Your loft has the potential to be one of the most singularly useful parts of your home — assuming you can get the most out of it.
The right insulation can take your loft from an uncomfortable, uninhabitable space and turn it into a room that you can really use.
What’s more, it could help you to cut hundreds of pounds from your heating bills every year. After all, poor loft insulation could account for around 25% of heat lost in your home.
But here’s the problem: 7.9 MILLION homes in the UK don’t have enough loft insulation. That’s 35% of English homes that aren’t getting the benefits we just spoke about — more than a third!
Fortunately, more than half of those homes are considered easy to insulate, which is why we’re going to explain exactly how YOU can insulate your loft like an expert and give yourself those benefits you might be missing.
Step 1: Take a Look at Your Loft Insulation
Before doing anything else, you should take a moment to find out if your home is one of the millions of UK houses in need of better insulation.
How can you do that?
It’s simple really, you just need to go ahead and take a look at your loft insulation. In fact, it’s good practice to check in on your home’s insulation periodically to make sure it’s still in good condition. So, if you haven’t checked on your loft insulation recently, now’s the time.
The first and biggest sign that your loft is insufficiently insulated would be a total absence of insulation in your loft. On the plus side, if you have zero insulation in your loft, then literally anything would be an improvement.However, assuming there is some insulation in your loft, what are some warning signs you should be looking for when checking in on it?
Potential Issues to Watch for with Your Loft Insulation
You can actually start your checks before you ever set foot into your loft. Take some time to check out your ceiling from inside your home. And, if you do, then make sure to keep an eye out for these warning signs:
- Cold Spots: If you can get hands on with your ceiling, then feeling around for spots that are much colder than the rest of the ceiling is a good way to check for issues.
After all, if there are parts of the roof that are much cooler than the rest of your ceiling then, that’s a big sign of your insulation failing in that spot. - Dampness or Water Damage: If there are any areas of your roof — particularly at the edges — that are damp, or show signs of previous water damage (peeling paint or discolouration, for example), then that is a really big sign that you might have issues with your insulation.
- Mould: It might seem like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised how long people can go without noticing mould growing on their walls.
So, take a moment to really look. If you see any tiny, fuzzy spots on your walls, that’s generally a sign that something is wrong.
You can learn a surprising amount about the quality of your loft insulation from taking the time to check on the outside of your loft build-up.
However, you are eventually going to have to get inside your loft, if you want to get an accurate idea of your loft insulation situation and anything you might need to do to improve it.
While you’re checking out the inside of your loft, be sure to take the time to check warning signs like these:
- Uneven Insulation: It’s pretty easy to miss this if you don’t know what you’re looking for, but uneven insulation can be a big problem. For one thing, you might not have enough insulation in certain areas of your loft.
However, it could also be a sign of structural damage if the surface beneath the insulation is warping or sagging. Either way, uneven insulation is definitely a sign that something needs fixing in your loft. - Signs of Pests: There isn’t a huge risk of this happening, but in the unlikely situation that pests like rats manage to make their way into your home, they might end up making a nest inside insulation products like mineral wool or even PIR board; although that is very rare.
So, if you see any signs of pests in your loft — like nests, chew-marks, droppings, or even the pests themselves — you’ll want to take action immediately! - Gaps in Your Insulation: One of the clearest signs of trouble. If there are any gaps, cracks, tears, or leaks in your insulation, then you definitely need to do something about them.
Step 2: Learning Your Specific Insulation Standards
Now that you have an idea of what your loft insulation situation is like currently, you’re better prepared to bring your loft insulation up to the right standards.
But which standards, exactly?
Depending on where you’re living in the UK, the building regulations for your home may vary a little bit, but the basics to keep in mind are going to be essentially the same.
If you want more information about the UK Building Regulations standards in your location, we’ve actually collected all that information for you right here.
To summarise, building regulations specify a set U-Value that your new insulation will need to meet in order to legally comply with those regulations — these values will vary depending on whether you are renovating, refurbishing, or even extending your loft entirely.
The U-Value of your insulation build-up depends on the kind of insulation you’re using and the materials that your loft is made from; which can make it a little difficult to pin down exactly.
Of course, you can calculate your U-Value yourself, if you’d like to. However, you can also get your own personal U-Value calculation from top-tier experts instead — completely free of charge. Services like these can be a great way to make sure you’ve got numbers that you can be confident in.
Step 3: Put a Plan Together
So, now you have a good idea of your current loft insulation quality and where it needs to be, which means you have all the information you need to actually start putting together a plan on how to insulate your loft.
This is a particularly important step, because if there are any problems with your plan you want to find them before you start working on your loft insulation. Laying out all the information is the best way to identify and solve these issues upfront.
Of course, planning can also be dull, which is why we’ve gone ahead and put together a basic checklist that you can follow to make the process as quick and easy as possible…
- Decide on the Insulation You Want to Use: Take your time, do your research, seek out advice if you need it, and settle on the product that you want to use for your new loft insulation.
- If there is any pre-existing insulation in your loft, it’s important to decide on whether you plan to add to it or replace it entirely. Just remember that combining insulation products can be a complex process and you should always seek expert advice before adding to an existing insulation build-up.
- Get Your Project Approved: You already know that there are certain building regulations you need to follow when making a change like this; which means an important step of your project is going to be getting your project approved.
- Having access to professional calculations is the best way to get through this approval process, so if you’re planning a DIY insulation project you should consider making use of a tool — like our Free U-Value Calculation service — to help things go smoothly.
