Loft Conversion Insulation

Insulating a loft conversion can often be complicated, so be sure that insulation requirements are taken into consideration throughout the process of planning your loft conversion. As loft conversions are frequently being changed into a habitable room, the converted space will have to fulfil building regulations for thermal efficiency, which specify a U-value for the rate of heat loss through an area. These values are set differently for walls, floors, windows and roofs, with flat roofs needing to meet a different value to pitched ones. As with insulating many areas, it is normally cost effective to insulate past the building regulations requirement as it can save on your energy bills. The trickiest part of insulating a loft conversion is often the constrained space. Space saving insulation methods tend to be utilised in loft conversions as these will provide good insulation despite being very thin. When planning a loft conversion, check that there is a sufficient amount of space designed for both the conversion itself and the mandatory insulation, as the insulation will influence the ceiling height of the converted room. Dormer windows and rooflights will need to be insulated sufficiently. These areas require extra care when planning insulation, particularly with flat roofed dormer windows, as these may well have to comply with a different U-value than the surrounding pitched roof.