Thermal Insulation In Your Loft Conversion

All internal walls and the roof space must be insulated when carrying out loft conversions but it should be remembered that the insulation isn’t installed just to reduce heat loss and to save energy.

As important as those reasons are, insulation is also needed to help keep the new conversion cool in the summer.

And, with the vagaries of the UK weather, it is important that the right insulation is used to ensure that the new room remains comfortable in any kind of temperature.

To do this both the walls and roof space need to have insulation though the material used in the roof space must meet a higher specification.

Grading Thermal Insulation

The quality of insulation is measured by its ‘thermal conductivity factor’ which is expressed as a ‘K’ value. Basically, the lower the ‘K’ value the better the insulation.

The ‘K” value measures how effective the insulation material is at stopping heat passing through it, so preventing energy loss and saving fuel costs.

An important factor to stress here is that the lower the ‘K’ value the less material you will need which, when considering a loft conversion, is vital because the less material you use behind a wall or under a floor will naturally increase the headroom you have available.

And a few millimetres really does make a difference.

Insulation materials are also measured as an 'R' value. This is a measure of the heat conductivity of the material. The higher the R value, the better the material.

Thermal Insulation In The Roof

This stuff needs to be good. Any sloping areas of ceiling in the new loft conversion will need to be insulated. To save space and maintain plenty of headroom the insulating material will need to be fitted between the rafters but an air gap must be left to enable cross-ventilation.

The task here is to choose material which can meet the building regulations whilst keeping a minimum thickness.

Using some of the newer materials such as foam or reflective foil sheeting will enable the roof insulation to be of the best possible standard whilst still achieving maximum headroom.

The traditional style glass fibre blankets will almost certainly be unsuitable for this job.

Thermal Insulation In The Walls

With the required standards not so high and space not being quite as major an issue you pay your money and make your choice here. Any of the standard insulating materials should be suitable but you may also need to insulate any party walls in the roof space to maintain the thermal insulation envelope.

Party walls can be easily insulated with timber battens and insulation behind plasterboard. And, if you have a gable-end wall, ensure that that is also insulated if needed.

For more info see the related pages below or complete the form at the bottom of the page for a free no obligation quote from tradesmen near you for your loft conversion project...

An Overview Of Loft Insulation

Fitting Loft Insulation

Reflective Foil Insulation

Loose Fill Insulation

What Is Vermiculite Insulation?

Loft Conversion