- Plan out the installation process: When done right, insulation is an investment that can last a lifetime. So, knowing the installation process for your chosen insulation is going to be incredibly important.
- Depending on the product you’re planning to install, there may be installation guidance readily available — like our own installation guides.
- If you’re struggling to find guidance on the installation process, we’d recommend simply reaching out to the manufacturer and asking what they recommend.
- Get the Equipment You Need: Now that you’ve confirmed the product you’re going to use, and how you’re going to install it, you should have a really good idea of what you’ll need to do that.
- If you’re planning on a DIY approach, it’s a good idea to take a moment now to look around and confirm that you have the tools you need — and to order any that you don’t.
- On the other hand, if you’re planning on a professional installation, then now’s the time to make sure you have a reliable installer lined up and ready to do the job.
- Set a Date: Since you can’t really see it, it’s surprisingly easy for insulation to slip out of your mind; even if it’s something as important as this. So, rather than planning on sorting out your loft insulation when you get a good moment — or whenever the installer is free next — it’s a good idea to set a specific date into your calendar. That way, you can help to make sure that your project will be done when you need it to be.
Step 4: Asking for Advice
If there’s anything that you aren’t certain about when you’re putting your plan together, then you shouldn’t hesitate to seek out advice from an expert. That way you can be confident in every element of your plan.
Our technical team is always ready to help you with any questions you might have about your insulation project. Even better, we’re always working to make it easier for you to get the guidance you need. If that sounds good to you, then don’t hesitate to get in touch by phone at 01636 639 900 or via email at [email protected].
Or, if you’re looking for something more comprehensive, you could even schedule a discovery session, to learn everything you need to know about SuperFOIL Insulation.
Step 5: Insulating Your Loft
Okay, so you’ve done all the prep work you could possibly need; which means it’s finally time to start installing your new loft insulation!
The specifics of this process will vary depending on the insulation you’re using, but the best practices are universal — so let’s run through our best tips to keep in mind during the installation process…
Gather Your Tools
One of our best tips for working in a loft is to minimise the amount of trips you have to make into and out of the loft.
The best way to do that, of course, is to collect everything you need ahead of time. For example, you’ll want to be sure you have…
- Personal Protective Equipment — Depending on the insulation you’re installing (and where you’re installing it), you might need this to keep yourself safe. So make sure you suit up if you need to!
- Your Installation Tools — Whether it’s a staple gun to fix SuperFOIL to your rafters or insulating foam to fill any gaps between rigid insulation boards, be sure to have your tools with you when you head up.
- Your Clean-Up Kit — This should be anything you’ll need to clean up after the installation; from heavy duty black bags to antibacterial spray.
Our 3 Top Tips for Professional Installation
You might not expect to need that many tips when having a professional install your new insulation for you. However, you’d be surprised by how much you still need to do when working with a professional.
So, with that in mind, here are a few of our best tips to help you get the most out of working with a pro installer!
Tip 1: Do Your Homework!
When you’re hiring someone to do long-lasting, expensive work, you really want to be sure that they’re going to do a good job.
So, regardless of who you’re hiring to get the job done, we always recommend taking the time to look into your installer and make sure they’re worth their salt!
Tip 2: Make Your Installer’s Life Easy
Installing loft insulation can be difficult, exhausting work — that’s why you’re hiring someone else to do it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help to make things go more smoothly!
A clean, clear workspace is what any installer needs to get the job done. So, if you’re using your loft as a storage space, take some time — before your installer arrives — to clear things out for them. Not only will you make their life easier, you’ll help them get the job done quicker — which might just be cheaper for you too!
Tip 3: Let Them Work
There’s nothing worse than waiting for someone else to do something, is there? But as tempting as it might be, letting your installer get the work done without interrupting them is always going to be the fastest way to go. They’ll let you know when they have updates to give.
3 Handy Tips for Every DIY Loft Insulation
If you’ve decided to tackle your loft insulation personally, then it always helps to have information on your side. Fortunately for you, we have a wealth of experience with insulation, and we’re happy to share our advice with you now…
Tip 1: Tidy As You Go
Fitting insulation usually involves more moving around than most people realise — which makes a clear space vital to keeping your installation process as easy as possible.
But, since fitting insulation can also be a messy process, you’re going to need to tidy up as you go if you want to keep your workspace clean and tidy. It might seem like a hassle while you’re at it, but trust us when we say that it’s worth the effort.
Tip 2: Measure Twice, Cut Once
You’ve probably heard that saying before, but you can never hear good advice too often. So, if your insulation needs to be cut to size, then you should always — ALWAYS — make sure to double check your measurements before you start cutting.
That little bit of extra time could save you a fortune in time and effort, so remember: Measure Twice, Cut Once.
Tip 3: Expensive Tools Will Save You Money
It might be tempting to try and save money on your tools when going the DIY route, but remember that quality tools are expensive for a reason.
When you’re working with something as expensive and long-lasting as insulation, it’s worth spending a little extra to invest in tools that will get the job done well.
Too Much Trouble?
If going through all of that sounds like too much trouble for you, don’t worry. We can help. One of our biggest goals is to develop services that you can rely on to make your life easier.
So, if you want an expert’s advice and guidance on your loft insulation project, then you can get exactly that in one of our free discovery sessions; which you can easily book here.
Or, if you just want to find a skilled installer to fit your insulation for you, then we’d be more than happy to connect you with one of the highly trained professionals in our Approved Installer Programme!
Just give us a call at 01636 639 900 or an email at [email protected], pass on the details of your project, and let us match you with the perfect professional to get the job done for you.
