Loft insulation Costs

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Loft insulation

Loft insulation

The natural direction for heat is up and uninsulated lofts will lose a quarter of your home’s heat. This means you’ll be paying out much more than you need to on energy bills and creating more carbon emissions in the process.

With the recommended amount of loft insulation you can slash your bills for 40 years, for little installation costs and a quick payback.

Whether your home is uninsulated, or is in need of a top-up, read more to find out the savings you’ll make with our loft lagging guide.

How much will I save with loft insulation?

Loft insulation is a great way to save money as it’s installed with minimal hassle and payback is as little as two years.

  • The Energy Saving Trust recommends loft insulation of 270mm in thickness to make the most from its heat saving abilities.

  • And with this recommended level you’ll be saving up to £175 every year. Considering installation costs range between £100 and £350, payback is achievable in just two years.

  • With loft insulation retaining heat and reducing bills for 40 years, you’ll see a brilliant return of investment on your purchase.

  • As well as the financial saving you’ll make, you’ll also be benefitting the environment by reducing your home’s carbon footprint. With the recommended 270mm of lagging you’ll be able to cut emissions by around 720kg a year.

Just topping up your existing loft lagging will help you save more money too, so it’s not just uninsulated properties that will benefit.

 

How much loft insulation do you need?

To fully increase the benefits that loft insulation provides it requires to at least cover the full floor with a gap around the sides for air flow. To measure up for insulation you can simply measure all the areas straight below and include those with each other allowing for wall widths. You don't require to be specific and also you ought to constantly under-estimate so you have additional insulation if called for. One essential point to bear in mind is that insulation must never ever be pressed right into the eaves because it will interfere with airflow.
If you're going for a warm loft then you'll require far more insulation to be able to cover the bottom of the roofing system along with the gable as well as party walls. Measuring up for this kind of task isn't going to be a simple Do It Yourself job so this is most likely a great time to hire the pros!

Recommended areas to insulate

Insulating your loft will retain heat in the home but will make the area above colder, which could result in pipes and water tanks freezing. This means they need to be insulated.

With cool air in the loft you could find draughts creeping through the loft hatch. This too will need adequate insulation and draught excluding material can be fitted around the frame’s edge.

 

Loft insulation quotes

Cheap loft insulation is a great way to reduce your bills as most heat loss in your home is through the roof. Lagging helps to retain heat, cutting bills by up to £175 a year.

If you’re interested in reducing your expenses and boosting your finances, complete our quick form and receive up to four FREE loft insulation quotes from vetted and reputable installers.

Average Loft insulation cost

The typical cost of Loft insulation is £600. Costs differ based upon the materials and the contractor selected. The upper price range can be as high as £690. The material costs are in most cases approximately £150

Average price per Loft insulation job in 2024

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£475

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£1,675

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£2,845

£3000

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Prices based on actual Loft insulation costs for your area, as reported by local Quotatis members.

Loft insulation installation cost in your area 2024

Labour cost £420
Material cost £150
Waste removal £30
Time frame: 1-3 days

Advantages for Loft insulation

  • You'll prevent up to one half of the heat generated in your home from disappearing
  • Your home will feel warmer in the winter, and cooler in the summer
  • Reduce your energy bills - this could be as much as £200-250 per year with loft insulation
  • Your carbon emissions will also be reduced. This could be as high as 1.4t

Disadvantages for Loft insulation

  • Condensation and damp issues after loft insulation if done incorrectly

Loft insulation Manufacturers

Loft insulation FAQs

Which type of insulation is best?

The best type of insulation for your property will depend on the type of walls and any insulation that’s already present. It’s usually a good idea to have some form of wall insulation as well as loft insulation, as this helps to prevent heat loss in both areas.

Does loft insulation cause condensation?

The short and simple answer to this question is yes, loft insulation does cause condensation. Over the years, problems with condensation in loft spaces have become increasingly common. While this may not be harmful in anyway, when the condensation becomes excessive it can lead to more serious issues taking root in your loft like wet rot, dry rot as well as black spot mould. Generally, the best thing to do if you’re concerned about the condensation in your loft space and that it may rapidly become a bigger problem is to get in touch with a damp specialist as soon as possible.

