As energy prices rise, improving the efficiency of your home is more important than ever. Whereas switching providers was once seen as the best way to save money, insulation is becoming more and more popular. One of the most common types is loft insulation, and if you’re unsure what this is or how to get started, then you’re in luck.
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Loft insulation adds an extra layer of material in the wall or floor cavities of your loft to trap heat.
As hot air rises, the top of your house is an easy route for it to escape. In fact, an uninsulated loft can be responsible for one quarter of the heat lost in your home.
Loft insulation ensures that this transfer is at least mitigated, with different types available dependent on what you need.
Where you choose to insulate will dictate which part of your home is warmed.
Insulation in the joists (the beams along the floor of your loft) will help heat the space below. Meanwhile, insulation in the rafters (the beams that hold up the roof) will keep warmth in the loft itself.
Once you have decided which of these is going to be suitable for your situation, you will need to pick an insulation type. There are dozens of options, but we’ve picked out the four most common types:
Made up of small bits of lightweight materials like cork or recycled paper, loose fill is extremely versatile. Its granulated nature means it can be easily stuffed into irregular spaces, or used to bolster existing insulation.
However, this means that it can also come loose if draughts are present. Also, some of the materials will irritate the skin, so you may need protective equipment.
When you think of loft insulation, this is probably what springs to mind. It’s made up of rolls of mineral fibre, glass or foil-backed felt, and is often the cheapest type of insulation.
While it is very easy to install yourself, its bulky nature can make it difficult to manoeuvre in tight spaces, so make sure you check your measurements
Sheet insulation is made up of rigid boards, composed of either natural or synthetic materials. Relative to their thickness, they offer some of the best rates of heat retention, meaning you can get great results even if the cavity space is relatively small.
Unfortunately, this means that they are on the higher end of the price scale, potentially putting them out of reach for some homeowners.
This type of insulation is fairly similar to loose fill, and is made of tiny granules of fibreglass or cellulose. As it requires specialist equipment to blow it into the required space, it needs to be handled by a professional, which can make it more expensive.
This will vary depending on what type of insulation you go for, and the size of the area you want to insulate. However, it will generally cost you between £5 and £11 per square foot.
So, unless you’re trying to insulate a mansion, you will very rarely go above £1,000. See below for the typical insulation costs in the UK for different types of property:
(Figures from the Energy Saving Trust website)
While the upfront cost of insulation can seem like a lot, it should be thought of as a long-term investment. Generally speaking, the larger the property, the higher the cost of insulation but the more you stand to save.
To help illustrate this, we’ve broken down the typical yearly savings going from no insulation to 270mm across four different types of property:
(Data from the Energy Saving Trust website)
While some will opt for a contractor, you can easily save a few quid by doing it yourself. However, we’d only recommend getting to the toolbelt ready if your loft space meets the following criteria:
If any of the above do not apply, then you will most likely require a professional to come out and at least assess the situation before work can begin.
Assuming you can do it yourself, you will want to move everything out of your loft and check for any damages that need to be fixed. If the lighting isn’t any good, you should see to this too.
By far the simplest method is to use blanket, insulation, which we’ve laid out the steps to installing:
If you want to keep your home as energy efficient as possible, why stop at the loft? There are many other parts of your house where heat escapes, and with energy prices what they are, you can take off a sizable chunk of your bills with some relatively straightforward installations. Other ways to insulate your house include:
Draught-proofing
Solid wall insulation
Cavity wall insulation
Double / triple glazing