Thermal insulation is one of the most important system components in a roof, creating a comfortable environment inside the building by protecting it from heat and cold while also helping to reduce heating and cooling energy costs. The importance of thermal insulation has increased recently mainly due to changing insulation standards worldwide, which put higher demands on the thermal resistance of building structures to reduce energy loss for heating or cooling.

Insulation types used in flat roofing systems should have not only high thermal characteristics but also sufficient mechanical properties to be able to withstand loads (e.g. snow loads, ballast, limited pedestrian traffic for maintenance, moisture in inverted roof build ups, etc.).