replace attic insulation

clovers

hi, the house I live in with my folks was built about 30 years ago. the attic was used as a storage space for years but papers, books, boxes etc was scattered around and the insulation (yellow stuff) has become dislodged and kind of thrown everywhere, instead of being neatly laid along between the boards.

I'm wondering about getting some wooden sheets (chipboard maybe?) and placing them down on the boards to make a kind of wooden floor up there... prob not explaining this very well but I want to create an attic space where I can have stuff more organised.

has anyone on here done something similar before? Any recommendations on how to put wooden floors down up there? Is it worth getting the insulation re-done and how much does that stuff cost?

starbelgrade

clovers wrote: »

hi, the house I live in with my folks was built about 30 years ago. the attic was used as a storage space for years but papers, books, boxes etc was scattered around and the insulation (yellow stuff) has become dislodged and kind of thrown everywhere, instead of being neatly laid along between the boards.

I'm wondering about getting some wooden sheets (chipboard maybe?) and placing them down on the boards to make a kind of wooden floor up there... prob not explaining this very well but I want to create an attic space where I can have stuff more organised.

has anyone on here done something similar before? Any recommendations on how to put wooden floors down up there? Is it worth getting the insulation re-done and how much does that stuff cost?

If the house is 30 years old, the insulation could probably do with being replaced. The U-Value of insulation these days is a lot higher than it was back then as the current Building Regulations require it to be so. Though it is not a new build, using an insulation with an increased U-Value, will increase the insulation in your house & therefor cut your heating bills. The better the insulation, the better the rating & the less heat you will use, so it'd a trade off between what you're prepared to spend & what you reckon you will save on heating.

If you're planning to sell your house at any time, you'll aslso have to take into account the energy value rating that you will have to have when selling on the property, so bumping up your insulation will do no harm there. Better to get it right 1st time rather than have do do it again a few years down the line.

As for where to get it - builders providers or hardware outlets - they all supply them.

As far as fitting goes, make sure you wear proper protective gloves and a face mask & ensure that you use eaves ventilators to keep the attic space ventilated to prevent condensation. They may already be installed, but possibly not. Fixing sheets of ply should be handy enough - just cut to fit & nail them to the roof joists.

You may also wish to install insulation boards with foil backing between rafters. The foil reflects heat from within the loft and from outside because roof tiles may be heated by the sun. High quality Kingspan insulation boards prevent thermal transfer, keeping the room temperature stable in hot and cold weather.

Hope that's of some help to ya!

clovers

many thanks, thats brilliant advice, I'll get onto it straight away. seems like a job that even a DIY novice like myself can manage!

starbelgrade

Yeah - it's handy enough. If it were a full attic conversion for use as a habitable room (bedroom, study etc), I'd definitely advise getting the builders in, but as it's for storage, you'll save a mint doing it yourself.

PS - Chipboard wouldn't be suitable especially if you plan to walk on it.. use plywood instead. I can also be glued to the ceiling joists instead of nailed. Depends on the weight of what you're storing on it, 12mm ply will probably do the job, but if you can get it for a similar price, go for 19mm.

clovers

starbelgrade wrote: »

As far as fitting goes, make sure you wear proper protective gloves and a face mask & ensure that you use eaves ventilators to keep the attic space ventilated to prevent condensation. They may already be installed, but possibly not. Fixing sheets of ply should be handy enough - just cut to fit & nail them to the roof joists.

where I would I get 'eaves ventilators'??? what are they?

sinnerboy

clovers wrote: »

where I would I get 'eaves ventilators'??? what are they?

the eaves is part of your roof overhang

the vertical part is called the facia - where the gutter is fixed
the horizontal part , below the gutter is the eaves

it in not likely that your eaves are vented given the age of property

the SD20 is probably your best bet

http://www.arielplastics.com/mainframe.aspx?http&&&www.arielplastics.com/products/corovent/index.aspx

make sure that the new insulation you install does not pinch against the roofing felt and choke the air path into the attic

if there are any recessed downlights popping up from below - either - keep insulation back from them min 150mm ( fire risk - over heating )

better yet replace them with surface mounted fittings - because all that lovely ( cold) ventilation you have introduced will flow past the recessed fittings into the rooms below

their is a product ( chipboard ) purpose made for attic flooring . all the big merchants stock it . T+G chipboard 300mm ( i think ) wide