Nobody wants to waste money on heating bills, which is why we see loft insulation as being so essential. But is yours performing as well as it could?
A quarter of your home’s heat (so about 25% of your heating bill) is lost through an uninsulated roof *. That’s why so many of us here in the UK make sure that our homes are fully equipped with loft insulation, as it’s a relatively cheap and easy way to save on energy bills. But hundreds of thousands of us across Britain can end up compressing our insulation. If you’re one of them, it might not be saving you as much as you think it is!.
Squashing your insulation reduces its effectiveness by 50%
The vast majority of us in the UK (around 82%, according to the Carbon Trust) use our lofts for storage. That includes most of our customers here at Loft Leg, such as those you’ll see featured in our case studies. This means that insulation often gets squashed under boxes, crates, and suitcases or various other occasional use items. Numerous studies on the topic have indicated that there’s a huge number of Britons who don’t understand why doing this is so problematic. Mineral wool type insulation (the most common loft insulation) needs to retain its full depth in order to work effectively.
One of the most prominent of these scientific studies was performed by the National Physical Laboratory. Their experts tested insulation at the recommended thickness of 270mm, and then compared it to insulation that had been compressed down to 100mm. They found that insulation performed to the manufacturer’s specifications when it was properly installed, but when it was compressed, its thermal resistance was drastically affected.
Thermal resistance of compressed Thermal resistance of uncompressed
insulation 3.09 m2.K/W insulation: 6.11 m2.K/W
As you can see, what seems like a quick fix for giving yourself some extra storage space can end up reducing your insulation’s effectiveness by around 50%, costing you some serious money in bills over the course of a single year. We won’t get too much into the science of it, but basically: thicker is warmer. It’s simple in principle. You wouldn’t want to squash your loft insulation for the same reasons you wouldn’t want to wear a thin coat on a chilly day.
So, if you can’t compress the insulation, what’s the alternative?
Save money and energy by using Loft Leg to board your loft
Thankfully, Loft Leg has been specifically designed to solve this issue.
Essentially, it gives you the means to raise your loft boards by 175mm, allowing you to create a useful platform for storage, while leaving your 270mm depth of loft insulation intact.
Research done in the last few years suggests that just 1 in 10 homes gets the full benefit of loft insulation - so we’ve designed Loft Leg to help you make sure your home is one of them! You can find out more details about Loft Leg on its product page, here.
The Loft Leg is a simple way of creating a storage or access platform above your insulation. The Legs can be installed by anyone with basic DIY skills and the project can be carried out generally within a day. And, most importantly ensures your insulation is doing exactly what it was intended to do.
Cutting holes in your loft insulation reduces its effectiveness
A common method of dealing with downlights that are installed in a ceiling below the loft is to remove the loft insulation from around the area to prevent heat build up. However, cutting a hole in loft insulation is not recommended for several reasons, primarily related to safety, efficiency, and building regulations:
Loss of Insulation Effectiveness: Insulation is designed to maintain an even temperature and improve energy efficiency by reducing heat loss. Cutting holes for downlights disrupts this barrier, leading to heat loss and inefficiency in maintaining temperature control in your home. This can increase energy bills and reduce the overall effectiveness of your insulation.
Building Regulations: Most building codes and regulations prohibit the modification of insulation around downlights. If you cut holes in the insulation, it could lead to violations of local fire safety and energy efficiency regulations. It’s important to follow these codes to avoid legal issues and potential insurance complications.
Downlight Safety: Some modern downlights are designed to be “fire-rated” or have special casing to prevent heat from affecting surrounding materials, including insulation. If the insulation is cut away or altered, it may negate the safety features of the downlight, potentially leading to overheating or failure. Check the downlight manufacturers instructions.
Note: To safely install downlights in a loft, it is essential to use downlights that are compatible with insulation, such as fire-rated or IC (insulation contact) rated downlights or install a Loft Lid. The Loft Lid from Loft Leg creates a safe zone around any downlight allowing insulation to be installed continuously above it.
Maintain Good Ventilation In the Loft
To ensure your insulation maintains its effectiveness over time it is essential that there is good ventilation in the loft. Make sure that soffit vents are not blocked and that there is a good air flow through the loft space.
You can browse all Loft Leg's products right here on our site, or simply give us a call on 01282 861 001 if you have any questions or need any advice.
We’re here to help!