Loft insulation advice

[fatboy b]

OK - I'm doing this myself now after being left down by 2 companies.

So where do you buy the good stuff? Google has loads of info .

And do you really need to put electical cables on top, or is it OK to lay insulation on top (we have an electric shower cable up there as well as the usual light cables).

Thanks.

[JustinP1]

B&Q were almost giving the stuff away a few weeks ago because of the subsidies. Start there.

[sleep envy]

B&Q stuff is fine - you can spend a fortune on rockwool but I doubt you'll notice the benefit

I did my loft after the sparks had been round so the cables sit on the ceiling and follow the joists

[Matt172]

for B&Q, 199 notes fully fitted, includes insulation/draft excluding on the loft hatch

linky

[garycat]

JustinP1 said:

B&Q were almost giving the stuff away a few weeks ago because of the subsidies. Start there.

Yeah it was a £1 a roll or something - after I'd paid £27 at Wickes.

[SS2.]

Have you checked whether you qualify for a grant ?

We have a pretty sizeable loft and were surprised to find that we qualified - £250.00 for about 10 inches of insulation all over, pipes and water tanks re-lagged, walkway to tanks installed etc etc.

One guy, on his own, with a Sprinter full of insulation - at ours for about 7 hours.

Bargain, IMHO.

[VxDuncan]

Just do it yourself, it's not like it takes a long time or costs alot. A load of those £5 B&Q 1200mm rolls, sorted for £50 or so. (might take a couple of trips though!. Yes cables need to go on top (they get hot). Don't insulate under hotwater tanks. Ensure good ventilation round the edge of the loft. Unroll the new stuff at 90deg to the old stuff to reduce missed bits. A days work if that. Wear a mask and disposable overalls if you're "a bit sensitive". Glass fibre insulation don't wash out of clothes for a few washes.

[mrmaggit]

This B&Q deal is creating a bit of a rumpus with Merchants, as it's a closed shop/stitch up between HMG/DECC/ERA/OFGEM which means that the sheds (B&Q/Wickes etc.) have been given the "opportunity" to sell millions of pounds worth of material at substantially less than cost, with no checks on the end user.

The Merchant/Insulation Distribution industry were completely ignored by all the above, leaving the generally acknowledged experts with stock they couldn't sell, and expertise unable to be passed on.

I could go on, but you'd all be very bored.

So, fill your boots because the Gummints cocked it up again.

Just pray they don't let these "experts" loose on your industry.

[sleep envy]

mrmaggit said:

Just pray they don't let these "experts" loose on your industry.

CSCS cards is a good example

I've been working in construction for 15 years and hold more qualifications and have more letters after my name than I can remember

have to sit a test to obtain and CSCS card which allows me to visit site

take test and pass it

phone up the agency to obtain the card and they tell me I have to take a different test having taken a NVQ Level 4 as all my other qualifications (APMP and RICS accredited) are worthless

bunch of tts

[cjs]

sleep envy said:

mrmaggit said:

Just pray they don't let these "experts" loose on your industry.

CSCS cards is a good example

I've been working in construction for 15 years and hold more qualifications and have more letters after my name than I can remember

have to sit a test to obtain and CSCS card which allows me to visit site

take test and pass it

phone up the agency to obtain the card and they tell me I have to take a different test having taken a NVQ Level 4 as all my other qualifications (APMP and RICS accredited) are worthless

bunch of tts

I have to get a CSCS card. I have been working on and visiting sites for 25 years, last week I got kicked off a job because I did not have one. It has now become 'Company Policy' for a lot of main contractors to demand this worthless stupid card.

[fatboy b]

Thanks for the advice chaps. We do qualify for a grant, but as I said I've been let down by a couple of comapanies.

One couldn't give us more than a couple of days notice to do the work. The missus has to arrange cover, so that too short-notice, and I'm self employed. Second company never turned up for their survey apppointment

I'll be off to B&Q this PM then.

Cheers

Edited by fatboy b on Friday 17th April 08:08

[Simpo Two]

fatboy b said:

I'll be off to B&Q this PM then.

Good man. 'Unrolling' is hardly worth calling in a tradesman.




NB: What's this about 'cables getting hot'? To me if a cable is hot it's overloaded.

[Davi]

Simpo Two said:

NB: What's this about 'cables getting hot'? To me if a cable is hot it's overloaded.

IIRC if it's insulated you reduce the load capacity of it, so if you are running it at or near capacity (which is rated in free air) then once its insulated it could then become overloaded.

Of course in the average house properly wired the chances of that are near zero!

[bazking69]

How do you find out if you qualify for a grant?

[mrmaggit]

Ring your energy supplier.

[Dave_ST220]

hmm, all the lofts i've been in have insulation on top of cables. What do building regs say?

[Davi]

Dave_ST220 said:

What do building regs say?

Usually a load of complete bks, not that that answers your question

[Chrisgr31]

Incidentially any views on condensation being created by insulation? I have heard rumours that there are instances where the insulation covers the joists (as it does if you go at 90 degrees as recommended) that condensation has formed on the joists leading to rot.

Is this true? At some pont in the process there must be an inversion between the warm house and cold roof space, and therefore danger of a condensation point. Presumably and arguably where the joists are open to the roof space there is airflow over them meaning this is not an issue? However once covered it could be an issue. Everyone having covered their joists is going to be a relatively new practice, but are we storing up lots of complaints about rotten joists in a few years?

[SS2.]

bazking69 said:

How do you find out if you qualify for a grant?

Apply online and a local company should contact you and arrange to pop round for a survey (FOC).

[Dave_ST220]

Davi said:

Dave_ST220 said:

What do building regs say?

Usually a load of complete bks, not that that answers your question

True!