loft insulation

[Malcolm Buggeridge]

Looking at how much thus is going to cost, I have to wonder whether or not its worth it when my loft space is completely open to that of the adjoining property where they have no insulation at all.

I don't mind putting down some lagging but to have the required thickness would mean I'd have to use loft legs to raise the level of the floor.

Also looked at using insulation boards but they require double thickness combined with 150 mm layer of loft roll.

Then there's the polystyrene beads. Bet its a real bastard to get rid of them if you ever need to.

Anyone know any good insulation materials that are effective at a thickness of <150mm?

[Halo Jones]

Latest guidance recommends 200 - 270mm of mineral wool insulation, it would have to be a fairly hi spec (and therefore expensive) composite board (rigid board backed by foil, then high density insulation & outer skin) to achieve thermal passivity at <150mm.

Of more concern is the lack of party wall to the adjacent property. This leaves you open to access (which may invalidate your house insurance), increased risk of fire spreading from next door and excessive thermal loss, I take it the property is reasonably old & you have lived there sometime?

[FiveTimes]

Latest guidance recommends 200 - 270mm of mineral wool insulation, it would have to be a fairly hi spec (and therefore expensive) composite board (rigid board backed by foil, then high density insulation & outer skin) to achieve thermal passivity at <150mm.

Of more concern is the lack of party wall to the adjacent property. This leaves you open to access (which may invalidate your house insurance), increased risk of fire spreading from next door and excessive thermal loss, I take it the property is reasonably old & you have lived there sometime?

WHJS

When we bought a house it was lacking fire check walls. We told the insurance and we were told to sort it.

We could walk along the whole row of houses as they all had them missing.

[Scoi]

Being open to your neighbours is even more reason to get yours done. Kingspan are the biggest company supplying insulation to the building industry and they're pretty good at giving advice, diy stores are typically expensive but screwfix are pretty good.

I ended up filling the space between the wood and covering with loft boards, didn't bother with legs as the extra insulation wasn't worth it. With the amount of boxes up there as well it's now very efficient.

Couple of hundred quid total as i did it myself and the difference in heating time is noticeable, its a pain to lay it as you get covered in the fibres so get a mask and a dust suit. A really sharp saw means you can cut the roll before unwrapping. Makes laying it much easier. Always cut larger and squeeze it in for better performance.

Used to have heating on during the night or i'd freeze in winter. Pay back probably 3-4 years maximum. Its the only thing i see as a no brainer when it comes to energy efficiency. Everything else seems to only be worthwhile if you're already decorating.

[Mich the Tester]

If you're having trouble keeping warm in winter and want to make some investments in insulation and heating, it's always worth bleeding the radiators first.

[northernladuk]

I thought there was a scheme giving out free cavity wall and loft insulation at the moment but due to end very soon. Why not either persuade your neighbours to take this up or try do it on their behalf. You could try offer the insulation people a bung to do yours as well?

[AtW]

Looking at how much thus is going to cost, I have to wonder whether or not its worth it when my loft space is completely open to that of the adjoining property where they have no insulation at all.

I don't mind putting down some lagging but to have the required thickness would mean I'd have to use loft legs to raise the level of the floor.

Also looked at using insulation boards but they require double thickness combined with 150 mm layer of loft roll.

Then there's the polystyrene beads. Bet its a real bastard to get rid of them if you ever need to.

Anyone know any good insulation materials that are effective at a thickness of <150mm?

this
it's
it's

Get some evening classes on English spelling and grammar!

[SupremeSpod]

this
it's
it's

Get some evening classes on English spelling and grammar!

Gentile has **** all to do with her evenings, give her a shout!

[Malcolm Buggeridge]

I take it the property is reasonably old & you have lived there sometime?

10 years. House is > 200 yrs old

[Malcolm Buggeridge]

Being open to your neighbours is even more reason to get yours done. Kingspan are the biggest company supplying insulation to the building industry and they're pretty good at giving advice, diy stores are typically expensive but screwfix are pretty good.

I ended up filling the space between the wood and covering with loft boards, didn't bother with legs as the extra insulation wasn't worth it. With the amount of boxes up there as well it's now very efficient.

Couple of hundred quid total as i did it myself and the difference in heating time is noticeable, its a pain to lay it as you get covered in the fibres so get a mask and a dust suit. A really sharp saw means you can cut the roll before unwrapping. Makes laying it much easier. Always cut larger and squeeze it in for better performance.

Used to have heating on during the night or i'd freeze in winter. Pay back probably 3-4 years maximum. Its the only thing i see as a no brainer when it comes to energy efficiency. Everything else seems to only be worthwhile if you're already decorating.

Good advice. What sort of saw did you use? A regular hand saw?