With summer undoubtedly on its way, keeping your home warm may not be a priority. However, with rising fuel prices and materials, it may be worth taking a closer look at insulation now, when the demand is lower and before prices rise any more.
In this series we take a look at the ins and outs of roof and loft insulation: why is it important to you? How does it benefit you? And what types of insulation are available?
Why is it important? The benefits of roof and loft insulation
There are plenty of plus points to investing in roof and loft insulation. Around 25% of your home’s heat is lost through the roof. Adding the right insulation can, therefore, reduce the amount of heat lost which can lead to savings on your fuel bills as well as reducing your carbon emissions. What’s more, roof and loft insulation is relatively quick and easy to install and won’t break the bank.
How do you know which loft insulation to choose?
There are two broad types of insulation: rolled batt, or blanket, insulation and loose fill materials. As the name implies, blanket insulation comes on measured rolls and is fairly quick and easy to install. Loose fill insulation tends to be blown into a space, making it versatile and easy to distribute into the most hard-to-reach places. However, it is not suitable in draughty spaces and can be more expensive than blanket insulation. The type of loft insulation that is most appropriate will depend on the amount of space available, access, and joist positioning. Provided your loft or roof space is watertight and doesn’t suffer at all from damp or condensation, insulation will be fairly straight forward. Mineral wool insulation is a popular choice as it is easily accessible, relatively easy to work with, low cost and effective. An initial layer is added between the existing joists, with another layer added on top perpendicular to the first layer. Additional layers can be added alternating directions of the sheets until the required depth is reached.
Insulation depths
It stands to reason that the thicker your insulation, the more effective it will be. If you have no insulation or your insulation is less than 100mm deep, you could be entitled to government funding to improve it. The recommended depth for roof and loft insulation in the UK is 150-270mm. Older homes should double check their insulation as the recommended depth has increased from 100mm to 200 and the current 250. If you are not sure what insulation you have, get in touch with a local insulation specialist who will be able to advise you on what you currently have, and what you should get.
When deciding what insulation type is best, there are several factors to consider. Follow Trust A Trader on Facebook or Twitter for the next blog in the series, where we look at considerations when installing your loft insulation.