The ultimate guide to roof and loft insulation

You can always tell who hasn’t insulated their loft space because of the pigeons and seagulls sitting on their roof, enjoying all the warmth coming up from the house below. Heat rises, and those wily birds are quick to take advantage. 

 

In uninsulated homes, a quarter of the heat lost wafts out through the roof. So fitting insulation in your loft, attic or roof space is a great way to improve your home’s cosiness factor. And there’s even more good news: it lasts for more than 40 years and should pay for itself many times over in energy bill savings, as the cost of loft insulation is comparatively low. 

 

Loft insulation is a barrier of material within your roof space. It can either be laid between the joists (the horizontal beams along the floor of your attic) or the rafters (the angled beams that support the roof). 

 

Either way, it slows down the transfer of heat between your living space and the outside world, creating a warmer home in winter and a cooler one in summer. Insulation between the joists keeps warmth in your living space below and creates a cold loft, while insulation in the rafters allows you to keep warmth in the roof space as well. 

 

Other benefits of roof insulation include: 

• Lower heating bills. 

• Reducing your home’s carbon footprint. 

• Improving its energy efficiency rating. 

• Increasing your home’s value. 

 

These figures are from the Energy Saving Trust website, and show the benefits of installing roof insulation of up to 270mm. 

This table shows the benefits of increasing your loft insulation thickness from 120mm up to 270mm. 

Both tables are based on insulating a gas-heated home. The installation costs are unsubsidised averages and will vary. 

 

Check out our Dust Lining & Insulation page for more information. 

 

The Loft Access Company have over 14 years’ experience in all things loft related - including installing loft insulation. If have any other questions or would like to book in a no-obligation survey, please get in touch. Thank you for reading!