My loft insulation is too thin, apparently. Are there any recommendations as to which rolls of insulation are best, or are they all pretty much the same? I notice that B&Q do some kind of recycled plastic stuff.
Also, presumably I don't take up the existing insulation but simply lay the new stuff on top?
I think I'm OK on stuff like leaving adequate ventilation round the eaves, not insulating under the water tanks etc, but any other tips would be helpful.
Thanks
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Tips? Yes
If you have any recessed lights or down-lighters make sure ventilation tubes are installed round them,
If you go with current recommendations you will be filling this thing deep, make sure you mark the position of the ceiling joists afterwards.
wear a close fitting disposable overall thing, and a filter mask while doing it if you use any of the spun wool types of insulation.
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That IS helpful, thank you - I hadn't considered any of those issues. Probably a stupid question, but how do I mark the joists - just draw a line on the insulation?
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Anything, just lay some old garden canes over the joists will do.
When my mums place was done, there was nothing left to mark the joists, and getting around the loft is like tapping a way through a minefield.
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In addition to Zero's advice:-
Use 200mm thick insulation (you only do it once), lay it at right angles to the existing insulation between the joists. If you have a floored area, lift it and put solid insulation under it before replacing.
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if you go to wicks they are doing subsidised by some energy body insulation in closed plastic reflective sleeves,the type that drug dealers use to grow their weeds in (dont ask its a sore point) it looks ideal as a second insulater and i have been meaning to do it myself this last 4 weeks
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>>If you have a floored area, lift it and put solid insulation under it before replacing.
Why's that?
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>> >>If you have a floored area, lift it and put solid insulation under it before
>> replacing.
>>
>> Why's that?
>>
No point in increasing the depth of your loft insulation and leaving part of the job, (the floored area) not done. There are other ways of doing it but I found sheets of insulating board the easiest, I only have about a quarter of my loft floored for storage.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sat 8 Jan 11 at 16:30
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I used this under the floor boards.
tinyurl.com/3xz3gwn
Or you could use these.
tinyurl.com/2v7zpnl
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I wondered if there was any advantage in using solid insulation compared to mineral fibre under flooring.
This place had barely an inch of the stuff haphazardly spread around when we bought it. I replaced that with 100mm between the joists and then floored it much later.
I've always wondered about the insulating properties of flooring on top of mineral fibre.
As an aside, what about the loft hatch. I put some fibre on top and held it down with some plastic sheeting fixed to the hatch. During the recent snow, I had a clear patch on my roof immediately above the hatch.
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>> In addition to Zero's advice:-
>>
>> Use 200mm thick insulation (you only do it once), lay it at right angles to
>> the existing insulation between the joists. If you have a floored area, lift it and
>> put solid insulation under it before replacing.
Do you mean lay it at right angles so it is over the joists in long lengths or cut so that it fits between the joists and they are still visible?
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>> Do you mean lay it at right angles so it is over the joists in
>> long lengths or cut so that it fits between the joists and they are still
>> visible?
>>
If you have insulation between the joists, lay it at right angles to the joists covering them.
There are installation instructions in the link in my 12:20 post (step 4).
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sat 8 Jan 11 at 18:57
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I bought the subsidised stuff from B&Q wrapped in foil one side and plastic on the other side, they're easy to handle, no real need for a mask unless you start cutting it. I also bought some insulating panels from Screwfix - they are very good for some applications and easy to cut.
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Exactly what I did.
This is the stuff I used.
www.space-insulation.com/blanket.html
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Have you asked your energy company if they will do it for free or subsidised cost?
PowerGen (E-On) undertook both the cavity wall and loft insulation (latter topped up to recommended depth) free of charge for me some four or five years ago.
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Grovelling around in loft? I recommend knee pads...
Essential if you have 120 -180 year old rafters...uneven shapes/knots...
Edit: Knauf insulation is great for beehives...
Last edited by: madf on Sat 8 Jan 11 at 18:03
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I also bought the subsidised stuff from B&Q, not the foil-backed one but the recycled plastic bottle stuff in orange wrapping with something about British Gas on the label too. They were selling it at three x 4m x 200mm rolls for £3, so six packs cost me £18 and filled every cubic inch of the inside of the Escort from the front seats backwards. The special offer was only on for 4 days over the August Bank Holiday weekend, and there was limited stock at each store (6 pallets of 12 packs each at Leicester). I went at opening time (7am) on the Friday and there were four or five other customers buying the same amount as me.
My loft had a small amount of cheap insulation fitted already, rolled out between the joists with a 2" gap at the side of each joist (it's a 15-year-old council house). Wearing overalls and a disposable breathing mask I rolled out the new insulation over the old (and over the rafters) and butted each section up to the next, remembering to keep it fluffed up as much as possible. I covered all the bedrooms and the landing but ran out before topping up the insulation above the bathroom. B&Q had (obviously) run out of the cheap insulation by the time I went back for another pack, so I'll probably do it when they run the offer again this August - their cheapest 3-roll pack without any special offers currently costs more than I paid for the whole of the rest of the loft.
It's made a noticeable difference to the way my house retains heat. Once the heating has warmed the place up, it stays warm for quite a while longer after I turn the heating off. I'm pretty certain my £18 investment has already been repaid a few times over, plus I can afford to have the house at a more comfortable temperature more of the time.
Last edited by: Dave_TD {P} on Sat 8 Jan 11 at 21:20
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Thanks for all the helpful pointers and tips. I'll check out whether my gas/electricity supplier offers anything, then get myself down to B&Q or Wickes.
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Old thread I know. I have a fair bit of insulation on the floor, would it be worth doing between rafters too? Looks like choices are Celotex (quite expensive) or double sided foil, easier to put up.
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I don't know if it is cost-effective but I guess it is much easier to handle -Vermiculite? Granules a bit like cat litter
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Do I glue them in? :-) This is between the rafters, not the joists...
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>> would it be worth doing between rafters too?
Depends on what you are hoping to achieve but probably not.
If you have a foot of insulation on the loft floor then little heat will rise into the loft so it will be almost as cold as outside. So there will be little temperature gradient across any rafter insulation and thus little heat flow. If you are trying to keep the house warm and want to do more then just add another foot of insulation on the floor.
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How much insulation is worthwhile? Leaving out price for the moment, is there a point at which further loft floor insulation is no longer beneficial?
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When the loft is full? :o)
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Or just turn the heating off and go to the pub with chums.
Probably not cost effective but hey ho.
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Loft Insulation - Any Recommendations - Zero
