[Dave c]

Hi guys,

I've searched these words on the forum and read many articles, to which many people have said 'i insulated my loft' but I have not found any topics that say how. Is it as easy as buying lagging and fitting to the roof panels and then boarding ?? do you still need lagging in the floor if this is the case ?? or can you re-use it in the roof recesses ??
Are there new materials out there now to use to lag, I remember reading somewhere that there was and it was only 1/3rd of the thickness but gave the same protection.

Any advice gratefully received.

Dave.

 

[black 5 man]

I'm not an expert, but recently converted my own loft for railway use. I think you will find that you still need to have the loft floor insulated otherwise there will be a lot of heat loss from your house because the air space in the loft needs to be ventilated so there will always be a draught.

I used thick fibre insulation rolls, then put 1.5in battens across the loft floor's cross members to create a level surface over pipes and electrical wiring. Then I screwed loft-board panels that interlock (available in packs from B&Q), remembering to mark on them where pipes and junction boxes were located in case you need to access them later (it's a good idea to trim the lip off boards that might need to be lifted later).

You can staple heat reflective roof lining to the inside of the roof lats, or some people use thin insulation and then put hardboard over the top to hold in place.

The loft does get hot in the summer, so I am looking at getting one or two Velux windows fitted, and it is very cold in winter, so I now have a couple of low wattage radiators that are fitted with thermostats. Heat range is the biggest problem with using the loft and can affect rail joints, especially between adjoining baseboards. You need to do whatever you can to minimise the extremes.

Hope this helps!

Paul.

 

[John Webb]

Dear Dave and Paul,
I stongly recommend that you do NOT use hardboard or any wood fibre board for loft lining. It is too susceptable to ignition in the event of an accident or electrical fault and will rapidly spread fire.
(I spent 28 years doing research into fires - one of the worst test fires I ever saw involved a small corridor lined with ordinary hardboard!)

There are foil-covered plastic air bubble insulation materials with satisfactory resistance to fire, or for a thoroughly solid solution use plasterboard on studding or attached to the rafters.

It is important that the rafters remain well ventilated to minimise any potential rot problems - unless the roof is specifically designed to have insulation between the rafters it should not be placed there. Advice from an architect, the local building control office etc may be of use.

Regards,
John Webb

 

[Doug]

I use that silver stuff.

I have it all around the track room. It is easy to work with, is cut with a Stanley knife and is equivalent to 20cm of glass fibre apparently. Which believe me is a pain to work with.

This is the latest and last section of benchwork to go up. All the junk in the foreground is now under the benches. The room is now completely clear.

 

[Dynamite26]

This is my loft with the foil bubble wrap insulation taken last year but is has the insulation on the apex bit now as that pic was taken before i got the extra roll to do the apex part.

It does still get warm up there even though the insulation is up but i stick my air cooler on and within half anhour it's cooled down enough to work up there,and during winter time it's fine working up there and it doesn't get cold at all up there.

 

[Doug]

Finnish up the apex and all you problems will go. I've had the same problem and once it's all sealed, its brilliant.

 

[Dynamite26]

Doug the apex is done that pic was taken before i finished it as i didn't have the roll to finish it when the pic was taken.

 

[neil_s_wood]

When I insulated my garage I used these pink bats which I beleive are made from fibreglass or the like.

 

[Dave c]

Many thanks for all the info guys, I think I need a walk around B&Q as i'm sure i've seen the silver lining there.

The good news is that I have been deliberating over wether to get fully back into the hobby as I also have a mk3 capri that I was going to restore but i'm not a mechanic and would have to pay someone to do it as I don't have the skills, but after speaking to my brother yesterday who has a set, he said I made a really good oo set when I was younger and that I would get more out of making another set, so here goes !!!

ps. anyone want to buy a mk3 capri ????

 

[John Webb]

Dave,
I got my foil/bubble insulation from Screwfix Direct - was cheaper than B&Q's two years ago. Might be worth checking.

Regards,
John Webb

 

[Dave c]

Thanks John, I've found the 1050mmx25m for £97, I think that should be enough

 

[Dynamite26]

I got mine from Focus as they was on sale at £16.66 for a 1mx7m double sided roll but they have gone back up to £25.99 now.

 

[Makemineadouble]

and you get 10% discount if you tell them you've just moved into the area (they don't check) or if your a pensioner.

 

[nas]

QUOTE (Dynamite26 @ 16 Feb 2007, 21:18) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>This is my loft with the foil bubble wrap insulation taken last year but is has the insulation on the apex bit now as that pic was taken before i got the extra roll to do the apex part.

How did you actually attach the foil to the rafters? I have been looking at insulation boards as I thought they'd be easier to attach and look a bit better. It's possible to fix the foil to some boards and attach them to the rafters, but it's an extra step in the process.

 

[Dynamite26]

I just used a staple gun to attach the foil insulation to the rafter but I did each side in two section as it was easier than trying to do the full length in one go on both sides,but when I did the apex I cut the roll in half to make it easier to put up and just overlapped it at the apex and over the lower sections and I was able to do the full length as it was half the roll and not the full width of the roll.

 

[Brian]

Hi all you lofty people

A few words of caution... Ensure your hole in the floor (Loft hatch) has a safety barrier around its accessible sides preventing you or anyone else from disappearing suddenly.
Its far to easy to step back and admire the latest purchase running or look at the scenery etc and there you are, Gone!

Even a simple wood baton fixed onto some hooks and fastened in place each time you're in the loft is better than falling 8 or more feet to the floor below

You have been warned...........Ahhhhhhhhhhh

 

[Dynamite26]

I have a cover to stick over the hatch opening when I am up there which I made a couple of years ago when I put the loft flooring boards down to stop me falling through the opening while I was up there.

 

[Rail-Rider]

There is available a service that sprays a thick layer of foam (probably polyurethane) directly onto the underside of the roof. I have never priced this, but imagine it to be quite expensive. I would also be a little concerned about ventilation to the wooden parts, though that might not be a problem in practice.

I have no experience of this, mentioning it only as another option that someone reading the topic might want to explore further.

 

[keith.moore]

QUOTE (Rail-Rider @ 10 Mar 2007, 08:26) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>There is available a service that sprays a thick layer of foam (probably polyurethane) directly onto the underside of the roof. I have never priced this, but imagine it to be quite expensive. I would also be a little concerned about ventilation to the wooden parts, though that might not be a problem in practice.

I have no experience of this, mentioning it only as another option that someone reading the topic might want to explore further.
There was an article on the BBC's Watchdog program a few weeks back with people complaining that their tiles were lifting and cracking due to the foam getting between them and causing an upward pressure....I am sticking to the 'silver foil' insulation rolls myself.

 

[Makemineadouble]

Polyurethane absorbs water, and expands in the process. In one extreme case I've seen it sprayed between courses of bricks to bump up insulation, subsequent expansion of the material lead to disintegration of the wall, which totally collapsed. This was in the Mushroom industry in the 1970's. The person responsible for this decision was dismissed. Polyurethane is a good insulation material when used under the right conditions, I would not consider it on the underside of roof tiles.