes and buildings in Cape Town have little or no insulation, or insulation that has settled and thinned out over the years.
What good insulation does for your building
- Warmer in winter. Less of your heating escapes into the roof space.
- Cooler in summer. Less of the sun’s heat reaches the rooms below a hot roof.
- Lower energy use. Less heating and cooling means lower electricity bills.
- Quieter rooms. Glass wool helps soften the sound of rain and wind on metal roofs.
- A more even temperature from room to room and from day to night.
Insulation on its own, or with a re-roof
You don’t need a new roof to get better insulation. We can insulate an existing roof space as a job on its own, working from inside the roof.
If you are already planning a roof replacement, it is the ideal time to insulate, because the roof space is open and the insulation goes in as part of one job. The same applies after asbestos ceiling removal, when the new ceiling goes in and the insulation can be laid on top of it straight away.
What we find when we open an older roof
In older roofs, the insulation is often in poor shape. It may have settled into thin, compressed layers, been pushed aside by earlier repairs or electrical work, or been damaged by a roof leak. Some was never laid thick enough, or stops short of the edges, leaving cold strips along the outside walls. Damp or flattened insulation does far less than it should. If your roof has been leaking, we fix the leak first: see roof repairs and leak detection.
How an insulation job works
- Free inspection. We look at the roof space, the existing insulation, the ceiling and any signs of leaks or damage.
- Itemised quote. We recommend a thickness and price the job clearly, including removing old insulation if it needs to come out.
- Preparation. Old, damp or damaged insulation is removed where needed, and the roof space is made safe to work in.
- Installation. The rolls are cut to fit between the joists and laid neatly, with no gaps, and kept clear of light fittings and other heat sources.
- Sign-off. We check the finished work with you and explain the workmanship guarantee that applies, with the terms set out in your quote.
Benefits of Knauf insulation
We install Knauf glass mineral wool ceiling rolls. According to Knauf, the Multi Pack Ceiling Roll is:
- Glass mineral wool, made for laying between ceiling joists.
- Non-combustible, with a Euroclass A1 reaction to fire classification.
- Made with ECOSE® Technology, Knauf’s plant-based binder, for improved handling.
- Lightweight and easy to cut to fit between joists of different spacings.
- Flexible on thickness: it can be laid as a single layer or as two layers, so the insulation can be built up to suit the building.
We are not a Knauf-accredited installer. We use their products because they are easy to work with and give a neat, consistent result.
Building regulations and new buildings
South Africa’s building regulations include energy-efficiency requirements for new buildings, set out in SANS 10400-XA, and roof insulation is part of that. If you are building or extending, your plans will specify what is needed, and we install to that specification.
Insulation for every kind of building
- Commercial and industrial: more comfortable offices, warehouses and retail spaces. See commercial and industrial roofing.
- Body corporates: whole complexes quoted unit by unit or block by block. See body corporate roofing.
- Homeowners: warmer bedrooms in winter and cooler living areas in summer. See roofing for homes.
Get a free insulation quote
Request a free insulation quote, call us or send a photo of your roof space on WhatsApp. See all roofing services.
