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  #1   Report Post  
L Reid
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

Hi guys,

More drama from the new property...

I need to insulate my loft. As we don't have a loft hatch, father-in-law and
I proceeded to cut one yesterday (in to a ceiling lined with 2 inches of
pitch, that was very messy... and I thought sanding floors was bad!). As the
ceiling was plasterboard (suspended below the old plaster lathes), the
ceiling's obviously been replaced at some point so I have no idea why it
didn't already have one.

Anyway, the house is about 120 years old, with a slate roof. There is no
underfelt under any of the slates, just the slanted timber. The house is an
Edinburgh colony type, so has the bedrooms partially in the loft space (i.e.
there's areas of sloping roof above bedrooms without a lot of clearance I
need to get insulation down into). I don't want to lift the pitch that's
already there, as this would probably be incredibly messy.

As the loft is currently uninsulated (bar the pitch, which I believe is
actually quite good as an insulator?) I'm after suggestions on how thick an
insulation I should get, and what kind would be best. I had a scan through
previous threads, and believe I also need to put down some damp-proofing?
I'm also after suggestions on how to get the insulation down the 'loping
bits'. Current plan is to slide a plank or two down over the pitch then
slide the insulation down over it, then remove the planks, though there may
be a better way to do it.

I currently have no access to the eaves at the moment, so may be unable to
add insulation there. I'm not too worried about the eaves at the moment
though as the downstairs rooms are fairly warm, it's just the bedrooms that
are cold.

Any tips / suggestions? Any advice on insulating the loft hatch would also
be appreciated as it's in a bedroom.

Thanks,

Leigh



  #2   Report Post  
PoP
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

On Sun, 28 Sep 2003 12:36:41 +0100, "L Reid"
wrote:

Any tips / suggestions? Any advice on insulating the loft hatch would also
be appreciated as it's in a bedroom.


Might it be worth contacting your local council? I was under the
impression that grants might be available for insulating work
involving older properties.

Perhaps someone else can advise?

PoP

  #3   Report Post  
Toby
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

Low cost insulation as part of an nPower promotion available to all.

"DIY loft insulation.
150mm thick, 7 m sq roll area, £1.49/m sq.
100mm thick, 11m sq roll area, £0.99/m sq.
Including VAT, home delivery & installation kit (goggles, gloves, mask &
manual).
Contact: scheme helpline on 0870 161 1116 "

--
Toby.

'One day son, all this will be finished'


  #4   Report Post  
L Reid
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation


"L Reid" wrote in message
...
Hi guys,

More drama from the new property...

I need to insulate my loft. As we don't have a loft hatch, father-in-law

and
I proceeded to cut one yesterday (in to a ceiling lined with 2 inches of
pitch, that was very messy... and I thought sanding floors was bad!). As

the
ceiling was plasterboard (suspended below the old plaster lathes), the
ceiling's obviously been replaced at some point so I have no idea why it
didn't already have one.

Anyway, the house is about 120 years old, with a slate roof. There is no
underfelt under any of the slates, just the slanted timber. The house is

an
Edinburgh colony type, so has the bedrooms partially in the loft space

(i.e.
there's areas of sloping roof above bedrooms without a lot of clearance I
need to get insulation down into). I don't want to lift the pitch that's
already there, as this would probably be incredibly messy.

As the loft is currently uninsulated (bar the pitch, which I believe is
actually quite good as an insulator?) I'm after suggestions on how thick

an
insulation I should get, and what kind would be best. I had a scan through
previous threads, and believe I also need to put down some damp-proofing?
I'm also after suggestions on how to get the insulation down the 'loping
bits'. Current plan is to slide a plank or two down over the pitch then
slide the insulation down over it, then remove the planks, though there

may
be a better way to do it.

I currently have no access to the eaves at the moment, so may be unable to
add insulation there. I'm not too worried about the eaves at the moment
though as the downstairs rooms are fairly warm, it's just the bedrooms

that
are cold.

Any tips / suggestions? Any advice on insulating the loft hatch would also
be appreciated as it's in a bedroom.

Thanks,

Leigh




Thanks for any/all replies.

One thing I forgot to mention is that with it being an older property the
joists don't look very thick (6" or so?), so rockwool or similar might not
be the best solution because of it's thickness. Are there higher insulation
(lower U factor?) materials available?

Leigh


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The Natural Philosopher
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

L Reid wrote:

Hi guys,

More drama from the new property...

