How to insulate an attic room?

specktor

Hiya

We have a victorian house with attic rooms.
In the summer they are baking hot, and in the winter they are freezing.
There is no real insualtion under the sloping plaster ceiling - to the battons and tiles.
Is there any way for a DIYer to insulate this room?

There are no grants as it is not cavity or loft insulation.

Cheers

pruney

I'd like to know about this as well, when we open our attic room door you can feel the drop in temperature in the winter but in the summer it's so hot up there you're sweating!

calistared

Me three! My heating bills are awful!

pruney

Hello again!

I just googled "insulating original attic room" and found some stuff but this was interesting http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=178038. I really don't want to lose any ceiling height if I can help it up there.

specktor

It looks like putting insulated plaster board (i.e. Kingspan) or thick wallpaper type stuff (i.e. Sempatap) are the only real options - to ripping it all back and starting again.

I'm not sure what difference these options will give us - adding a couple of inches of insulation via a board - will it really make a difference and be worth the effort? - be interested to hear any opinion

specktor

some discussion...

http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=1087

latecomer

A loft should be cold in the winter if you have loft insulation on the floor as that helps retain the heat downstairs. Also there should be gaps (or vents) at the edge of the roof to allow air to flow through the loft.

If you were to insulate it then it should keep the heat in during the winter presuming you have some kind of heating and cooler in the summer by preventing the heat getting into the room.

specktor

It is a bedroom - always has been since Victoria
There is precious little underfloor insulation, and none in the roof. There are no vents like in a normal loft / attic.

Heat goes straight through the house and out through the roof - I want it to go through the floor into the bedroom, and then stop there.

I'm thinking of putting up polystyrene boards against the bedroom ceiling and painting over the top - a cheap and easy solution, agreed not the best.

latecomer

Depends on what you want to spent. Personally if you dont want to lose any head height (and do it properly) I would remove the lath & plaster. Put up board insulation then plasterboard over that.

But thats far more expensive than some other options but they will all involve losing some height.