What is Loft Insulation?

Loft insulation is a layer of material that helps prevent heat from escaping your property, meaning you require less heating to keep the inside warm, which leads to reduced energy bills and a more comfortable internal environment.

Without insulation the warm air created when you turn on the heating will escape, with over a quarter of heat generated within the home lost through uninsulated roof spaces.

If they were insulated some time ago, some properties in Scotland may not have the required levels of insulation for optimum heat saving. The current recommended depth for standard mineral wool insulation is 270mm.

Loft insulation is important as it helps provide a thermal barrier between the warm living space inside the home, and the cold exterior.

This means that more heat is retained, especially during winter. It will also help keep the property cool during summer.

Correctly installed loft insulation will also help prevent condensation and mould growth on ceilings by removing uninsulated cold spots. Cold spots allow warm humid air to condense, which leads to the moisture vapour becoming a liquid on the surface, creating damp patches. Over time these patches will allow mould spores to germinate.

Loft insulation is the quickest and most cost effective way to improve the thermal efficiency of a property, which means that you require less heat to warm your home, reducing bills and keeping a more comfortable internal environment for longer.

Properties in Scotland vary in age, and may have been built without any insulation in the loft space above the property.

Loft insulation is regarded as an important investment as it can be effective for up to 40 years and will more than pay for itself in terms of energy savings over that time. It can also increase the value of your property.

Mould and condensation can form on ceilings during the colder winter months, with this problem often associated with a lack of insulation in the roof space above.

Insulation can prevent cold spots by creating a thermal barrier throughout a property. If there is a section of insulation missing, this area will be at a lower temperature than the surrounding ceiling, and may cause moist air to condense on the cold surface. Over time this can lead to mould growth.

This can be solved by installing insulation in the above roof space, or by refitting any insulation that is missing between the joists. This can be caused when work is carried out in the roof space where insulation was moved and has not been relaid correctly.

While insulation will remove the cold spot, efforts must be made to reduce the amount of moisture created and trapped inside the property, so ventilation may also need to be improved.

If you are unsure of the issue, a damp and timber survey from Wise Property Care can provide you with a clear understanding of the damp problem affecting your property. Our qualified surveyor will provide you with a detailed survey report outlining their findings, along with recommendations where necessary.

Ghosting are the dark ‘blobs’ or linear stains that appear on ceilings and walls, and is caused by airborne dust in the internal atmosphere sticking to colder spots. Ghosting indicates a problem with the thermal properties of the surface of the wall or ceiling, which may need to be improved.

Better air circulation and ventilation in the property will also help prevent ghosting on ceilings. If humidity in the air increases, the surface conditions may reach a point where mould starts to grow.

Ghosting can be wiped away, but unless thermal improvements are made to the surface, they could return.

One of the most common modern causes of condensation and mould problems in lofts is caused when insulation is installed incorrectly. This leads to the insulation blocking natural airways, preventing air circulation, which means that warm humid air can become trapped.

If insulation is piled up or laid too deep at the edges, it can block eaves ventilation or gable air bricks. Specially designed extendable eaves vents are now available to prevent this issue when extra insulation is installed.

Sometimes downlights are installed without protective covers that prevent moisture escaping into the loft, and bathroom extract vents are discharged into the loft rather than outside. Without adequate ventilation, this leads to condensation formation.

Condensation and mould can also form on loft hatches as warm air rises throughout a property, condensing on the cold surface.

To prevent damp and mould problems it is essential to make sure the loft hatch is closed at all times and insulated properly.

When carrying out a damp and timber survey of a property, our surveyor may recommend that insulation be installed to improve the thermal efficiency of your property. This will help prevent heat loss, while removing cold spots that can cause condensation to form.

If required, our technicians will lay new insulation in standard roof areas in most domestic properties, and can also top up insulation over the existing areas up to the recommended depth of 270mm.

In most homes the installation process involves rolls of insulation being laid between and over the ceiling joists.

If insulation is already in place but needs topping up we can install the new insulation at right angles over the existing, taking care not to block any intentional ventilation such as eaves ventilation, grilles or airbricks.

If required, our technicians can also install a loft boarding system in the loft, installed directly over existing insulation or in conjunction with our top up service.

Plastic legs, specifically designed for this purpose, will be securely fixed to the ceiling joists at a height dependent on the required insulation thickness so as to prevent compression of the insulation material. Compressed insulation is not as energy efficient as uncompressed insulation.

Chipboard loft boarding panels are then securely fixed to the loft legs to complete your storage solution system.

It should be noted that this system is designed for light domestic storage only at a maximum loading of 25kg per square metre.

When you’re worried about damp, mould and condensation in your home, you want to use a company with experienced and specialist surveyors - with the right training and knowledge to reach the proper diagnosis.