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Attic insulation

I have recently retired into a modest 2 bedroomed bungalow. The previous occupant had recently died (approx 90) so bungalow is “out of date”. I am not DIY inclined, so my guidance would be somewhat amateur.

 

We have noticed now that the bungalow gets too hot for us, so I will have to spend, but spend on a budget.We have a few options, installation of one/two Velux type windows, presumably “all in “ cost of £2000.00.

 

Change the insulation (should I remove old?), and replace with Kinsman (My spelling may be wrong-please do correct me), it comes like silver bubblewrap. Do I secure it to the floor? , or the sides of the “A" shaped roof? No, I have no plan to convert it to an extra room, though at a later date that might improve the price.

The attic is about 10% boarded, so may be good to completely board it.

 

Finally I see no air vent bricks, or no gaps in the eaves, for air circulation.






Comments

  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 18,092 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    For insulating a loft, you'd be better off using fibreglass or rockwool rather than Kingspan/Celotex type polyurethane boards - The latter require careful cutting & fitting to be effective, and they are substantially more expensive. Please don't bother with the foil or bubblewrap  types of insulation - Whilst the manufacturers claim quite impressive u-values, in practice, the actual performance is quite poor and the stuff will trap moisture (as will Kingspan/Celotex). Damp around your roof timbers will lead to rot setting in and cost a lot to repair..
    If funds are limited, contact your energy supplier - Most will provide free loft insulation under the Eco scheme for qualifying households.
    Her courage will change the world.

    Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.
  • shaun_from_Africa
    shaun_from_Africa Posts: 12,858 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 5 August 2020 at 1:30PM
  • ic
    ic Posts: 3,414 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    I'm lost - if the bungalow is "too hot", then that indicates that the existing insulation works well?  Why do you want to replace it?
  • daivid
    daivid Posts: 1,286 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    ic said:
    I'm lost - if the bungalow is "too hot", then that indicates that the existing insulation works well?  Why do you want to replace it?
    Presumably the roof space gets very hot, insulation may provide a buffer to reduce the heating of the habitable space. Ventilation which allows the heat to escape upwards would be the best bet though.
  • Rosa_Damascena
    Rosa_Damascena Posts: 6,946 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Homepage Hero Name Dropper
    We are low on the details though. I wish George Useless would hurry up and tell us what's what.
    No man is worth crawling on this earth.

    So much to read, so little time.
  • Rosa_Damascena
    Rosa_Damascena Posts: 6,946 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Homepage Hero Name Dropper
    FreeBear said:
    For insulating a loft, you'd be better off using fibreglass or rockwool rather than Kingspan/Celotex type polyurethane boards - The latter require careful cutting & fitting to be effective, and they are substantially more expensive. Please don't bother with the foil or bubblewrap  types of insulation - Whilst the manufacturers claim quite impressive u-values, in practice, the actual performance is quite poor and the stuff will trap moisture (as will Kingspan/Celotex). Damp around your roof timbers will lead to rot setting in and cost a lot to repair..
    If funds are limited, contact your energy supplier - Most will provide free loft insulation under the Eco scheme for qualifying households.
    This is what I thought, but had half an eye on an old episode of DIY SOS last weekend and that is what they were using in a loft conversion before sealing off with plasterboard. I thought it would be a complete damp trap!
    No man is worth crawling on this earth.

    So much to read, so little time.
  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 18,092 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    FreeBear said:
    For insulating a loft, you'd be better off using fibreglass or rockwool rather than Kingspan/Celotex type polyurethane boards - The latter require careful cutting & fitting to be effective, and they are substantially more expensive. Please don't bother with the foil or bubblewrap  types of insulation - Whilst the manufacturers claim quite impressive u-values, in practice, the actual performance is quite poor and the stuff will trap moisture (as will Kingspan/Celotex). Damp around your roof timbers will lead to rot setting in and cost a lot to repair..
    If funds are limited, contact your energy supplier - Most will provide free loft insulation under the Eco scheme for qualifying households.
    This is what I thought, but had half an eye on an old episode of DIY SOS last weekend and that is what they were using in a loft conversion before sealing off with plasterboard. I thought it would be a complete damp trap!
    And if you look at the technical sheets for the foil type insulation, they all specify foil<->air gap<->Kingspan/Celotex... I'll leave you to work out where the insulation is being provided.
    Her courage will change the world.

    Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.
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