Loft insulation

crank_girl · 12 September 2007 at 11:57PM

I need to insulate my loft but I'd also like to put boards down and use it as storage/studio for making leaded glass things. If I put down the recommeended 27cm of insulation I'll have to raise the wooden beams and consequently lose headspace.

Are there any products on the market that give the same level of insulation as 27cm of rock fibre but condensed into a smaller depth? I thought that the foil lined stuff in B&Q did just that but it seems it's lined to prevent itching rather than to provide extra insulation.

If I were to put 15cm on the floor in the loft and then 15cm behind plasterboard covering the inside of the roof would this have the same effect or would the level of heat lost into the loft space be too great?

Any advice gratefully received.

TimBuckTeeth · 13 September 2007 at 12:25AM

If you are using it as a workshop then it might be best to put all the insulation under the roof or it might get cold in there. And I assume if you put heating in the loft then it will be electric so cost quite a bit to run if the roof is not well insulated.
If it is only used infrequently then the depth of insulation between the rafters could be increased also.
Depends really on whether it is to be another room or mainly for storage.

Canucklehead · 13 September 2007 at 1:34PM

Hi
If you look at post #4 on this thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=467160&highlight=supadeck
Click on link
Note the bit about load on the floor/ceiling.

IMO I would avoid insulating the roof (as in under the tiles/slates) you need the roof to be ventilated to prevent moisture build up. That said you should have ventilation if you're doing soldered dots on lead.
Do you think your home insurer would approve?

Corgi Guy.

Poppycat · 13 September 2007 at 2:00PM

You can insulate the roof as long as you leave a gap to allow air to flow to stop moisture build up and rot the beams. We used kingspan for this.

You can get a board that is insulation I priced it up a few months back from Perkins and it isnt cheap at all

http://www.knauf-insulation.co.uk/loft-insulation-uk.html

Canucklehead · 13 September 2007 at 5:10PM

Poppycat wrote: »

You can insulate the roof as long as you leave a gap to allow air to flow to stop moisture build up and rot the beams. We used kingspan for this.

You can get a board that is insulation I priced it up a few months back from Perkins and it isnt cheap at all

http://www.knauf-insulation.co.uk/loft-insulation-uk.html

Good afternoon : As it is the OP's intention to use the loft as a work space (leaded glass) and plasterboard the ceiling, appropriate ventilation will be essential. The product (board) to which you have referred has been linked to by my OH's previous post....it is called Supadeck. Other considerations could rear their ugly mugs as well (e.g. electrics, structural integrity, fire:eek: ) See more here... http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/genpub/en/1115313928708.html

HTH

Canucklehead

cattie · 13 September 2007 at 7:29PM

If you look on the screwfix website they do an insulation which is ideal for your purpose called Airtec double. It's quick & easy to lay & does away with the need to raise the joists for flooring boards to be laid.

Canucklehead · 13 September 2007 at 8:38PM

cattie wrote: »

If you look on the screwfix website they do an insulation which is ideal for your purpose called Airtec double. It's quick & easy to lay & does away with the need to raise the joists for flooring boards to be laid.

Good evening: Airtec Double has not been designed for and is not certified for use as a loft insulation: it is a combustible material (although Airtec FR has a fire retardant additive) For info on certification see http://www.brecertification.co.uk/pdf/Cert060.pdf

See also the manufacturer's website for suitable applications http://www.ybsinsulation.com/PDFs/Airtec_Combined.pdf

HTH

Canucklehead

spinybif_2 · 13 September 2007 at 9:49PM

I have just been through the same question. Airtec cannot be laid horizontally as it is not porous and will allow water vapour to condense and drip - technical advice from the manufacturer. I ended up raising the joists 1 inch to clear the central heating pipes/wires with roofing battons. Filling the space created with 125 mm of fibreglass - two for one at wickes ( if that offer has ended similar at focus ). Around the edges where there was no usable headroom I then overlaid a cross layer of 170mm fibreglass. Not perfect I know but the outer 2/3 of the roof space are insulated to the latest standards with the centre, occupied, 1/3 insulated with the 125mm of fibreglass and the chipboard floor. IIf you were really keen you could use Knauf insulated boards to cover the floor instead of chipboard but this is a lot more expensive for little gain.

TimBuckTeeth · 13 September 2007 at 10:32PM

For the soldering fumes I would not rely on passive ventilation, ie. drafts. An extractor fan should be fitted. I would get a decent quality one, at least 6", and a speed controller to keep the noise down. The bathroom 4" ones just make a lot of noise and don't do much.

tommyatkins_2 · 20 September 2007 at 12:15PM

We have just moved into our first house, a Victorian end of terrace. there is no roof lining, no insulation and we have to store boxes and clothes in the loft. Can i get away with putting insulation between the joists and then T/G flooring chipboard on top or do i have to place insulation on the joists as well? is this a DIY job or one for the professionals - if so how much are we looking at?

isofa · 20 September 2007 at 12:25PM

We had the standard amount of insulation in our loft, filling up between all the joists. but not thicker, but I've added extra where it looked thin, especially about the master bedroom, however I didn't want to add another layer, due to the problems mention with raising the potential floor level when boarded.

Now I've boarded it all (it's a large area) with large sheets of thick chipboard, and then I've used old rolls of carpet, to almost completely cover the entire loft floor level, hopefully this will provide extra insulation during the winter months too.

Loft insulation

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