Insulating your loft is an effective way to reduce your energy bills and the heat escaping from your roof. When installed correctly, the insulation should be able to pay for itself over and over again within its 40+ year lifespan.
Aside from reducing any heating costs, insulation makes your property feel more comfortable. Homes that can effectively trap heat inside during the winter and maintain a cooler temperature throughout the summer enjoy both financial and health benefits, but why is your loft insulation ineffective?
Compressed Insulation
Compressed insulation is an unfortunate situation where the loft insulation gets squashed by either a heavy load or loft boards, this will severely reduce its thermal efficiency (by at least 50%!) This also results in a decreased amount of airflow, preventing the insulation from breathing, leading to a risk of it becoming damp and mouldy. It’s important to enhance and protect your insulation from any mishaps or performance issues so that you can keep your home at reasonable, comfortable temperatures throughout the year.
82% of loft users have stated that they use their loft for storage purposes, so the storage floor needs to be strong enough to hold this extra weight without compressing either.
By installing raised loft boarding, you can have the recommended depth of (at least) 270mm of insulation, whilst providing an airflow gap to prevent any condensation. Especially with mineral wool-type insulation, it needs to retain its full depth to work properly. Using a patented loft boarding system that is designed to raise the loft floor above insulation, you will also create an extra-strong storage solution whilst maintaining your energy bills.
If you are planning on installing insulation and loft boards on your own, keep in mind that your loft must be well ventilated, eg. at the eaves. Our smart storage DIY kits are lightweight, strong and simple to use with clear, easy-to-follow instructions so that you can raise the loft floor above insulation with no added stress!
Damp and Condensation
If a poor insulation material is chosen, this affects the moisture levels in the loft. Effective insulation materials and installation procedures can help prevent mould and damp related issues.
The moisture that damp creates becomes a large opportunity for bacteria and fungi to grow; this is extremely harmful to the structure of your property and to anyone that suffers from asthma and allergies. There is also an unwanted chance that the damp can bring in rodents and other visitors – due to the habitable space the damp is creating, causing poor performance and reduced temperatures throughout the house.
Hiring a professional installer will ensure that your loft will become a safer and more durable space to store your belongings. Once your loft boards and installation is installed correctly, you should not completely forget about it – maintain the health of your insulation and make sure it remains in good condition. It’s recommended to check your loft space once every 3-6 months to keep up with any changes. If you do find damp in your loft, then please check out our blog post ‘why is my loft damp?’.
Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI)
If you have any steel pipes in your loft, then corrosion may attack the insulation, hardware, and any piping or metalwork underneath the floorboards. This can occur through moisture, water vapour or external sources like rain seeping through small holes.
Corrosion underneath insulation is a severe form of localised external corrosion in carbon and steel equipment that has been insulated. This occurs when water is absorbed or collected within the insulation – therefore the equipment starts to corrode as it’s exposed to water and oxygen.
To prevent corrosion, you can coat the underneath of the insulation with thermal sprayed aluminium. This is ideal for preserving the underlying of any metal pipework or wires that cannot be moved easily. Otherwise, most elements that contribute to CUI are very difficult to control, so preventing this situation is only manageable through insulation design, installation and maintenance. Fortunately, most people don’t have steel pipes in the loft, but it’s worth checking!
Maintain Your Insulation with LoftZone!
If you notice an increase in your energy bills, or your home changes temperature more frequently, one of these factors may be the root cause. Make sure that you regularly check your insulation and be aware of all these common failures. Whether you want to install your own DIY Loft Boarding Kit or would prefer a professional loft boarding installer to raise loft floor above insulation, then give us a call on 01483 600304, or drop us a message at sales@loftzone.com.