Hi
In anticipation of soaring energy bills, I have cleared out the attic and now need to figure out the best insulation plan.
I have tried to read up on this topic but still find I am not sure what way to go.
I'm hoping others here might have suggestions based on knowledge and experience.
The attic currently has really old fibreglass insulation - may be 100mm - looks like batts - between the joists. I think the joists are approx 15cm deep.
There is flooring over about 50% of the attic and an open water tank.
There is no insulation between the rafters which are about 10cm deep
I will need to continue storing items such as suitcases, spare bedding, DIY tools up there once the work is completed.
The attic has a velux window that lets in a stream of air around the edges and a drop down wooden ladder for access.
Possible solutions
1. It has been suggested by a handyman guy I know that we could leave the old insulation and install rock wool between the rafters but it seems to me the rafters are not deep enough to hold the 270mm (?) needed for good insulation. And then there is the issue with the Velux - not sure if that needs to replaced or if it can be repaired?
2. I looked at foam insulation between the rafters, and then getting that covered with plasterboard and adding full flooring so we could maybe stick a desk up there as I am working from home and short on space. The foam seems really efficient from a space and insulation perspective but there seems to be some mutterings online that it could give off gases, be difficult to remove, hide roof issues, and make selling the house difficult. No idea if any of that is valid criticism.
3. Put rock wool between the joists and put flooring above, but I wonder if this will really work if I don't remove the old insulation? Also wondering if a handyman could manage this or do I need a company to make removal safe?
4. Outlier option - go for a basic attic conversion as this will presumably handle the insulation too and give me a small space to work from home. But the attic space won't be big, it's a small attic. I looked at one in the estate that was up for sale once and outside the central strip, you tended to hit your head off the sloping ceiling.
Would be really grateful for any thoughts on this, or suggestions for other insulation options I may have overlooked, thanks in advance
In anticipation of soaring energy bills, I have cleared out the attic and now need to figure out the best insulation plan.
I have tried to read up on this topic but still find I am not sure what way to go.
I'm hoping others here might have suggestions based on knowledge and experience.
The attic currently has really old fibreglass insulation - may be 100mm - looks like batts - between the joists. I think the joists are approx 15cm deep.
There is flooring over about 50% of the attic and an open water tank.
There is no insulation between the rafters which are about 10cm deep
I will need to continue storing items such as suitcases, spare bedding, DIY tools up there once the work is completed.
The attic has a velux window that lets in a stream of air around the edges and a drop down wooden ladder for access.
Possible solutions
1. It has been suggested by a handyman guy I know that we could leave the old insulation and install rock wool between the rafters but it seems to me the rafters are not deep enough to hold the 270mm (?) needed for good insulation. And then there is the issue with the Velux - not sure if that needs to replaced or if it can be repaired?
2. I looked at foam insulation between the rafters, and then getting that covered with plasterboard and adding full flooring so we could maybe stick a desk up there as I am working from home and short on space. The foam seems really efficient from a space and insulation perspective but there seems to be some mutterings online that it could give off gases, be difficult to remove, hide roof issues, and make selling the house difficult. No idea if any of that is valid criticism.
3. Put rock wool between the joists and put flooring above, but I wonder if this will really work if I don't remove the old insulation? Also wondering if a handyman could manage this or do I need a company to make removal safe?
4. Outlier option - go for a basic attic conversion as this will presumably handle the insulation too and give me a small space to work from home. But the attic space won't be big, it's a small attic. I looked at one in the estate that was up for sale once and outside the central strip, you tended to hit your head off the sloping ceiling.
Would be really grateful for any thoughts on this, or suggestions for other insulation options I may have overlooked, thanks in advance