Loft insulation and boarding

[PikeyPriest]

I’m looking to up the insulation in our loft beyond the <10cm we have at present. I want to board the loft and would need to remove some central boarding to replace with raised boarding. Is loft legs the way to go? The reviews and videos make it look quite easy. Would you pre-drill the holes for the screws? Is there a maximum thickness of insulation I should use? I understand about giving a gap around the eaves to allow ventilation. Is there anything to watch for or is it just a case of putting the spaces in, insulation down then boards on top?

 

[Deleted User 298457]

See my thread here:

1930s Semi Refurb - Part 4 of ... (Edition: Loft Insulation)

Hi folks, Me again - given the turn in weather, the boiler man being booked for early November, and a Christmas visit from my mum planned - I am thinking I may hold off on any major progress on the bathroom until the new year. Cue the perfect opportunity for a low effort (lol), high impact...

forums.overclockers.co.uk

In summary, I went for:
* Large 2.4m boards (as opposed to tonnes and tonnes of smaller boards)
-> Check your loft hatch can accommodate it
* Loft legs
-> eBay was cheaper than anywhere
* B&Q for insulation ~25 quid a roll
-> You don't want more than 270mm. 100mm goes into joists, 170mm goes opposite direction over the top.

 

[PikeyPriest]

See my thread here:

1930s Semi Refurb - Part 4 of ... (Edition: Loft Insulation)

Hi folks, Me again - given the turn in weather, the boiler man being booked for early November, and a Christmas visit from my mum planned - I am thinking I may hold off on any major progress on the bathroom until the new year. Cue the perfect opportunity for a low effort (lol), high impact...

forums.overclockers.co.uk

In summary, I went for:
* Large 2.4m boards (as opposed to tonnes and tonnes of smaller boards)
-> Check your loft hatch can accommodate it
* Loft legs
-> eBay was cheaper than anywhere
* B&Q for insulation ~25 quid a roll
-> You don't want more than 270mm. 100mm goes into joists, 170mm goes opposite direction over the top.

Wow thanks for the quick reply and advice. The loft hatch is the original from 1981 so isn’t insulated and has no seal, so gaps visible in to the loft above but due to the swing action it would be difficult to seal these with strips or anything. I don’t think the ladder would work with the raised board height, but i will take another look this weekend. Worst case, I was going to leave the ladder at a lower level and look to change the hatch/ladder at a later date.

 

[koolpc]

Wow thanks for the quick reply and advice. The loft hatch is the original from 1981 so isn’t insulated and has no seal, so gaps visible in to the loft above but due to the swing action it would be difficult to seal these with strips or anything. I don’t think the ladder would work with the raised board height, but i will take another look this weekend. Worst case, I was going to leave the ladder at a lower level and look to change the hatch/ladder at a later date.

You could change the hatch to incorporate one with a built in ladder. May need to make the opening bigger though. Not a difficult job to do.

 

[Deleted User 298457]

You could change the hatch to incorporate one with a built in ladder. May need to make the opening bigger though. Not a difficult job to do.

You can't insulate those properly so don't bother. Just get a bigger ladder.

 

[Deleted User 298457]

Wow thanks for the quick reply and advice. The loft hatch is the original from 1981 so isn’t insulated and has no seal, so gaps visible in to the loft above but due to the swing action it would be difficult to seal these with strips or anything. I don’t think the ladder would work with the raised board height, but i will take another look this weekend. Worst case, I was going to leave the ladder at a lower level and look to change the hatch/ladder at a later date.

I got lucky and the existing ladder had an extra click.

 

[ik9000]

I went for as much insulation as would fit between the joists and then ply boarded onto the joists. The 150mm of modern knauff insulation with ply boards has done wonders, and I haven't had the hassle of the raised height reducing storage space or the increased difficulty getting up through the hatch. I could add more but it's performing fine for our needs at the moment. You can also get boards with rigid polystyrene backing to span over the joists and add the extra insulation that way. Not as cheap or efficient as extra mineral wool but another option that avoids floating stools etc.

 

[Buffman]

You can't insulate those properly so don't bother. Just get a bigger ladder.

