more attic insulation.........

soundsham

was in the mothers attic helping a plumber there about 6 weeks back and noticed the insulation is a bit perished looking and missing in a few spots,she's in the house approx 25yrs and i'd say nothing was ever done since day 1

I told her I'd sort it before winter so,all I want to do is get some insulation and roll it out over whats there is this ok to do or do i cut it to fit between joists,I know the gear to wear etc.(suit,mask,rubber gloves and specs too maybe), but just wondering is my method ok, to let a gap around edge for ventillation,insulate trap door and around water tank not under,

attic will never be used for storage or converted,

any help greatly appreciated,

Buffman

What you've descibed is fine. You can pick up rolls of insulation in any of the DIY stores. You shouldn't need to cut much as it generally fits in between the joists. The newer stuff generally doesn't irritate the skin, but as you'll be working with the old stuff, you will need all the gear.

slimjimmc

If the attic will never be used for storage then lay down as much insulation as you can afford, at least 200mm if you can.

Don't forget to lag all the exposed water pipes too, but you propably know that anyways.

It might be a good idea to lift any electrical wiring up on top of the insulation, rather than leave it covered. I read somewhere that wires can get very hot if buried under a lot of insulation. I don't know if its a real issue in practical terms but it might be worth considering, especially for wires which carry heavy current such as a cooker or immersion supply.

mukki

Buffman wrote: »

What you've descibed is fine. You can pick up rolls of insulation in any of the DIY stores.

a building supply shop would be about half the price of a woodies,atlantic or arro

dave36k

use 6inch insulation, cut to size of timber, lay between right out to eve,s, roll over old insulation, then lay a layer over top of this giving you 12inchs, lag pipes, wrap tank, do not insulate under tank, insulate hatch door, put trap seal around hatch.

soundsham

jeez 12 inches.......
i was going to throw down 5 or 6 inches (1 roll)on top of whats there already

dave36k

you need at least 10inchs, if the old insulation is decent enough just add 1 layer, should be at least 4 inchs on it if its an old house, if its just the thin pink insulation it mise as well not be there, advise you to put 2 layers down the more the better

selfbuildlost

i saw somewhere that you should run the first one with the rafters and the other perpendicular!

does anyone know if the wall beading pumped stuff is any good (building a new house and trying to get everything sort before the foundation goes in)

thanks

hitbit

Band Q are selling it half price at the moment. If u use the small rolls that fit between the joists fine but if u have to use the large rolls measure the width between the joists and cut through the unopened roll with an old saw ( long enough to go right through the roll ).

hitbit

moany

brooks have special offer on insulation at the moment

dave36k

little tip,, use good hand saw, sharp knife, mask, knee pads, 2ft joists apart , cut roll in half, 15inch apart cut roll in 3, 1ft apart cut roll in half then half again no need to measure every roll, easy when ye know how:) carefull you don,t fall through celing :eek:

Kooli

I don't want to do my own insulation (I know this is the DIY board, but still I thought it would be the best place to ask!!)

Can anyone recommend a company that will insulate my attic for me? My house is frickin freezing in winter!! (I'm in Dublin by the way)

Thanks!

Sorry if I'm hijacking this thread!

soundsham

thanks for all the help,

ended up getting 8" knauff
was told to lay it at 90 degress to the existing at let it run over the joists as nothing else will ever be up there
brother was only delighted when i informed him the job is on next sat morning 8am:D

have 2 disposable overalls,safety glasses, dust masks and rubber glove
will throw a 3or4 planks up there to make moving around easier
have a saw and shears so think we're ready to go

garbanzo

soundsham wrote: »

thanks for all the help,

ended up getting 8" knauff
was told to lay it at 90 degress to the existing at let it run over the joists as nothing else will ever be up there
brother was only delighted when i informed him the job is on next sat morning 8am:D

have 2 disposable overalls,safety glasses, dust masks and rubber glove
will throw a 3or4 planks up there to make moving around easier
have a saw and shears so think we're ready to go

Are you still up there with your poor brother sounsdham?

I'm trying to decide between doing this same job myself or getting a company to for it for me. Would appreciate your view as to whether you felt it was worth it doing it yourself in the end?

