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You can ease the worry of those rocketing heating bills by insulating your loft; here we look at how to do it and the different choices you have when it comes to choosing the best insulation material.
But let's first look at why we need to lay down some insulation.
Because warm air rises much of the heat generated by the heating system in the property passes up through the loft space and is wasted.
By ensuring your loft is properly insulated you avoid this waste of energy and help slash those heating bills.
Insulating your loft will take no special skills and can be completed within one day. You can provide the necessary insulation required by the building regulations by purchasing insulation rolls that are 200mm thick, 37mm wide and 7m long.
Of course there are also other options including loose fill insulation and vermiculite but the easiest method is to use the readily available rolls that are sold in most DIY stores.
How To Insulate Your Loft – Starting Work
Before starting the insulation work you will need to check that any exposed woodwork in the loft area is in good condition. Any damp patches, or possible woodworm should be dealt with, by specialists if need be.
When laying the insulation rolls you should wear the necessary protective clothing – gloves, goggles and dust mask. The rolls should be laid within the joists.
There should be a gap of 25mm between rolls and the eaves. This is to ensure air circulation throughout the loft area.
As mentioned above an alternative to insulation rolls is to use insulation granules as loose fill.
These are better to use if the loft floor has a lot of cross rails or the joist spacings are uneven. Just as with the rolls the insulation granules should be poured into the space between the joists.
The insulation rolls will have to be trimmed to go round obstacles. You should be able to do this with a Stanley or any other sharp knife.
It is important to remember not to insulate the space under the cold water tank. Here you want the warm air to rise into the loft space to prevent the tank freezing during the winter.
However, the tank should be wrapped with insulation roll or a special jacket and water pipes in the loft area should be wrapped with foam insulation.
For more info see the related pages below
Vermiculite - A Loose Fill Alternative
How To Insulate Your Loft & Home By Closing The Thermal Envelope
So What Is The Best Insulation To use?
The Cheapest Materials Aren't Always The Best