Key Post: Attic Insulation.

Re: Loft insulation or heat recovery system.

Yeah, bit nervous as we have alot of spotlights in the house
 
the standard IS 10inc, most companys will put down 2 layers of 6inc, all the attic should be done any where thats pulled up is because the sparks or plummers were working in that area and didn,t put it back down.. never cover down lighters/ spots, you can get covers for them... the tank should be wrapped and pipes lagged.. do not insulate under the tank.. also don,t forget to do hatch door.. this is not just guess work i am an insulator..any more questions just ask
 
I have an 15 year old house with fibre glass insulation, couldn't say how deep it is. In the attic newer insulation was laid by rolling it across the batons. The newer stuff is about 6inches deep I think and itlooks like it was just rolled out. Is this ok? What potential problems exists if any?
 
stop the water from freezing.. you can wrap tank with fibre glass or you can buy a tank jacket... one layer should be put between the battons the second layer is more a quilt can be put on top of first layer or countered rolled/blanket rolled most builders rather it layed on top of first .... the main problem of not rolling between battons it will not be out to the eves which will mean drafts . 6 inch will not be enough after a few years the fibre glass will go soft.. put more on better off save problems down the road you will notice the difference..
 
Our attic has aprox 6" of moy insulation which was installed when the house was being build 10yrs ago, we would like to upgrade our insulation and then put a floor over it (just for some storage, i.e. christmas decorations etc)

I have just been told about a product called alutherm quatro which covers 30 sq mtr (costs aprox €480 per roll :confused:), I was told that I could leave in the existing insulation and roll this stuff across the timbers and then floor directly over this. When I asked about my recessed lights, I was told that it would be ok to cover over as this would not be in direct contact with the lights (we were planning of leaving a space around them, keeping the insulation well back and cutting a hole out in the osb board over each one to ensure that they had enough air circulation around them, I have even priced fire hoods to put over each one)

Anyone with any advise or who has used this product. The product web site is www.aluthermo.com
 
I understand that multi-layer foil products do not currently have irish Agrement Certification. I had a quick look at the website for Aluthermo and after a bit of searching, the thermal characteristics are supported by a calculation and relies on some other source for physical test results. It also seems to indicate that the calculations are only for heat transfer by radiation and not conduction which would be the main mechanism of heat transfer.

I remain to be convinced on this.
 
3CC said:
I understand that multi-layer foil products do not currently have irish Agrement Certification. I had a quick look at the website for Aluthermo and after a bit of searching, the thermal characteristics are supported by a calculation and relies on some other source for physical test results. It also seems to indicate that the calculations are only for heat transfer by radiation and not conduction which would be the main mechanism of heat transfer.

I remain to be convinced on this.
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Mineral fibre has no agrement cert either, in fact it has never been tested where there is air and moisture movement (Like a ventilated attic) it's used because it's been around for so long and no one questions it, not exactly best practice.

This material requires still air to achieve it's advertised U-value, for it's use in an attic it has no fitness for a particular purpose cert anywhere, Cellulose has but you need to use ventilator trays in the soffit, I do not think it would be any different for mineral fibre.

The Irish Agrement Board will confirm this to be true.
 
when insulating an attic always cover spotlights with ceramic spot-pots that have ventalation holes...these are quite expensive from insulation specialists... but the cheap flowerpots in B'nQ are identical...buy the ones with drainage holes
 
If anybody lives near the border, keep an eye out for the heavily subsidised top-up insulation that B&Q are selling.

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/templ..._offers.jsp&noleftnav=true&menu=specialoffers

Its £1 per roll packed in rolls of 3 for £3. I think you are allowed to buy 15 rolls max. This means you can insulation your entire loft in a 3bed semi for approx £40 (I think).

Only problem is, it sells out in mins when it goes on sale. I called to my local B&Q yesterday and they had none left. I had earlier seen a guy heading out to the RoI with a trailer stacked high with the stuff, so they did have some in. Probably just pot luck if you find it in stock.
 
My oh made boxes (aprox 2' long by height of joice) from fireline plaster board (8 x 4 cost €14.50) to cover recessed lights and transformer. He said that there was a fierce breeze coming up from downstairs when he was covering them so alot of heat must have been escaping up through them.
 
cool....the ceramic flower pots in b'nq are just a euro each...the same "spot pots" are 20 euro each
 
I recently replaced all the halogen lamps in my downlighters with LED lamps.

There is no heat from these and energy consumption is only a fraction of before.

So no need to worry about flower pots etc, and even better, you can just lay the insulation directly over the fitting.
 
I'm looking to add more loft insulation in two houses - one mid-terrace and one semi-d both approx 25-30 years old

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?fh_location=//catalog01/en_GB/categories<{9372016}/categories<{9372050}/categories<{9372230}&fh_reftheme=promo_159792389,seeall,//catalog01/en_GB/categories<{9372016}/categories<{9372050}&fh_refview=summary&icamp=ns_6

Can anyone advise which of the products on the above link I should use

I know this was discussed on the thread but there seems to be conflicting opinions - will covering the attic floor in chipboard/ply after loading in between with insulation improve the insulation or cause problems?

Thanks..
 
Hi niallo34,
If you compress any fibrous insulation like mineral fibre you reduce it's thermal resistance, which means you will not achieve the level of performance you require, if you are flooring out the attic look at some other materials, if you are just going to use it for storage then raise the base above the level of the mineral fibre, I hope this helps.
 
V said:
Hi niallo34,
If you compress any fibrous insulation like mineral fibre you reduce it's thermal resistance, which means you will not achieve the level of performance you require, if you are flooring out the attic look at some other materials, if you are just going to use it for storage then raise the base above the level of the mineral fibre, I hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Hi,

So as long as you cover the joists with ply/chipboard at a level where the mineral fibre (insulation) is not squashed down then it makes no difference to the insulation?

Can you advise which fibre from the B&Q link to use?

Thanks
 
Hi,
They are all much the same, it's the density that's important, SEI recommend 270mm of mineral fibre, but if you use a material with a higher density it has more thermal resistance, it will cost more to purchase, but you should be able to use less, insulation is often overlooked as an important component in and about the house so don't just base it on price, if you do use mineral fibre it will degrade over time it's not a material I would use but it's up to you, a material that will last for the life time of a building in the long run will be far more cost effective, best of luck.
 
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