 

Even though insulating your loft space comes with a wide array of benefits like making the top floor rooms warmer, it’s however comes at the cost of making your loft or room space cooler. Condensation in lofts take place primarily due to the humid air making its way through insulation or other gaps into the loft space and touching a cooler surface which in turn results in beads of moisture on the timbers, lintels as well as the underside of the roof. This is why its always a great idea make use of thermal insulation with a vapour barrier that’s installed on the warmer side of the insulating material.

 

Condensation in loft is caused by excess moisture in the air and lack of adequate air ventilation. Here are some top reasons that gives rise to this in the loft:

  • Extra insulation has been installed in the loft leading to a restriction on the natural air circulation in the property.
  • When the storage boxes or other items that has been stockpiled in the loft blocks the roof vents.
  • The release of steam and moist air into the loft space by hot water tanks.
How long does it take to install insulation?

How long it takes to install insulation will depend on the size of your property. In general, loft and cavity wall insulation can be installed in a day or two. External wall insulation will usually take longer to install. The rep or installer will be able to advise you when quoting for the job how long this will be.

How much loft insulation do I need?

Over the years, more and more home and property owners are beginning to realize the huge benefits that can be derived from loft insulation being a worthwhile investment. It’s quite worrisome the way in which energy bills have soared over the past 10 years and loft insulation is a considerable affordable energy efficiency measure that can go a long way to help increase your home’s energy savings.

 

As far back as the 1980’s, the standard when it comes to insulation thickness was 25 mm to 50 mm which was, at the time, considered to be sufficient. However, building regulations have changed the norm that now states that a new build needs to possess 270 mm of insulation in the loft in order to achieve the required u-value of less than 0.16/m2k based on the standard rock wool or sheep wool insulation.

 

Generally with loft insulation, there’s a law of depreciating returns which implies that the first couple of insulation centimetres will save you many times the cost of the installation, however an extra layer or centimetre is going to add less value to the point where it’ll no longer be wise or worthwhile to add any further centimetre. Therefore, with cheaper energy prices 30 years back, that additional couple of centimetres was not just worthwhile, but with the recent alarming rises in costs of fuel, that additional £10 savings per year has all of sudden changed to £30 which makes it become a lot more attractive.

 

If you already have 270 mm of loft insulation, regardless of the material you’re looking to add you’re most likely not going to benefit from a top up. The cost of the materials and installation will definitely be too high for the couple of pounds it’ll save you per year.

How to insulate a loft?

Do you know about 25 percent of heat that escapes from an uninsulated house are lost through the roof? Fortunately, roof insulation is something that can done by all DIYers irrespective of their experience levels. However, if you happen to lack the confidence necessary to pull off this, then it’s strongly recommended that you hire the services of a professional who can guarantee the best results and also save you time and money that could arise from potential cost mistakes. Let’s take a look!

  • Clear out all clutter. This involves taking out all the rubbish and clutter from the loft. In order to work effectively, you’ll need a totally clear and empty loft space.
  • Ensure that there’s sufficient insulation. The importance of a good ventilation cannot be overstated. Poor ventilation will result in forming of condensation and this condensation can make the roof timbers rot and compromise the structural integrity of the entire roof. If there are no roof windows which is the easiest way to provide a loft ventilation, the next best option would be to follow the loft floor along to the point where the roof comes down to meet it. There should be a gap at this point, also referred to as the eaves, between the outside wall and the underside of the roof.
  • Measure your loft area. Take a measurement of the loft space in order to calculate the amount of insulation as well as the type you need. If you’re not sure, always get more that it’s required as skimming on the amount you use will only back fire in form of increased energy costs
  • Check for water pipes.

 

To get started, simply make sure all cracks and gaps in the ceiling are filled using a standard filler or decorator caulk. Once done, clean the gaps in the joists and even to the point of hovering all the dust up. Finally,check for the hazards that can cause you problems before laying the loft insulation.

