Loft insulation isn’t something many people think about. But considering its many benefits for your home, it’s worth looking at options and understanding how it can help with long-term costs and even your health.
Whether you’re simply into DIY projects for your home or if you are shopping for a new insulation company and want to know more about the process, types of insulation, and other benefits, this guide can help.
Why Do I Need Loft Insulation?
If you have a loft, you definitely need insulation. Loft insulation has a layer of non-conductive materials that prevents heat from escaping from the first story to the loft or from the loft to the outside. The recommended minimum for the thickness of insulation is 270mm. If you have old insulation that hasn’t been updated in years, you probably need to add additional insulation.
How Does Loft Insulation Work?
Loft insulation traps warm air inside your home and stops it from escaping through the roof. When installed correctly, moisture can still pass through it, preventing condensation. When your house is un-insulated, the heat in your home escapes through your walls, floors, doors, windows, and especially your loft.
Type of Insulation Used in Lofts
The most common type of insulation used to insulate lofts is sheet or rolled insulation. When creating a temperature-controlled loft, blanket insulation insulates the underside of your roof in the rafters. It can be made from natural or synthetic materials and usually needs to be installed by a professional.
Benefits of Loft Insulation
You may find that having proper loft insulation can give you and your family a lot of benefits. Here are some of the main benefits we believe are worth mentioning.
Save on Energy Bills
When your home is not insulated, you can lose a quarter of its heat just through the roof alone. Because heat rises, less of it stays in the more livable parts of your home like the living room and bedrooms. When you can’t get warm, you turn up your heat, and that heat also escapes. The more you turn up your heating system, the more your energy bill increases.
Loft insulation isn’t expensive, and the amount you save from lower energy bills alone will likely cover the cost of installing insulation. If your insulation meets the recommended thickness of 270mm, you can save up to 25% on your energy bills.
Health Benefits
Because some lofts are incorrectly done and poorly insulated, dampness and condensation can build up and create mould. With this mould and moisture in the air, you’re much more likely to face respiratory problems or allergies. In addition, when insulation isn’t placed correctly, airflow becomes inadequate, and the insulation loses its efficiency and causes other issues.
Increase Your Home’s Value
An energy-efficient home is much more valuable on the market. More and more people are looking to make energy-saving improvements already, so by already having your house insulated, you are increasing its value and making it more enticing to buyers.
Better For the Environment
Having proper insulation can significantly reduce your home’s CO2 emissions. Reducing these emissions reduces your carbon footprint, allowing you to do your part in reducing some of the causes of climate change.
Warm Lofts Versus Cold Lofts
How you want to use your loft will determine if you need a warm loft or if a cold loft will suffice. Some materials require a specific temperature when stored, or if you’re planning on using the loft as a living or working space, you’ll likely want it to be warm and cosy. Knowing what you want to do with your loft can determine how it will need to be insulated.
Warm lofts have insulation under the loft floor and under the rafters, allowing heat to reach the loft and have a regulated temperature. You can use a warm loft that doesn’t get too hot or too cold in various ways. A cold loft is fairly inexpensive and easy to install but is subject to temperature fluctuations and condensation.
Looking for Insulation Installs Near Birmingham?
Simply Eco Ltd is a Green Deal Approved installer and assists consumers in fuel poverty to access government grants and implement energy efficiency improvements in homes. Our key services are boiler replacements, under-floor insulation and loft insulation installations. We provide excellent customer service, professional workmanship, and we guarantee all materials.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about eco boilers, under-floor installations, and other types of insulation services.
