Loft roof insulation is an essential part of every home’s ability to regulate the temperature. It works to retain heat during the winter and keep the heat out during the summer.
Insulation is not designed to last forever and will begin to degrade eventually, typically lasting anywhere up to 20 years. As such, you must regularly assess your loft insulation to make sure it’s working as efficiently as possible.
When to replace your loft insulation
Given the above timeframe, replacing your loft insulation in good time is crucial. Some recommend it be done as frequently as every few years to ensure it’s operating as optimally as possible. This will ensure that you make the most of the loft insulation’s thermal properties and don’t unnecessarily waste money on your energy bill.
There is a range of different types of insulation, and they will all naturally deteriorate over time, however, some factors can fast track this lifespan and cause your insulation to become ineffective sooner, including:
- Damp causing mould
- Physical damage from excessive weight-bearing
- Dust and dirt
- Inadequate Installation
- Squashed under loft boarding
If any of these aspects have meant that your loft insulation has become insufficient to perform effectively, you may want to have it replaced. At Instaloft, we will relay existing insulation that has been laid incorrectly as part of our other services for no additional charge. Get in touch, and we will lay your loft roof insulation in a specific way, with one layer between the joists and another lengthways across them to ensure it’s up to building regulation standards.
Similarly, if you’re looking to board your loft, you should replace your existing insulation beforehand because it will be much harder to replace after installing the boarding. Likewise, if you are replacing existing standard loft boarding with a raised system to benefit from the additional storage space it offers, the loft insulation beneath it has likely been compressed and isn’t at the recommended thickness.
How to extend the lifespan of your loft insulation
To get the most out of your loft insulation both in terms of efficiency and longevity, it’s vital to protect and enhance it as much as possible.
Raised loft boarding will lift your loft floorboards well above the joists allowing your loft roof insulation to sit underneath them at its full depth without being squashed by the boards and storage resting on it.
As well as allowing the insulation to retain its recommended thickness of between 250mm and 270mm, the raised loft boarding system also creates an air gap between the loft roof insulation and the boards, creating a flow of air to continue under the flooring. This airflow prevents the risk of condensation from forming in your insulation and stopping it from working effectively. Not only will damp insulation prevent it from functioning as intended, but the water and extra weight can also damage your ceiling underneath, resulting in costly repairs.
The raised system will help save you money in the long term as you can reduce your heating bills by lessening how much heat is lost through the roof. On top of the benefits to your insulation, raised loft boarding is quick to install transforming your loft in just a day, providing a strong and safe flooring that can give you 50% more storage space for your home.
If you’d like to have raised loft boarding installed in your home to protect and improve the effectiveness of your loft roof insulation, Instaloft is the leading installer of LoftZone’s award-winning StoreFloor. With availability across the UK to install the raised system in your home, no matter the roof type or age – give us a call on 0808 506 4676 to get the transformation started.