FYI you can get insulated loft openers with ladders fixed to them, eg I fitted this below

Dolle ClickFix 76 Folding Timber Loft Ladder - Industry Supplies

Unique patent pending click FIX technology. Quick and easy mounting without tools. Reduces heat loss by 80% compared to traditional trapdoors.

www.industry-supplies.co.uk

You can use loftzone flooring which raises the floor around 270mm, and consequently use 100mm plus 200mm insulation perpendicular to the joists

Raised Loft Boarding For Your Home | LoftZone UK

Our BBA-Approved raised loft boarding system saves money, helps the environment and increases safety, without invalidating new build warranties.

www.loftzone.co.uk

 

[Deleted User 298457]

FYI you can get insulated loft openers with ladders fixed to them, eg I fitted this below

Dolle ClickFix 76 Folding Timber Loft Ladder - Industry Supplies

Unique patent pending click FIX technology. Quick and easy mounting without tools. Reduces heat loss by 80% compared to traditional trapdoors.

www.industry-supplies.co.uk

You can use loftzone flooring which raises the floor around 270mm, and consequently use 100mm plus 200mm insulation perpendicular to the joists

Raised Loft Boarding For Your Home | LoftZone UK

Our BBA-Approved raised loft boarding system saves money, helps the environment and increases safety, without invalidating new build warranties.

www.loftzone.co.uk

That is epic! 300 bux tho. I will definitely upgrade to one of those when it becomes a priority.

 

[koolpc]

You can't insulate those properly so don't bother. Just get a bigger ladder.

Yes you can. I had one in my last house. Excellent insulation qualities and great seal.

 

[Duke]

My what a big hatch you have

Must make getting things up and down from the roof much easier.

 

[ik9000]

My what a big hatch you have

Must make getting things up and down from the roof much easier.

It's not the size of the hatch that matters, it's how you use it. Small hatches just need a bit more effort to get the same result, plus less chance of things tumbling back out on top of you

 

[Buffman]

My what a big hatch you have

Must make getting things up and down from the roof much easier.

Yep pretty much double the old one!

 

[Buffman]

Also, it's worth adding some studwork around the hatch to stop falling through! I did this below.

This thread reminds me I didn't completely finish the job last May and got a few areas to finish above a bathroom.

 

[ik9000]

I applaud the choice of spax screws. Those and turbo silver are my go-to's. They both self cut at the common sizes which makes things so much easier, and I've had very little screw snapping, if any, with them.

 

[Buffman]

I applaud the choice of spax screws. Those and turbo silver are my go-to's. They both self cut at the common sizes which makes things so much easier, and I've had very little screw snapping, if any, with them.

Yep to be honest its the only screws I'd buy /use these days.

 

[koolpc]

Yep to be honest its the only screws I'd buy /use these days.

What makes the spax screws good? What driver head do they take?

I ask because i been using what i deem as 'ordinary' screws and they are naff.

 

[ik9000]

What makes the spax screws good? What driver head do they take?

I ask because i been using what i deem as 'ordinary' screws and they are naff.

PZ2 heads, though there is also a Tox option for more money. Quality is good, decent corrosion protection, and they have a self cutting tip and csk head - see screwfix images. Heads also seem to last without losing their definition too. i.e. you actually have a chance of getting them back out again. Turbo silvers while a different brand seem similarly good, just in a bright silver finish rather than the anodised colour of spax

 

[Deleted User 298457]

I bought a box of Goldscrew for the loft, and ran out and ended up using some spare SPAX I had in limited quantity. Night and day for going through floorboards/into loft legs. Expensive though.

 

[ik9000]

I bought a box of Goldscrew for the loft, and ran out and ended up using some spare SPAX I had in limited quantity. Night and day for going through floorboards/into loft legs. Expensive though.

yeah Spax aren't cheap, but after a few rounds of misery trying to get floorboards up that were fixed with cheapos where the sparky used an impact driver on them (and stripped the heads), or trying to install cheapos that snap apart while screwing them in leaving the shaft in the hole, then I remember why I pay the extra.