Getting your loft insulated is one of the best measures you can take to safeguard your home against energy inefficiency. But, it can be confusing deciding what type of insulation to go for and understanding the benefits to your home. For a guide to what loft insulation entails, read on.
Why get loft insulation?
Loft insulation will cost you money, but it’s worth the investment, and after a number of years you end up recouping the money spent with the savings you made. How does it work? Basically, loft insulation stops heat from escaping out of your roof. During wintertime, when you need the heat most, a loft that hasn’t been insulated can lose up to a quarter of its heat from the roof. By getting your loft insulated, it will have a positive impact on your energy bills, and the environment. You could save over 700g of carbon dioxide annually from getting your loft insulated.
In the summer, when you don’t want the heat entering your home, the insulation acts like a barrier trapping the sun’s energy from coming through the roof, thus keeping your home nice and cool – just when you want it most.
Once you’ve got your loft insulated, it should last you around 40 years, so the inconvenience of installation is nothing compared to how long you’ll benefit for.
Types of insulation
There are different types of insulation, so you’ll need to choose the type that works best for your home and is within your budget. You can either get bulk insulation, which contain fibres that trap small pockets of air, such as glasswool or rockwool. You could also choose reflective insulation, which reduces infrared radiant heat transfer from a hot surface to a cooler one, and includes foil products. Or, you could choose composite materials, which are a combination of bulk and reflective.
The type of roof you have, and who is going to install it, are often deciding factors when it comes to choosing insulation.
The process of insulating your loft
A straightforward, easy-to-access loft, with regular joists and free from condensation issues is easy to insulate, and can even be done as your own DIY project, which will save further costs. Rolls of mineral wool can easily be laid between the joists, then at right angles covering the joists so it meets the required depth.
Some people who use their loft as living space decide to insulate the loft roof instead of the floor by fixing insulation boards between the roof rafters.
Lofts that are hard to access are more likely to need the expertise of a professional. In this instance, specialist equipment is used to blow the insulation material into the loft.
If you have a flat roof, then insulation is normally added to the top of the roof’s weatherproof layer. Again, this is normally a job for a professional.
Any pipes or water tanks will also need insulating so that they don’t freeze up. Don’t forget about the hatch as well.
Value
Not only will adding or improving your loft insulation decrease your energy bills and contribute to helping the environment, it will also increase the value of your home. Any measures that are taken to increase the green factor of a home are appealing additions that buyers will appreciate. These could be the selling points that make your home stand out over another.