I need to insulate my loft. As we don't have a loft hatch, father-in-law and
I proceeded to cut one yesterday (in to a ceiling lined with 2 inches of
pitch, that was very messy... and I thought sanding floors was bad!). As the
ceiling was plasterboard (suspended below the old plaster lathes), the
ceiling's obviously been replaced at some point so I have no idea why it
didn't already have one.

Anyway, the house is about 120 years old, with a slate roof. There is no
underfelt under any of the slates, just the slanted timber. The house is an
Edinburgh colony type, so has the bedrooms partially in the loft space (i.e.
there's areas of sloping roof above bedrooms without a lot of clearance I
need to get insulation down into). I don't want to lift the pitch that's
already there, as this would probably be incredibly messy.

As the loft is currently uninsulated (bar the pitch, which I believe is
actually quite good as an insulator?) I'm after suggestions on how thick an
insulation I should get, and what kind would be best. I had a scan through
previous threads, and believe I also need to put down some damp-proofing?
I'm also after suggestions on how to get the insulation down the 'loping
bits'. Current plan is to slide a plank or two down over the pitch then
slide the insulation down over it, then remove the planks, though there may
be a better way to do it.

I currently have no access to the eaves at the moment, so may be unable to
add insulation there. I'm not too worried about the eaves at the moment
though as the downstairs rooms are fairly warm, it's just the bedrooms that
are cold.

Any tips / suggestions? Any advice on insulating the loft hatch would also
be appreciated as it's in a bedroom.



Best material goven type of construction is 50mm or thicker
celotex/kingspan Isocyanurate board.

Cut to fit available space and tape well to prevent draughts.

Where you have a flat surface more than 4" deep, rockwoool is a cheaper
alternative.

Both are unpleasant to work with - wear gloves masks and a boiler suit
if possible.


Thanks,

Leigh








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L Reid
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
L Reid wrote:

Hi guys,

More drama from the new property...

Anyway, the house is about 120 years old, with a slate roof. There is no
underfelt under any of the slates, just the slanted timber. The house is

an
Edinburgh colony type, so has the bedrooms partially in the loft space

(i.e.
there's areas of sloping roof above bedrooms without a lot of clearance

I
need to get insulation down into). I don't want to lift the pitch that's
already there, as this would probably be incredibly messy.

As the loft is currently uninsulated (bar the pitch, which I believe is
actually quite good as an insulator?) I'm after suggestions on how thick

an
insulation I should get, and what kind would be best. I had a scan

through
previous threads, and believe I also need to put down some

damp-proofing?
I'm also after suggestions on how to get the insulation down the 'loping
bits'. Current plan is to slide a plank or two down over the pitch then
slide the insulation down over it, then remove the planks, though there

may
be a better way to do it.


Best material goven type of construction is 50mm or thicker
celotex/kingspan Isocyanurate board.

Cut to fit available space and tape well to prevent draughts.

Where you have a flat surface more than 4" deep, rockwoool is a cheaper
alternative.

Both are unpleasant to work with - wear gloves masks and a boiler suit
if possible.



I thought the 'boardy' stuff was a bit more pleasant to work with than the
rockwool? Should I worry about condensation, or should I be OK with a slate
roof with no underfelt? It certainly let water in easily enough last week
when a slate had moved.

Thanks again (again?!)

Leigh


  #7   Report Post  
Andy Hall
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 00:00:52 +0100, "L Reid"
wrote:

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...



snip

Best material goven type of construction is 50mm or thicker
celotex/kingspan Isocyanurate board.

Cut to fit available space and tape well to prevent draughts.

Where you have a flat surface more than 4" deep, rockwoool is a cheaper
alternative.

Both are unpleasant to work with - wear gloves masks and a boiler suit
if possible.



I thought the 'boardy' stuff was a bit more pleasant to work with than the
rockwool? Should I worry about condensation, or should I be OK with a slate
roof with no underfelt? It certainly let water in easily enough last week
when a slate had moved.

Thanks again (again?!)

Leigh



I found Celotex much more pleasant to work with than rockwool or glass
fibre. Certainly I didn't find gloves necessary, but for cutting,
especially with a power tool like a circular saw, a dust mask is
essential and it's preferable to work outside. It does create a lot
of fine dust, but only when actually cutting. I used an old table
saw with an old blade and hooked up the dust extraction to the Bosch
wet/dry cleaner. That sucks up most of the dust, but I still think
that a dust mask makes sense. The most efficient way is to cut some
or all of the pieces then get into the loft and have someone pass them
up to you. The job goes pretty quickly then.
Celotex has foil vapour barrier on both sides.


