Loft Insulation Grant - company moving the goalposts.

ThisIsWeird

They were insting it was going to be a PIV, and instead fitted a NOV

PIVs certainly seem solve the problems for which they are required, but at a clear energy cost. So it would certainly be daft to fit one if it wasn't needed.

This lumpy lofy insulation - do you think it could be because the old stuff under it was already 'lumpy', and the new layer is just follwoing the profile?

It can be hard to work out just how effective loft insulation is, as you'd need to have similar conditions to compare the 'before and after' by before being able to declare it's either 'disappointing' or 'very effective'.

The cold snap we are currently experiencing is nothing unusual, but (speaking for myself at least) it's come as quite a shock! We've had a really hot summer, followed by an incredibly mild autumn, so I suspect out sense of what to expect inside out house has also changed.

We had a free 'Warmfront' (or whatever they were called) loft insulation top-up a good 5+ years ago, and it made no detectable difference whatsoever. I am quite sure it has made an actual difference, it's just that I don't notice it; the house is still a pain to heat, some rooms are still too cold, and energy prices continue to rise. I'm pleased the nice thick layer is there, but I cannot h-on-h say I've noticed any difference. Had there not been any L-I up there before, then I suspect I would have noticed an improvement. But there was already a good few inches of old tatty stuff up there, so the added layer improved but did not transform.

I suspect, therefore, that FlatFour could be in a similar position - they, too, had some 'stuff' already up there. Yes, it's worth checking the new layer is laid as neatly as posisble with no large air gaps underneath, but - once that's done - please don't expect to notice the 'improvement' unless the outdoor temps also rise :-)

Your sloping ceilings are different, however. These have nothing there, and to attempt to insulate from above is a difficult task and likely to be less effective. Your plan to line the underside is the best one. This can be as simple as gluing-and-screwing inslated plasterboard directly to the ceiling, mitreing the joins with the wall and ceiling to make it as neat and effective as possible. No need to frame or build it out in any other way - just stick on the board and skim. I bet you will notice that improvement :-)

What about the low walls in these rooms - do they have any insulation behind them? Again, you can line them on the inside (simpler, more effective, but you lose floor space), or you may prefer to cut an access hole between two uprights, and line them with rigid insultion from behind.

FreeBear

ThisIsWeird said: What about the low walls in these rooms - do they have any insulation behind them? Again, you can line them on the inside (simpler, more effective, but you lose floor space), or you may prefer to cut an access hole between two uprights, and line them with rigid insultion from behind.

Having insulated the walls in one bedroom (and the landing) with 75mm of Celotex/Kingspan, the loss of floor space is not noticeable. The bedroom that I've done is the smallest of the three, and you would never know, but it is a lot warmer and so much easier to heat.