| Brief Guide to insulating a loft with fibreglass |
| Insulating a loft |
| Having insulated about 120 lofts of many different shapes and sizes the author is as well qualified as most people to give hints and tips to make the job easier and most effective. I hope these guidelines will help you in doing this very hidden yet most important DIY job. |
| Measuring, materials and tools |
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You will probably need several rolls of insulation material, some expanded polystyrene, a tank jacket, pipe insulation and some draft excluder (for the hatch). By far the most important is the insulation material and it is such messy stuff to work with that you will want to do the job in "one hit". Therefore if in doubt get a bit more material than you think you will need - you can always use it for other jobs or if the packages are unopened the shop will usually take them it back. Typically packs come in rolls that are1.2 metre in height but these are split into three sections each measuring 400mm wide (about 16") so these can be tucked in between the joists.
You will want at least 4" material and some people recommend 8". If you are insulating this thick you should use 4" in the gaps between the joists and then use the material in the other direction to provide better insulation. The size of the loft can be measured from below but the safest way is to go into the loft and measure the square metres that you are likely to need. You divide the number of square metres of each roll into this figure to work out how many rolls you will need. You may think that some will be saved because of the joists but this is not the case as you lose some material with "tucking it in". For tools you will need a Stanley knife (preferably two in order to safe unnecessary crawling) and an inspection lamp on an extension lead. You will need to wear a mask to avoid breathing in too much dust and fibres. There are two sorts : the "pig's snout" type and the small flat gauze pads with a flexible metal plate to hold them. Both work quite well but definitely don't try to do the job without. Additional useful items include sting for holding insulation around tanks and some spare "crawl boards" for crossing joists and avoiding dropping damaging the ceiling. |
| When to do the job - time of day and helpers |
| Avoid warm or even sunny days as the loft will get very hot and with your protective clothing you will find it almost unbearable. It is ideal not to have a house full of people as the process can be quite dusty. You should close all doors but ideally have someone around to help at the least to pass up things you need. |
| Getting dressed up for the job - gloves, mask, hat and … masking tape! |
| Wear old clothes that cover your body, preferably with thick enough material to protect your knees and so that strands of fibreglass cannot get through and make you itch. The higher the collar the better and you should try to avoid gaps where dust or fibres can get through. It is probably a good idea to tuck in your top into the trousers and to use masking tape to fix the bottom of your trousers to your socks. The best gloves are probably the marigold You will get hot and look silly but it may save hours of itching. After the job you will need a long bath. |
| Moving things about that are stored in the loft |
| Based on my observations most of the things stored in lofts are rubbish. If they weren't when they were put there then the dust, the extremes of temperature and the passing of time will have made them so. If it is your own loft you have the chance to throw away most stuff, but assuming that you are going to keep it you should avoid double handling. This means you need to insulate an area, move the things once to the other side and leave them there while you do the other side. |
| Reaching the corners |
| You will need to tuck the material in as far as you can and where the eaves are you will want to tuck the material into the corners. Often a piece of wood is useful for poking the material down into these gaps. |
| Water tanks |
| The cold water tank is usually in the loft and you should NOT insulate underneath it. The water tank needs to be underneath the blanket you are creating to stop it freezing. It is important too to insulate any pipes running out of it or keep them underneath the jacket you put around the tank. Pipe insulation should probably be taped into position using elephant or duct tape. |
| Finishing the job |
| When you have finished you will need to do a final check before you take off your protective clothing to see that you haven't missed out sections - it is very easy with poor lighting to miss out parts. You will then need to throw away lots of packaging material and vacuum the hall/landing and …. Have a good bath! |
| Comments, copyright and linking |
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