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
  #8   Report Post  
The Natural Philosopher
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

L Reid wrote:



I thought the 'boardy' stuff was a bit more pleasant to work with than the
rockwool?



Not much :-(

Should I worry about condensation, or should I be OK with a slate
roof with no underfelt? It certainly let water in easily enough last week
when a slate had moved.



Hmm. Not really sure about rain ingress. Celotex is double foil backed -
you wedge it between the rafters and then use special foil tape to get
it sealed to the rafters - that puts a vapour barrier on the hot side,
and you leave a gap to the slates for air circulation over teh rafter tops.

Pay a lot of attention to absolute draughtproofing. It makes a HUGE
difference on a cold windy day. I may yet hit my loft with poly foam and
silicone gun to get the last few out...

Underfeltinmg (sarking?) is very useful to cut down the wind level. I'd
definitely say that if budget allows, a roof off, felt and relay is
indicated.

Once the insulation is up, dry lining makes a decent finish.

You should leave the eaves open to allow air to circulate above the
insulation.



Thanks again (again?!)

Leigh





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L Reid
 
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"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 00:00:52 +0100, "L Reid"
wrote:



I found Celotex much more pleasant to work with than rockwool or glass
fibre. Certainly I didn't find gloves necessary, but for cutting,
especially with a power tool like a circular saw, a dust mask is
essential and it's preferable to work outside. It does create a lot
of fine dust, but only when actually cutting. I used an old table
saw with an old blade and hooked up the dust extraction to the Bosch
wet/dry cleaner. That sucks up most of the dust, but I still think
that a dust mask makes sense. The most efficient way is to cut some
or all of the pieces then get into the loft and have someone pass them
up to you. The job goes pretty quickly then.
Celotex has foil vapour barrier on both sides.


.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl


Thanks Andy. Did you replace existing insulation with it, and if so, how did
it perform thermally compared to the 'old stuff'? Think I'll make a point of
cutting it up outside, weather allowing. Did you just lay it flat, or did
you use tape to hold it in place?

Cheers!

Leigh


  #10   Report Post  
L Reid
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation


"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
L Reid wrote:



I thought the 'boardy' stuff was a bit more pleasant to work with than

the
rockwool?



Not much :-(

Should I worry about condensation, or should I be OK with a slate
roof with no underfelt? It certainly let water in easily enough last

week
when a slate had moved.



Hmm. Not really sure about rain ingress. Celotex is double foil backed -
you wedge it between the rafters and then use special foil tape to get
it sealed to the rafters - that puts a vapour barrier on the hot side,
and you leave a gap to the slates for air circulation over teh rafter

tops.

Pay a lot of attention to absolute draughtproofing. It makes a HUGE
difference on a cold windy day. I may yet hit my loft with poly foam and
silicone gun to get the last few out...

Underfeltinmg (sarking?) is very useful to cut down the wind level. I'd
definitely say that if budget allows, a roof off, felt and relay is
indicated.

Once the insulation is up, dry lining makes a decent finish.

You should leave the eaves open to allow air to circulate above the
insulation.


Thanks for that. I think I'll be going down the route of putting the
insulation on the loft floor, rather than attaching it to the rafters, and
was wondering if I'd still have to deal with the possibility of condensation
if doing this. The roof is also partially within the bedrooms so I do have
an angled loft-space to take care off. Pic here of a similar building :

http://home.golden.net/~elspeth/images/Colonies021.jpg

Cheers!

Leigh




  #11   Report Post  
The Natural Philosopher
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

L Reid wrote:

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 00:00:52 +0100, "L Reid"
wrote:



I found Celotex much more pleasant to work with than rockwool or glass
fibre. Certainly I didn't find gloves necessary, but for cutting,
especially with a power tool like a circular saw, a dust mask is
essential and it's preferable to work outside. It does create a lot
of fine dust, but only when actually cutting. I used an old table
saw with an old blade and hooked up the dust extraction to the Bosch
wet/dry cleaner. That sucks up most of the dust, but I still think
that a dust mask makes sense. The most efficient way is to cut some
or all of the pieces then get into the loft and have someone pass them
up to you. The job goes pretty quickly then.
Celotex has foil vapour barrier on both sides.


