Hot roofs act as a thermal break and will prevent ice dams from forming on the roof during winter months.
Hot roof vs cold roof.
That is the deciding factor.
On a flat roof this could be air in at.
Basically the term cold roof refers to a traditional roof or vented roof while hot roof refers to a roof that is not ventilated and which has foam insulation attached directly to the roof sheathing.
In a cold roof the insulation is applied between the rafters but in a warm roof the insulation is applied on top of the existing roof surface.
You create a warm roof or a cold roof simply by applying the layers of the roof in a different order.
The hot roof assembly is found almost exclusively in new construction.
Whether or not a hot roof is a superior setup depends heavily upon climate homeowner needs and building plans.
In hot roofs the insulation is typically installed close to the roof sheathing but the main characteristic is the space under the sheathing is closed to fresh air flow.
A warm roof is much more straightforward to install and provides a superior thermal performance and is therefore more costly.
So what kind of difference does this make.
Namely the insulation layers.
Thus your unventilated roof is indeed a hot roof.
In climates that remain cold for a sustained period unvented roofs can cause more harm than good.
A little q a on the subject i tapped sean from alabama green building solutions to help clear up a few lingering questions i had about hot roofs and cool roofs.