Partial loft conversion - insulation issues

Brebal

My house has the loft converted into a room by the previous occupants but ladder only access, storage only type thing. 

I once checked with a loft conversion company who had a look and said it’s not to current standards and if I wanted to complete the conversion, the whole floor would have to come up and be redone. I wasn’t bothered really. Happy with just storage space.  The problem is that it’s not properly insulated. It’s been a problem for a while but I’m motivated to sort it now with energy prices. My house takes all day to heat up a few degrees and can never get past a certain point. 

I had a loft insulation company look but they said they do unconverted lofts so couldn’t help. I’ll have to get a ‘room in roof’ company to have a look but suspect for a proper job, floor would have to come up and thick insulation put down, which will cost thousands. The floor will be raised so the cupboards will have to be altered too.  

I wondered if anyone has any experience of this? And also if there are any other cheaper alternatives? For example, can I attach celotex panels to the ceiling or something? (It’s mostly sloping all around). Or even just take up the carpet tiles and lay some thin but good insulation before relaying them? 

One side has eaves access in which the insulation isn’t good enough. Got quoted £200+ to sort that but not sure it’s worth it just for that one section? If it’ll help much?  

The other side doesn’t have eaves access. Wondered about getting a joiner to knock a door in - can see what’s happening that side then and put insulation in if needed? 

Doozergirl

I don't think you have a partial
loft conversion.    A loft conversion is an expensive, time consuming, manor structural project on a house.  I think you just have a lot of boarding and not much else. 

Frankly, the value of insulating it is far higher than the value of storing stuff - if it's anything like the loft we emptied when we moved after 10 years - that should be in a skip.  

Yes, of course you can apply celotex to the eaves but there is a specific process to ensure ventilation is maintained and celotex  itself isn't cheap, without considering the skill required and therefore cost of labour.  If you are asking for cheap, it isn't that. 

The cheapest option will be to remove what has been added to give full access and invest in a skip, rockwool and then maybe installing some raised flooring to a limited area accommodate essential storage for suitcases, christmas decs etc.  

sevenhills

Brebal said:

I once checked with a loft conversion company who had a look and said it’s not to current standards and if I wanted to complete the conversion, the whole floor would have to come up and be redone.

I would not be so sure it's your loft causing your issue. The loft conversion company were stating different standards, a boarded out loft will never meet the standards for a loft conversion.

Perhaps you could get a energy performance certificate, which will tell you where to make improvements for energy efficiency?

Brebal

sevenhills said:

Brebal said:

I once checked with a loft conversion company who had a look and said it’s not to current standards and if I wanted to complete the conversion, the whole floor would have to come up and be redone.

I would not be so sure it's your loft causing your issue. The loft conversion company were stating different standards, a boarded out loft will never meet the standards for a loft conversion.

Perhaps you could get a energy performance certificate, which will tell you where to make improvements for energy efficiency?

Yes, an EPC is a good idea actually, thanks. When I describe it, I mean it looks like a room, it’s boarded out, carpeted,  all the walls plastered and painted, power, velux window etc. I know it’s not a real conversion, not done to standard and no staircase. So yeah, I still want it insulated as best I can. It might not be where I’m losing heat but I’ve had all new windows thinking that was part of the problem and it’s made no difference. 

DRP

If your house is cold I would first be looking for drafts and secondly upgrading the heating / radiators in the cold rooms. 

Brebal

DRP said:

If your house is cold I would first be looking for drafts and secondly upgrading the heating / radiators in the cold rooms. 

Ive had the boiler serviced and that’s ok. They said all radiators working fine too (they do get really hot). So that’s how I’ve reached the conclusion I’m losing heat somewhere. Might get an infrared leak detector device to if that can provide any insight. Losing heat through the loft/ roof just seems an obvious one. 

sevenhills

Brebal said:

My house takes all day to heat up a few degrees and can never get past a certain point. 

My house seems to be like that, leave it on all day.

Bendy_House

Brebal, this lined loft area has ladder access? Via a hatch? That's normally closed? Cool. I'd forget doing anything to any of that.

The simplest - and most effective by far - method of insulating your ceiling, especially as it's sloping, is to line it on the underside using insulated plasterboard. Even 1" thick insulation will be very effective. 2" will be better, if you can afford to lose the headroom. 1.5" is a compromise.

Brebal

sevenhills said:

Brebal said:

My house takes all day to heat up a few degrees and can never get past a certain point. 

My house seems to be like that, leave it on all day.

I do, I have the thermostat set to 17 degrees, and then I turn it up/program it as necessary.  Obviously not an issue at this time of year, but in winter it takes hours to get from 17 to 21 and it won't go any higher.  Say in a morning, I set it for an hour before I wake up and it has to climb from 17 degrees...an hour after it's been on, it's at something like 17.2. 

I went away for two weeks last winter and switched it all off...the house dropped to 11 degrees and when I got back, again it took all day just to get back up to 17.  When I've asked other people, they say their houses can climb a few degrees in an hour.   I'm open to any other suggestions of course, and I'm eliminating things as I go (windows, boiler, etc). 

Brebal

Bendy_House said:

Brebal, this lined loft area has ladder access? Via a hatch? That's normally closed? Cool. I'd forget doing anything to any of that.

The simplest - and most effective by far - method of insulating your ceiling, especially as it's sloping, is to line it on the underside using insulated plasterboard. Even 1" thick insulation will be very effective. 2" will be better, if you can afford to lose the headroom. 1.5" is a compromise.

Yes loft hatch (which is a new one) and stays closed.  I can't feel any draughts coming from around it.   

I'd be happy to stick some insulation plasterboard on, don't mind losing head height.  I just didn't know if it was possible or would make a difference.  Is there any you recommend? Should they be glued or screwed on? 

Bendy_House

Regular 'loft' insulation is usually the way to go as it's cheap, easy to DIY fit, and does the job pretty well.

When it comes to sloping ceilings, tho', things get a bit more complicated as it's tricky to get the insulation down the slope in the first place, and it's often not even a good idea as you could easily block the essential ventilation that comes up from there, which is used to keep the loft area dry and free from condensation.

So, lining it with a high-value insulating board is by far the best method - there will be no gaps left uncovered, and it won't block any ventilation spaces.

Many makes, but they are all pretty much the same - polyurethane-based rigid insulation, stuck to a plasterboard layer. (I understand PIR is better than PUR, but that's something for you to explore, or for someone else on here to do instead :-) S62?! Where are you when I actually NEED you?! )

It can also be done by fitting the insulation sheets on first, and then over-boarding with plasterboard, but the combined sheet is an easier and quicker job.

They are usually screwed into place, just as tho' they were plasterboards sheets - just longer screws required. They'll then need skimming over.

How old is your house? What construction are the exterior walls made from? Walls and ceilings will be the biggest heat losses, but I'd agree with DRP above - draughts are the worst... Do you have floorboards under your carpets? If so, good chance they are seeping through a constant draught which will be escaping out through other parts of your house, taking the heat with it.

If your rooms don't heat up well enough, it'll be down to a number of possibilities:

1) CH system not working properly. Not the case here, as your rads are 'hot'.

2) CH system is undersized - ie the rads aren't big enough for the size of room, and the type of construction. No idea if that is the case.

3) Lack of insulation. Clearly this is an issue here, but no idea to what extent. Age of hoosie? Type of build?

4) Draughts. Definitely a biggie in most older properties, especially ones with timber floorboards. Constant flow of air through the T&Gs, but also from under the skirting boards. They need sealing (under the skirting boards) and the floor covered in a sheet or thin insulating layer.