.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl


Thanks Andy. Did you replace existing insulation with it, and if so, how did
it perform thermally compared to the 'old stuff'? Think I'll make a point of
cutting it up outside, weather allowing. Did you just lay it flat, or did
you use tape to hold it in place?



I'll reply as well.

I used it on a new build in sections of sloping roof where the rooms
were 'under the eaves'.

It is better than rockowool per unit thickness - about twice as good,
but worse per unit £ as its about three times the cost!!

We cut the boards to fit between the rafters, friction fitted, and foil
taped to the rafters, and taped over any smaller gaps - sometimes using
scrap bits to in fill the odder parts.

We didn't use it on any flat surfaces - that was all rockwool, since we
had adequate depth there.

Interior was clad in plasterboard laid flush to it.

Main problems have been with draughts. You MUST make sure there are no
channels up which icy winds can flow to cool the plasterboard. With
hindsight, I'd have gone round with a gun of expanding foam to lock it
all in place and seal the gaps rather than rely solely on the tape. This
problem was exacerbated by the Building inspectors insistence on huge
ventilation holes in the soffits and roof ridges, that deliver a massive
draught over the top of the boards as laid.

I mean I agree with venitlating the timbers, but not turning the loft
into a wind tunnel...:-)




Cheers!

Leigh





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Andy Hall
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 20:09:40 +0100, "L Reid"
wrote:



Thanks Andy. Did you replace existing insulation with it, and if so, how did
it perform thermally compared to the 'old stuff'? Think I'll make a point of
cutting it up outside, weather allowing. Did you just lay it flat, or did
you use tape to hold it in place?

Cheers!

Leigh



Leigh

I had rather different projects to you which was to insulate the roof
and walls of a garage with a pitched roof and the same for a cabin.

I looked at your original post and can't quite visualise what you have
and were the insulation would go.

Also, it is important to be careful that there is appropriate
ventilation of the timbers with whatever you do. You don't want to
endup with a situation where timber is boxed in with insulation and a
vapour barrier without being ventilated.

I suppose the closest situation I had to yours was the garage roof, so
I'll describe what I did there. This roof is pitched, has
conventional roof trusses, felt and then battens and tiles. For the
environment, which is a workshop/garage I wanted to have reasonably
good insulation to allow that the space could be heated to a
comfortable temperature (16-18) for working at reasonable cost.
I did the calculations and 50mm Celotex would give respectable results
for what I wanted. If you want to do something to achieve Building
Regulations levels for a new property, it needs to be rather thicker.
Details are on Celotex web site and the requirement for Scotland is
tighter than for the area occupied by the heathens to th south.

The Celotex web site shows a couple of options. One is to place some
of the material between the rafters and some on top (i.e. furthest
from the tiles) using two thinner sheets. The other is to put a
single sheet over the rafters. This is what I did because I didn't
mind losing 50mm of space. Where you use 70mm for example, then you
may think it's too much lost and want to do the two sheet arrangement.
There are dimension reasons as well. My rafters have a depth of
about 75mm so I could have put 50mm material between them and still
have had 25mm behind for ventilation. Had I wanted to use 70mm, it
wouldn't have been enough.

Anyway, my method of fixing was to cut the pieces and attach them to
the rafters using 70mm dry wall screws and 25mm penny washers with
small holes so that the screw would not go through the foam board.
I then taped over the joints to stop air flow from front to back.
The space behind next to the felt is ventilated by having a soffit
vent between each pair of rafters and making sure that the space
behind he Celotex next to the felt is open to that.

I don't think that using tape as a fixing medium is that good unless
you use thick duct tape - I could see the adhesive deteriorating in
hot weather. If you are going between joists or in any case , the
main purpose of tape is to seal and prevent air leakage through.


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
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L Reid
 
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"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...

I'll reply as well.


Magic, but hopefully you'll also see the other questions I asked under your
branch too! I'll post 'em under Andy's thread to try and bring things
together again.

Leigh



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L Reid
 
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"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...

I looked at your original post and can't quite visualise what you have
and were the insulation would go.


Hopefully this will help:

http://home.golden.net/~elspeth/images/Colonies021.jpg

and...

http://www.dcs.ed.ac.uk/home/ctm/edinburgh/rossie.html

The one's were in are the flatted cottages rather than tenement block.
Bizzarely our flat's actually in the last one (pic on RHS, 1st flat on left
not in shadow), but taken a few tears ago. Interesting... the chimney looks
as if it's leaning in that one too. I might also try and get some shots of
the inside of the roof as that'd probably make things a lot clearer.

