Tips To Create A Greener Loft For The Eco-Conscious
As one of the UK’s leading loft installation companies, we’ve developed our reputation of being masters of storage space optimisation and we’re proud of it! Although this is only half of what we do, it’s a little known fact that we actually class ourselves as an energy-saving company, and our intention for every project is the conservation of fuel and power in buildings throughout the UK.
It’s not the first intention you may assume from a loft construction company, but we’re all about sustainability and being economical, so with that said we like to think that optimising space and energy-saving go hand in hand!
What Areas Of My Loft Can Be Made More Eco-Friendly?
Choose A Timber Ladder
While we offer a stunning range of ladders, in various styles and materials, we believe the Timber ladder is the top choice for the eco-conscious! Despite the shameful amount of tree felling that occurs in England (more recently, illegal HS2 felling), a wooden ladder is a renewably sourced material and uses 20-25 times less energy to produce than an aluminium one!
Choose A Timber Hatch
UPVC emits many harmful chemicals during the production phase, to be exact, 6 of the 15 most hazardous chemicals listed by the EU government for priority elimination are used to develop it! While timber kills trees, it’s a renewably sourced material.
Choose Raised Loft Boarding
Without raising your loft boarding you’re likely to be compromising thermal performance up to around 50%, this is because your insulation will be squashed, while further risking thermal bridging. This would also be likely to create damp and condensation, which we know leads to mould, shortening the life of any wires and piping that get affected. Raised loft boarding creates a gap between the insulation and boards, allowing airflow to be maintained.
Choose LoftLeg To Raise Your Loft Boarding
LoftLeg is a wonderful product that allows you to raise your loft boarding with its stilt design that goes between your floor joists and boarding. Not just that but it’s made from 100% UK recycled materials and will increase the thermal performance of a home by up to 50%.
Use Loft Lining To Insulate The Walls
Both types of breathable loft lining we offer are suitable for both Warm Loft applications (main insulation in the roof) and Cold Loft applications (main insulation in the flooring). Their main benefits include the reduction of heat loss as well as reducing dust and cold bridging, and their highly breathable, weathertight design allows harmful moisture to escape.
Use Organic Insulation Material
On top of installing a sufficient thickness of insulation, ensure you choose a product like Knauf Earthwool, which uses ECOSE Technology, made from rapidly renewable organic materials and a formaldehyde-free binding process with no added dyes. Due to the amazing environmental sustainability that this product offers for a low price, The Loftman Company wouldn’t have it any other way!
Why Is It Important To Have An Eco-Friendly Loft?
With the pressure of climate change pressing harder as each year passes, homeowners should be taking it up themselves to be reducing their level of wasted energy as much as possible.
There are, of course, building regulations in place to help the nation meet the overall reduced emissions targets in place, however over 50% of the UK’s Co2 emissions are directly from the heating and cooling of homes.
Can Loft Insulation Reduce Your Carbon Footprint?
With the reduction of heat loss from your home, you’ll be able to lower your overall level of heat loss. That said, we believe ANY small changes to your loft space that reduce your homes heat loss is a good enough reason to do so – it’s estimated that 25% of your home’s heat is lost through the roof! On top of that, Energy Savings Trust estimates that you could save up to 1030Kg of carbon dioxide each year with 270mm thick insulation.
Can You Ensure Your Loft Meets Building Regulations?
Firstly, to abide by the UK building regulations regarding insulation thickness (2013) it’s recommended that you insulate with a minimum of 270mm of quilt insulation – this would achieve a U value of 0.16 (healthy territory).
New Build Regulations
Squashed insulation reduces thermal performance by 50% so please NEVER squash your insulation wool. If you do this in a New Build Property, you’ll most definitely be risking your NHBC insurance when claiming for the damp and mould you created by squashing your insulation! Their Buildmark Cover statement reads specifically “Any additional work done to the property after the completion date that is not as a result of the responsibilities of the builder”. Long story short – only use raised loft boarding systems when boarding a new build loft!
Can Your Loft Insulation Improve Your Homes Energy Efficiency Rating?
The simple answer is yes! On top of that, it’s actually one of the easiest and effective home renovations you can make to increase your home’s efficiency rating! While adding any layer of insulating material to your loft flooring is likely to help retain heat, installing sufficient insulation actually creates quite an impressive change to your EER (Energy Efficiency Rating)!
In terms of the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate), going from zero insulation to the recommended amount, 270mm, could see you gain a whopping 15-20 points according to The Greenage. For old homes with little to no insulation, this could allow you to jump from a high E up to a low C rating following a fairly affordable investment – into the green we go!
Can you Add Value To Your Property With Loft Boarding & Insulation?
Without any surprises, the answer is yes! However, the real shocker is in the figures. While we can’t possibly state the difference that boarding and insulation contribute specifically, if you really focus on all areas of the home to retain energy, you could really make a difference. According to Money Super Market, jumping from D to A could see a £25k lift in your home’s value!
How Much Can Loft Insulation Reduce Heating Bills?
It’s estimated by The Energy Saving Trust that you could save a lovely £250 a year by adding loft insulation, now imagine if your loft insulation lasts up to 40 years (as it can on average), that’s a total saving of £10,000!
While this figure is for detached homes specifically, going from no insulation to the recommended amount (270mm), check out the chart below to see the estimated savings forms other property types:
Are You Living With Insufficient Insulation?
If your loft insulation is less than 270mm, then you most likely are. But there’s no need to worry about forking out your hard-earned savings for an investment of this type. For starters, the energy savings are financially and morally rewarding, and it only takes a few years before the installation has paid for itself!
On top of that, with our friendly payment options, you can spread the cost over 12 months interest-free. This means you’ll literally start reaping the benefits before you’ve even paid it off fully!
Are you looking to become a proud owner of an eco-friendly loft? Consider leaving your details below and you’ll hear from us very soon!
