How to Improve R-Value at the Edge

By Metal-Era.  

Most roof system failures are attributed to wood nailers. Learn about the thermal advantages that come with tools like the Eliminailer-T.  

A good wood nailer alternative like the Eliminailer-T from Metal-Era provides plenty of thermal advantages at the roof edge, which can improve the overall energy efficiency of the building. Traditional wood nailers prevent contractors from being able to install the insulation all the way to the roof edge, allowing heat to escape more rapidly from the corners of the roof.  
 
The above photo is of thermal scans from Columbia High School in Illinois. At 6:00 p.m. on a 30-degree January evening, this 20-year-old EPDM roof with a stripped in drip edge can be seen letting heat escape from the building’s edge. The culprit is the insulation which abruptly stops 6-8” from the edge. 

Using a wood nailer alternative, such as Eliminailer-T, would allow the insulation and coverboard to be extended and secure continuous insulation all the way to the roof edge, while eliminating horizontal membrane penetration at the perimeter.

Eliminailer is very versatile and comes in many different face heights for use in a variety of reroof and new construction applications. Using 3” Eliminailer-T replaces two wood nailers, allowing up to 3.5” of added insulation and cover board at the roof edge and can help provide up to a 35% increase in R-value. The 5.25” face height replaces three wood nailers allowing 5.75” of additional insulation and cover board, yielding up to a 47% increase compared to a standard wood nailer construction. 

Here is a helpful resource to understand the minimum insulation R-value requirements for non-residential buildings from one of our partners, Carlisle Syntec Systems. 

Learn more about Metal-era in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit www.metalera.com. 

Original article source: Metal-Era