Boarding my loft and insulation

Slinky_Malinky

Sorry to hijack this thread. I currently have 10 inches of insulation in my loft but my upstairs is still very cold in the winter ( mainly due to the rads being too small I think)

I have no plans to use my loft for storage - would there be any benefit in me laying even more insulation on top of what is already there?

amcluesent

Can't see a problem with insulation over wires - if the wires are even slightly warm then they are way too skimpy for the current.

After all, every wall gets boarded out with wires and insulation between the timber frames without a problem!

aliasojo

I've just built a new stud/plasterboard partition wall and there are various cables running through it. I'm a bit concerned since reading this thread, about my shower cables. I have 2 x 10mm cables leading from the wall shower switch up to the loft and then on to the shower/consumer unit.

I have put one layer of 30mm heavy density insulation in the wall then the cables are in front of it with insulation either side of them (so the cables lie in a channel, if you like). The channel is only the width of the cable though, does that sound ok or should I make the channel wider/remove the insulation behind them so any heat isn't trapped? Or am I worrying unnecessarily? The plasterboard is foil backed so I'm thinking heat wouldn't dissipate as quickly/easily/at all?

andrew-b

aliasojo.. not sure if overheating is a problem with your cables but if i were you i'd put them into a conduit in the wall if you still can (if it does overheat i'd feel happier with it inside a conduit!)- easier to pull through a replacement cable if you ever have to. If the wiring is all connected up and you don't want to mess with it but you still have access to it i'd cut lengthwise down a piece of conduit and push the cable into it.

I'm actually about to run oval conduit behind a skirting board and through some boxing-in in the bathroom that is all to be insulated to provide a route for cable to go if we decide to add a heating element to our towel rail or if i ever want to get cables past the bathroom into the bedroom (phone, coax, cat5e whatever!) - not putting any cables in it - just a piece of string to pull them!

Andy

aliasojo

I still have access to the cables, the plasterboard is only temporarily held on by a couple of screws at the moment so easily removed. Looks like I've got yet another job to add to my ever increasing list. I'm beginning to long for old age now. :rotfl:

The_Wall

aliasojo every since my Dad retired he has said how busy he is. Mind you he is often down his allotment, away from my Mum :rotfl:

Couple of questions regarding the insulation.

1) Having checked the current loft insulation, it is 100mm which is the depth of the joists. So if I want to increase the insulation to 270mm and board out the loft I will also have to put down 170mm joists across the top of the existing ones. But how would I fix them?

2) I'm thinking of topping up the insulation with Knauf Carbon Zero Loft Insulation, from Homebase, and was wondering how to fit this around water pipes, since the loft has the water tank.

The current rockwool insulation has been ripped to fit around the pipes. Can that be done with this stuff or do you have to cut it? andrew-b you've used the Carbon Zero Loft Insulation haven't you, what did you do?

Thanks

andrew-b

I bought it but haven't opened it and laid it down yet ..it's all up in the loft waiting. Looks similar to normal loft insulation so i assume it can be torn/cut around pipes in the same way - least i hope it can! Alot of our pipework in the loft runs over the tops of the ceiling joists so will get buried beneath. Trouble with all that insulation will be it'll be a nightmare getting around up there without treading on pipes and even more of a nightmare if you need to find pipes or cables!

Not sure when i'll get round to laying it though - hopefully before winter sets in though. But i need to have a clearout first and get rid of the junk up there.

Andy

Icey77

Apologies for bumping a thread

I am about to lay more insulation in my loft and then board over it. I realise that there are recomendations for the amount of insulation in loft but do I HAVE to adhere to them?

I know it will be good if I can but all I want to do is put down more insulation on top of what is already there between the joists and then board over it.

Also I am a completely inexperienced DIY'er - is is really as "simple" as that?

wallbash

recomendations for the amount of insulation in loft

The word is recomend , not insist

The main thing is not to compress.

Icey77

You're a pedant aren't you I wasn't sure about requirements for new builds and recomendations for older buildings. My sister didn't get her house signed off due to lack of insulation in the loft.

:beer:Thanks for the advice, I shall not squeeze the insulation!