Kashkai

OK so its a nasty, sweaty job laying insulation in the attic but unless you're rolling in money or are physically unable to do it, why don't you do it yourself and save the money that you'd be throwing away paying someone else to do it. There's nothing technical about it and once you're careful about where you're stepping (as in don't go through the ceiling below ), you'll get the job done in a few hours.

garbanzo

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

OK so its a nasty, sweaty job laying insulation in the attic but unless you're rolling in money or are physically unable to do it, why don't you do it yourself and save the money that you'd be throwing away paying someone else to do it. There's nothing technical about it and once you're careful about where you're stepping (as in don't go through the ceiling below ), you'll get the job done in a few hours.

Fair advice Prosperous Dave. In fairness I got a quote for insulating my bog standard semi-d attic for about €500. It was for the Moy Isover stuff. About 10 inches thick and that included the lads coming here and fitting it. Living in South Dublin.

Can anyone give me a ballpark indication as to what I should expect to pay for getting enough Moy Isover stuff, or anything better, to do my attic. I can then work out if it is worth me getting my lazy ass up into the attic, or not.

garbanzo

garbanzo wrote: »

Fair advice Prosperous Dave. In fairness I got a quote for insulating my bog standard semi-d attic for about €500. It was for the Moy Isover stuff. About 10 inches thick and that included the lads coming here and fitting it. Living in South Dublin.

Can anyone give me a ballpark indication as to what I should expect to pay for getting enough Moy Isover stuff, or anything better, to do my attic. I can then work out if it is worth me getting my lazy ass up into the attic, or not.

Decided to move on as the evenings are getting chilly.

Job done on Friday and Saturday. A right pain in the ass but worth it. I got the Knauff Space Blanket stuff from B&Q in Tallaght which is doing a 'buy one get one free' promo at the mo. I got the extra wide one which is also 200mm in depth with an R value of 4.5. Total cost about €200 which is a lot better for the pocket than getting someone else in to do it.

House is toasty warm now.

soundsham

garbanzo wrote: »

Are you still up there with your poor brother sounsdham?

I'm trying to decide between doing this same job myself or getting a company to for it for me. Would appreciate your view as to whether you felt it was worth it doing it yourself in the end?

job done a few weeks back
11 rolls bought used 10......
bought 2 paper overalls,gloves, masks and glasses
took about 3 hrs to do less about €200 for gear..........buddy got me stuff @ cost
brought 3 planks up there too handy to move about on,left 2 up there and the extra roll,

2 man job i'd say.......
handy to have a smaller fit guy with you too;) except for when he put foot through his own bedroom ceiling

next job is patching that, no biggy

Spencer35

I was intending on insulating my attic myself soon. BER guy suggested 200mm fiber glass running across the rafters (there is already 100mm in between the rafters) or 100mm polysio boards (kingspan stuff) with chipboard on top.

I was going to go for the 100mm boards option as it is used for storage and I think it would be easy to have a secure floor for such.

He claims that the above insulation will be greater than the current building standards and will reach a U value of 1.6

Money saving is an issue so I'd value your experiences before parting with the cash. Chadwicks and Brooks appear to be owned by the same company so I was wondering who I could get comparative prices from?

Cheers.

gsxr1

Spencer35 wrote: »

I was intending on insulating my attic myself soon. BER guy suggested 200mm fiber glass running across the rafters (there is already 100mm in between the rafters) or 100mm polysio boards (kingspan stuff) with chipboard on top.

I was going to go for the 100mm boards option as it is used for storage and I think it would be easy to have a secure floor for such.

He claims that the above insulation will be greater than the current building standards and will reach a U value of 1.6

Money saving is an issue so I'd value your experiences before parting with the cash. Chadwicks and Brooks appear to be owned by the same company so I was wondering who I could get comparative prices from?

Cheers.

the kingspan is not easy to fit. Unless its tight with no air gaps (1mm ) it losses most of its value. The stuff with the glued on chip board will need cut. And cut well to work well. Carpenters job.

there is a sale on B&Q and home base selling 200mm for half price. Building providers sell at the same price but B&Q stuff is very soft and does not itch as much. (I did a clients house just last week with it).

corribfitz

soundsham wrote: »

job done a few weeks back
11 rolls bought used 10......
bought 2 paper overalls,gloves, masks and glasses
took about 3 hrs to do less about €200 for gear..........buddy got me stuff @ cost
brought 3 planks up there too handy to move about on,left 2 up there and the extra roll,

2 man job i'd say.......
handy to have a smaller fit guy with you too;) except for when he put foot through his own bedroom ceiling

next job is patching that, no biggy

Hi just reading all the threads as im doing my own attic and was wondering if the insullation has no vapour barrier attached --- what did you use. Cheers