Cheers!

Leigh


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Andy Hall
 
Posts: n/a
Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 20:21:08 +0100, "L Reid"
wrote:



Thanks for that. I think I'll be going down the route of putting the
insulation on the loft floor, rather than attaching it to the rafters, and
was wondering if I'd still have to deal with the possibility of condensation
if doing this. The roof is also partially within the bedrooms so I do have
an angled loft-space to take care off. Pic here of a similar building :

http://home.golden.net/~elspeth/images/Colonies021.jpg

Cheers!

Leigh


Nice places. What is the background to their being referred to as
Colonies?


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl


  #16   Report Post  
L Reid
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 20:21:08 +0100, "L Reid"
wrote:



Thanks for that. I think I'll be going down the route of putting the
insulation on the loft floor, rather than attaching it to the rafters,

and
was wondering if I'd still have to deal with the possibility of

condensation
if doing this. The roof is also partially within the bedrooms so I do

have
an angled loft-space to take care off. Pic here of a similar building :

http://home.golden.net/~elspeth/images/Colonies021.jpg

Cheers!

Leigh


Nice places. What is the background to their being referred to as
Colonies?


.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl


I'm actually not sure! I've managed to dig up quite a lot of history about
these buildings, and it does make an interesting read, though no where does
it state why they're called 'colonies'. I believe there's something similar
in Dublin? The majority of the colony developments in edinburgh were done by
the Edinburgh Co-operative Building Company, which was basically a
conglomerate of lower middle tradesmen (stonemason's etc) that got together
to build decent houses for themselves and their families, with their own
gardens.

If I find some links I'll post 'em, as their history is interesting reading
(but probably moreso if you're living in them!).

Leigh


  #17   Report Post  
Rick Dipper
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

You cut celotex with a table saw. WOW man you must love your power tools.

I cut it with a hand saw or a bread knife.

I gave all the spare bits to the kids to play with.
They can cut it, and nail it (6 inch nails), and think they are doing real woodwork.

However back to the orignal question.
If the loft ios flat and empty, then get one of these guys who can run a pipe upto the hatch and blow the stuff in.

Rockwall is allfull stuff. You should spend a fortune on protective gear. Wickes have it at good prices. B&Q = rip off.
Celotex in a loft sounds cool, but its much more work to cut it all neatly, and a pain to get in if you loft is not flat.

Rick


On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 00:26:38 +0100, Andy Hall wrote:
On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 00:00:52 +0100, "L Reid"
wrote:

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...



snip

Best material goven type of construction is 50mm or thicker
celotex/kingspan Isocyanurate board.

Cut to fit available space and tape well to prevent draughts.

Where you have a flat surface more than 4" deep, rockwoool is a cheaper
alternative.

Both are unpleasant to work with - wear gloves masks and a boiler suit
if possible.



I thought the 'boardy' stuff was a bit more pleasant to work with than the
rockwool? Should I worry about condensation, or should I be OK with a slate
roof with no underfelt? It certainly let water in easily enough last week
when a slate had moved.

Thanks again (again?!)

Leigh



I found Celotex much more pleasant to work with than rockwool or glass
fibre. Certainly I didn't find gloves necessary, but for cutting,
especially with a power tool like a circular saw, a dust mask is
essential and it's preferable to work outside. It does create a lot
of fine dust, but only when actually cutting. I used an old table
saw with an old blade and hooked up the dust extraction to the Bosch
wet/dry cleaner. That sucks up most of the dust, but I still think
that a dust mask makes sense. The most efficient way is to cut some
or all of the pieces then get into the loft and have someone pass them
up to you. The job goes pretty quickly then.
Celotex has foil vapour barrier on both sides.


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl




  #18   Report Post  
Andy Hall
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 11:33:50 GMT, Rick Dipper
wrote:

You cut celotex with a table saw. WOW man you must love your power tools.



I do.
I did say an *old* one - which was also cheap and is used for rough
work like this - with a old blade.


I cut it with a hand saw or a bread knife.


You can also do that, but it is not as neat with a bread knife,
although the latter is useful for removing small pieces so that sheets
can be fitted around timbers.


I gave all the spare bits to the kids to play with.
They can cut it, and nail it (6 inch nails), and think they are doing real woodwork.


This is a bad idea. There is still some production of fine dust when
the pieces are cut and there are strands of glass fibre in the hicker
sheets such as 50mm for reinforcement.


