Would it keep much extra heat in if i put an extra layer of insulation in my attic?uk?

Question

my house is 7 yrs old and iv been told if i did this it would save on the heating bills.Is it expensive to get someone to do this job or could i do it myself?

thanks for your help.

Answer 1

You can actually contact your local council and see if they can put more loft insulation in for free.

And yes having more insulation does make the world of difference to heating bills. I would strongly recommend you increase your insulation to 250-300mm.

Answer 2

Yes, it would keep heat in.  It is doubtful, however if it will make a big difference in your heating cost.

We blew in insulation, and could tell the difference in how often the furnace ran, but I can't say how much.  We certainly had more uniform heating of the rooms.

You could install fiberglass batts, and I would recommend it if access is easy.  We had dust all over the house from our installation.  It was a one-time thing though.

Answer 3

If your house is 7 years old you probably have 4-6" in there, doubling that would significantly reduce your heat loss and is well worth doing. You can easily do it your self and the materials are available at any large DIY store (in UK  Homebase, B&Q, Focus etc). Bit of a messy job but once its done its done.

Answer 4

The more insulation you put in the loft space the more heat you will retain in the house,  I would also replace the lagging on the hot water tank as that will also save you money.

Answer 5

We are always hearing that an extra layer of insulation is a good idea.  You should be able to do this job yourself provided your attic has room to move around in.  You just roll out the insulation across the joists instead of with them.  You must be careful not to put your weight between the ceiling joists, as you could crash through into the room below.  Some homes have AC ducts or even hot water heaters in the attic, and working around those could be problematic.

You might also look into how well the weatherstripping around your doors and windows is holding up.  South and west facing windows should be shaded, or have curtains or blinds to block the heat.  In the winter the North and East windows should have curtains that prevent cold from seeping through.  If your windows are double paned, look for any that seem clouded; this indicates a possible leak that makes the window less heat/cold resistant.  Storm windows provide some protection against heat loss.

The cost of having someone install insulation for you is dependent on costs in your area.  I'm in the U.S., but the process should be similar.  The installer will buy the insulation, and charge you a percentage for picking it up.  Then again, you don't want to carry insulation inside your car.  Find installers in your area, and ask them for a bid.  They will need to come by and look at your attic to make a bid.  Good luck.