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Housing - Renovation: Loft Insulation - What should we go for?

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    I need to add extra insulation to our house, should I be looking at something like Thermafleece, ie going for the totally natural product? Or just plain old everyday insualtion material?

    Our house is very old, over 600 years in places.

    The roof area is large, so to take our meagre amount up to 10" we'd be spending a fortune on thermafleece, whereas we could get grant aided, fitted normal insulation.

    Should I let my heart rule my head or let my wallet rule this time?

    Is one any better than the other?
    Why?
    How?

    Graham
    •  
      CommentAuthorKatymac
    • CommentTimeFeb 4th 2007
     
    I don't know why one is better than the other

    I only know that I face the same decision

    I have decided that the greater of the 2 evils is the heat loss throught my roof - so will be going for the cheap ordinary (non-green, from B&Q et al) - to my great shame & disappointment
  3.  
    Hi, most of the batts/roll type insulations have similar thermal conductivities, which means that you need around the same thickness of each for the same level of energy saving.

    Thermafleece, Flax, Hemp and recycled newspaper are definately greener than glasswool and mineral wool but the reality is that the cheapest material will leave you some money left over to spend on other energy efficiency measures. A difficult call to make.
  4.  
    Katymac,

    Have you looked at your local councils website and then for enrgy saving grants.

    For most you have to be unemployed, on benefit, 125 years old or whatever, but if you follow the links through you can find other people who are doing things, like your energy supplier.

    I was quoted £199 to supply an fit 55sqm of insulation and £5.25sqm every extra sqm. This would be to top up from 9" to 10" or if you and no insulation at all for all 10".

    I was wondering if I could get them to come twice times to do ours at the £199 rate, as its £285 for the next 55sqm!!! because we have about 100sqm to do.

    At any rate it's about the same price as buying it and then you have to do it yourself.

    All you have to do is clear the loft of rubbbish.

    I think George has got it, use the money saved on increasing efficiency in other areas, double whammy.

    Graham
    •  
      CommentAuthorKatymac
    • CommentTimeFeb 5th 2007
     
    Thanks - but unfortunatley mine is a commercial building - so no grant for insulation (& I need 200 sqm!)
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      CommentAuthornigel
    • CommentTimeFeb 5th 2007
     
    Have you had a quote for warmcell - I think its fairly competitive in terms of cost per sqm £12 comes to mind for loose fill.
    •  
      CommentAuthornigel
    • CommentTimeFeb 5th 2007
     
    200mm is £12
    300mm is £18

    Those prices are for full fill of voids which is done at a higher density.
    So loose fill should be a bit cheaper.
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      CommentAuthorKatymac
    • CommentTimeFeb 5th 2007
     
    It's do-able are there down sodes to it being loose fill (sorry for the hijack)
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      CommentAuthornigel
    • CommentTimeFeb 5th 2007
     
    Full fill is used where you are filling a void such as a wall panel or between the rafters.

    Where you are filling above a ceiling then loose fill is fine.
  10.  
    You could DIY the Warmcel (ask me or many others re DIY bag price) but I have found for large roof areas the installed price is so close it makes the DIY faff not worthwhile.
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeFeb 5th 2007
     
    Aren't there problems with any/all loose fill materials being blown around?
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      CommentAuthorOJ
    • CommentTimeFeb 6th 2007
     
    Is wet blown warmcel truly a loose fill as it is said to bind together as the natural binders (lignins?) leach out and
    hold it together a little. Has anyone actually witnessed a top void in a warmcell filled wall? I'm not sure how long the product has been around and if some of the first wall fills have been looked at since installation. OJ
    • CommentAuthorarthur
    • CommentTimeApr 3rd 2007
     
    warmcell is competetive with traditional insualtions - fibre glass etc. There was an article in the guardian
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,1459672,00.html
    with advise on how to get a grant for warmcell installation (not surprisingly many grant-installers only do more traditional insulations.
    Its an interesting point that OJ makes about blown insulation. I've discovered that DIY installation of warmcell takes a long, long time because of all the fluffing you have to do. I can't imagine an installer doing it by hand.
    • CommentAuthorMike George
    • CommentTimeApr 3rd 2007 edited
     
    Posted By: arthurI've discovered that DIY installation of warmcell takes a long, long time because of all the fluffing you have to do


    A vegitarian diet should speed things up!:bigsmile:
    •  
      CommentAuthorSpike
    • CommentTimeApr 5th 2007
     
    An issue which noone has addressed here, but needs to be considered, is the entrapment of water vapour and condensation withijn an inulating layer. The natural batt/roll materials (sheepswool, flax, hemp, etc.) allow vapour to pass through and out in to the roof void to ventilate away, whereas fibreglass/ Rockwool will not, which could create conditions for damp and decay in your ceiling joists. There has been much talk on this forum about fitting vapour barriers below the insulation, which conventional thinking would say would help here, but you are living in an historical structure which is supposed to allow the movement of moisture (unlike modern buildings which are designed to resist and mechanically remove it). Preventing vapour passing through your ceiling with a vapour barrier would simply force (and concentrate) the vapour 'problem' and possibly cause condensation problems elsewhere.

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