However back to the orignal question.
If the loft ios flat and empty, then get one of these guys who can run a pipe upto the hatch and blow the stuff in.


Probably a bad idea because the stuff gets everywhere and produces
dust.

Rockwall is allfull stuff.


I think you mean Rockwool....

You should spend a fortune on protective gear. Wickes have it at good prices. B&Q = rip off.
Celotex in a loft sounds cool, but its much more work to cut it all neatly, and a pain to get in if you loft is not flat.


Hence the use of a power tool. A circular saw with an old blade
would be equally effective. Polyisocyanurate foam has
approximately half of the U value (equals twice as effective) as other
materials.



..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
  #19   Report Post  
IMM
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...

However back to the orignal question.
If the loft ios flat and empty, then get one of
these guys who can run a pipe upto the hatch
and blow the stuff in.


Probably a bad idea because the stuff gets
everywhere and produces dust.


A good idea as Warmcell will seal up the loft preventing air escapes and is
the erqiv of insulation that is 25% thicker. Put 300mm at least in the
loft. The extra cost of spraying in the extra is minimum.

Install lights in the loft and make sure the hatch is sealed as much as you
can while spraying.



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Andy Hall
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 14:42:56 +0100, "IMM" wrote:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
.. .

However back to the orignal question.
If the loft ios flat and empty, then get one of
these guys who can run a pipe upto the hatch
and blow the stuff in.


Probably a bad idea because the stuff gets
everywhere and produces dust.


A good idea as Warmcell will seal up the loft preventing air escapes and is
the erqiv of insulation that is 25% thicker.


... and the ventilation to prevent timber decay comes from??

Put 300mm at least in the
loft. The extra cost of spraying in the extra is minimum.


Why stop there? Fill the bedrooms and reception rooms at the same
time.

Imagine my surprise when I couldn't get in through the front door :-)


..andy

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  #21   Report Post  
IMM
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 14:42:56 +0100, "IMM" wrote:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
.. .

However back to the orignal question.
If the loft ios flat and empty, then get one of
these guys who can run a pipe upto the hatch
and blow the stuff in.

Probably a bad idea because the stuff gets
everywhere and produces dust.


A good idea as Warmcell will seal up the loft preventing air escapes and

is
the erqiv of insulation that is 25% thicker.


.. and the ventilation to prevent timber decay comes from??


The eves

Put 300mm at least in the
loft. The extra cost of spraying in the
extra is minimum.


Why stop there?


Good idea.

Fill the bedrooms and reception rooms at the same
time.


If they have hollow walls then yes.

Imagine my surprise when I couldn't
get in through the front door :-)


Then your walls were too thick. Don't use cavities.


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  #22   Report Post  
N. Thornton
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation

"L Reid" wrote in message ...
"L Reid" wrote in message
...
Hi guys,

More drama from the new property...

I need to insulate my loft. As we don't have a loft hatch, father-in-law



Hi.

Unlined slate roofs let in quite a bit of water, as you say. To dry
out they must also let in the wind. You therefore should not be using
any type of insulation that doesnt let the wind go through it, such as
vapour lined boards. Trap water like that and you've got real
problems.

Of course this limits how much insulation value you can get in there,
but thats secondary to the roof staying up.

I could take a guess at loose fibreglass being suitable, but being
unclear about the construction details it would only be a guess.
Anything more substantial would need to be applied to the interior.
But, even 4" or 6" of fibreglass makes a big difference.


Regards, NT
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IMM
 
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Default Loft Insulation - Best Type and Tips for Installation


"L Reid" wrote in message
...

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
L Reid wrote:



I thought the 'boardy' stuff was a bit more pleasant to work with than

the
rockwool?



Not much :-(

Should I worry about condensation, or should I be OK with a slate
roof with no underfelt? It certainly let water in easily enough last

week
when a slate had moved.



Hmm. Not really sure about rain ingress. Celotex is double foil backed -
you wedge it between the rafters and then use special foil tape to get
it sealed to the rafters - that puts a vapour barrier on the hot side,
and you leave a gap to the slates for air circulation over teh rafter

tops.

Pay a lot of attention to absolute draughtproofing. It makes a HUGE
difference on a cold windy day. I may yet hit my loft with poly foam and
silicone gun to get the last few out...

Underfeltinmg (sarking?) is very useful to cut down the wind level. I'd
definitely say that if budget allows, a roof off, felt and relay is
indicated.


If the roof is coming off it is best to fit a warm roof and be done with it.





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