Winters in the UK can get terrible. If your roof and loft aren’t insulated properly, best roofers Nottingham don’t need to tell you what happens next. Neither will your apartment be warm, but your heating bills will also be sky-high.
You might’ve come across terms like roof installation and loft installation, but what exactly are they? Do they even work, or are they just bro-science?
Whether you want to know about this in depth or know about it from scratch, we have you covered. This article will cover almost everything you need to know about roof and loft installation.
1. Effectiveness
Before digging into its nitty-gritty, a few words on its efficiency first. After all, if you’re going to pay for something, you need to be sure if it even works and whether it’s worth your money or not.
It is estimated that 1/4th of the heat from a building escapes from the roof. Theoretically, by maximising the insulation, one can prevent a quarter of the heat from escaping through the roof.
Just because 1/4th of the total heat escapes from the roofs doesn’t mean that the insulation would prevent 100% of the heat from escaping because that’s not how it works.
However, you can still prevent a decent amount of heat from escaping.
2. Saving Heating Bills
This is one of the two main reasons you absolutely need a roof and loft insulation (the other is not freezing to death).
By properly insulating your roof and loft, you can drastically cut down your heating bills. In just a few years, the insulation cost will be covered and will start saving you money.
Let’s do the math. With the proper insulation, you can save up to £250 per annum (though some people claim the figure to be much higher). As far as the cost for the insulation is concerned, that depends on many factors, so we can’t give you a specific number.
If you want to get a rough estimate of the costs, you can contact us for an on-site visit, and we’ll be happy to help you.
Considering how much money you can save on your heating bills, insulation is totally worth it. In just around two years (maximum four), you’ll get your money’s worth, and the insulation will pay for itself.
3. Above or Below the Rafters
Suppose you’re planning to do the insulation yourself. In that case, this is one of the three crucial things that you need to know (though we recommend getting it done by a professional for maximum efficiency).
Do not keep the insulation material between the rafters. Keep it either below or above them such that one side of the insulation material touches the tiles while the other one touches the rafters.
This point is essential, and we recommend you do not overlook this. Our experts know the small things like this that make a huge impact at the end. If you’re looking for roof and loft installation in the UK, just type in your search engine “best roofers Nottingham” and you’ll quickly find MC Roofing Experts.
4. Damping
It’s a common misconception that insulation can lead to damping. That, however, couldn’t be further from the truth. This does, however, have some truth to it.
Insulation does not cause damping. If there is damping due to some other reason, insulation materials can facilitate it, though.
In simple words, Spray foam insulation can help increase the damping, but it can’t lead to damping on its own.
5. Ventilation of the Roof
Keeping the roof ventilated is integral. To allow room for the roof to breathe, we recommend keeping a 50 mm distance between the roof and the insulating material.
Ventilation is only necessary when the insulation material is a rigid insulation board. For other materials, like wool and fibre, just make sure they aren’t sticking to the wall.
6. Different Types of Insulation
Before we discuss the two major types of insulation, it’s important to know about roof types, i.e. flat and pitched. A flat roof has a maximum inclination of 3 inches per 12 inches, whereas a pitched roof has a minimum inclination of 4 inches per 12 inches.
Moving to the key part now. There are two main types of insulation:
Warm Insulation
Warm loft insulation is much more affordable than a cold one since only the area between the floor joints is insulated. This prevents heat from getting to the loft.
However, the heat that gets in isn’t treated. That’s why it is also less effective than cold loft insulation. For pitched roofs, this one is the better choice.
Cold Insulation
Cold insulation is more effective than warm insulation. However, with better insulation comes a heavier price tag.
We wouldn’t recommend this for storage places. Go with cold insulation for places where you’re going to be living.
The savings in the heating bills aren’t that much compared to the warm insulation. However, the price difference is too large for it to be compensated by the difference in bills. If you’re on a budget, this is the better option for you.
For flat roofs, cold insulation is much better than warm insulation.
7. Common Insulation Materials
Aside from a rigid insulation board, here are some of the most common insulation materials:
i. Wool
This is a great soft option for insulation.
ii. Mineral Fibre
It is suitable for acoustic isolation.
iii. Polyester Fibre
It is an itch-free insulation material.
8. Optimum Depth
The standard of optimum depth has been changed across the years. Even now, this is not the most precise parameter to predict the insulation level material will provide.
Some materials provide excellent insulation in a bit of thickness, while others may not. Still, this is a pretty decent parameter since most of the commonly used insulation materials provide almost the same level of insulation.
Previously, this used to be 28 mm, but it gradually increased and became 270 mm for glass wool. For rock wool and cellulose, the number is 250 mm and 220 mm, respectively.
9. Free Insulation Grant
Under ECO’s scheme, the “Big Six” utility companies have to provide funding to the households to improve their efficiency – particularly efforts which reduce the emission of CO2.
Though up to 100% of installation costs can be reimbursed, which is usually not the case. You will inevitably have to spend some cash from your pocket.
Do keep in mind that not all households can apply for this grant. There are a few requirements that one must have to do so. The ultimate goal of this is to help low-income households make their houses more energy efficient, lower heating bills and decrease the emission of CO2.
Bottom Line
Roof and loft insulation might seem like they’re just taking away your money, but in reality, it’s the exact opposite. By cutting down on heating bills, the insulation will pay for itself in its lifetime.
Even in less than a decade, not only will you cover the cost, but you’ll also start saving money – not to mention your winters will be a lot better.
However, this is quite a technical task. Not anyone can buy insulation materials and start insulating the roofs. It requires a lot of technical knowledge and experience, and MC Roofing has that skillset.
Our professionals can effectively insulate your roof or loft. Just search for the “best roofers Nottingham”, and get in touch with us – whether to get some advice or avail our result-oriented services.
