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Misc - Insulating Your Loft/Roof Space
Required Tools: Eye Protection, Respirator, Loft Insulation
- Insulating your loft is relatively easy and, for a fairly small price, save you money on your heating bills and reduce your home’s carbon output.
- Choose what insulation you want to use. There are a couple to choose from that are convenient for DIY purposes:
- Mineral Wool – Sold in rolls and the most commonly used insulation in the UK.
- Natural Wool – more environmentally friendly, natural version of mineral wool.
- Before you start make sure you have all the correct safety gear, especially if using mineral wool, which can be especially irritating to the skin and eyes. Use goggles, a mask and try and cover up as much skin as possible. If you are working at height and in a cramped space, make sure you have a buddy there to steady ladders, share the work or help if you get stuck! Be careful not to step between joists as your foot could go through the ceiling. You may want to take a platform up with you to make installation easier.
- Unroll your insulation between the joists to a recommended depth of 270mm. It may take 2 layers to reach this depth but this will give you maximum insulation. To ensure the insulation works efficiently avoid pressing down on it. Use heavy-duty scissors to cut the strips to size and to fit smaller spaces.
- Be careful not to lay insulation over air vents or electrical wires, which can cause them to overheat.
- If you want to use this space for storage, you can fill insulation up to the top of the joists and then install boards over the top. Be aware that you probably won’t have enough space to get the insulation to the recommended depth.
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