How does loft insulation work?

A lot of an uninsulated property’s heat is lost through the roof and that’s even more alarming, when you realize this figure is up to a quarter of the total heat of the house. Hence, the tremendous importance of preventing this heat loss through loft insulation which will go a long way to help you against spending unnecessary thousands of pounds on heating bill as well as energy loss.

 

Loft insulation is an effective method to achieve the desired result, however the question is, how exactly does it work? Well, it’s time to find out!

 

Using either a fireplace or central heating to heat up your home, a large quantity of that heat would be lost through the roof of your home. Generally, heat rises and when it does, there’s simply no way to prevent it - it’s just science. Escaping by both the conduction and convection methods via your roof, the heat escaping through your ceiling, into the loft space and out into the open air outside can only be significantly reduced by laying loft insulation.

 

Generally, the added layer of insulation works by trapping the heat inside the room below the loft so as to enable the air within your house to stay warmer for longer. What’s more? The layer of insulation also keeps cold air from the outside from entering your home. As a result, you don’t have to heat your home as much in order to achieve the same temperature for each individual room. Over time, just by doing this you can potentially save hundreds pounds. Getting it installed in your home may actually seem a bit expensive at first, but it’s something that’ll eventually pay off.

Is loft insulation flammable?

When thinking about the right insulation material for your loft, some of the first few things that comes to mind is the various properties of that material as well as how good they fit with your home’s needs.naturally, you’d like to ensure that the insulation will be efficient enough to add to the overall energy efficiency of your home, however there are also other features that may not get as much attention but also happens to be equally important. As the primary function of an insulation is to blanket your house to offer a barrier against heat loss, going for an insulation material that’s also fireproof is crucial as loft insulation can burn. Although most insulation materials are fireproof, a myriad of problems can actually make your insulation burn.

 

For instance, fibreglass insulation is produced using glass combined with plastic polymers and is naturally resistant to fire. However, even at that you’d have to be careful with batts that are supported with foil or paper due to the fact that these materials can burn pretty quickly. Cellulose, on the other hand, is not fireproof and is required to be treated by other flame retardants in order to help reduce combustion. Some of the best insulation materials that are resistant to fire includes the following:

  • Fibre glass. This is made of glass that’s spun into fibres, then combined using plastic polymers. As a result, fiberglass insulation is naturally resistant to fire.
  • Mineral wool. Having a high melting temperature, this insulation material happens to be a great fit for thermal applications due to its superior fire resistant properties. In fact, mineral wool is still naturally non-combustible even if composed of recycled iron and steel by-products, or from actual mineral rock itself.
How thick should loft insulation be?

Over the years there has been an increase in the recommended thickness of loft insulation by the government. Obviously, the reason behind this is pretty simply - the thicker the layer of your loft insulation the bigger your savings. The UK government is very keen to every house in the country to have loft insulation fitted where possible as it helps to minimize the heating demands of these properties. Households get to benefit from loft insulation in so many ways which includes reduced energy energy bills as well as having a home that stays at a more comfortable temperature for longer.

 

Generally, for the government energy efficiency is crucial as it implies that the highest demand ( which is usually the time of the day when gas or electricity use is at its peak ) reduces, since each building requires slightly less energy. Overall, that ultimately implies that new power plants don’t have to be built which is some nice cost savings for the government.

 

In the 1980’s, any thickness of loft insulation from 25 mm to 50 mm was considered the standard. But then, building regulations stated that homes should have as much as 100 mm of loft insulation. Over time, this gradually increased to 270mm for new builds and also recommended for other properties, although not essential. As a result of this, there’s always a need to check how much insulation you currently have in your loft before you decide to purchase more. You may discover that you already have something within the range of 20 mm to 200 mm up there and knowing this and the insulation values will assist in determining how much more you’ll need to purchase, if any at all. You should also note that some modern materials can offer the same thermal insulation whilst not being as thick.

How To Install Loft insulation With ROCKWOOL Thermal Insulation Roll

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