very basic attic insulation questions

im a complete novice at this kind of thing, im looking to put extra insulation in my attic.
i want to buy some myself and fit it myself, im not willing to pay big money to someone else to do it.

question is, which kind of insulation do i buy?
where do i get it from for best value?

i live in a normal 3 bed detached in an estate. small though, no bigger than a normal semi-detached. its a low pitched roof but enough room for storage.
there is insulation up there, it seems to be the normal yellow insulation?

should i just put more of the yellow insulation up there?
what about this silver foil stuff? whats that like?

should i just add to the floor of the attic or put it up between the rafters?
the floor of the attic has been floored with chipboard over the insulation thats there, shouldnt be big problem to lift it and then put it back down.
sorry for all the questions, just want to try and do all this stuff myself and learn about it

mickdw

Is there free space under floor for additional insulation? Typically I wouldn't imagine there is much free space. You could lift floor, isolates any free space then run similar insulation at 90 degrees covering the top of all ceiling joists. In the area where you need to maintain a floor, you could use some timber runners at 90 degrees to allow depth for the insulation without being squashed down by floor.
There are grants available but is still probably cheaper to do if yourself.

well, theres not really much free space which is why i was wondering could i run in between the joists on the roof?
would it make much difference?
i can lift the flooring to put in extra insulation

MicktheMan

bubblypop wrote: »

1. should i just put more of the yellow insulation up there?
2. what about this silver foil stuff? whats that like?

3. should i just add to the floor of the attic or put it up between the rafters?

1. yes, 300mm total depth is recommended
2. useless
3. floor, and as mickdw said raise the floor and insulate under it

prettygurrly

knauff is a good brand...hope I spelt it right. My boyfriend the roofer recommended my parents to buy it. They also had the yellow stuff in the attic tho not across the whole house. Boyfriend recommended buying at least 150mm and if you can manage it then 200. It's essentially like coating your house is really thick cotton wool and you should invest in some good gloves and a face mask as you must not breathe in the fibres. The parents got their insulation from Chadwicks and for their house which is about 60 ft by 40 ft they paid about €450 - think dad did some haggling.

The stuff comes in large cylindrical packages so they can fit into your loft entrance and are light enough for your wife (or me as it was on the day) to pass up to you. Boyfriend took 3.5 hours to do the whole house but being a professional he is well practised...I'd say you'd get your house done in a day.

prettygurrly

prettygurrly wrote: »

knauff is a good brand...hope I spelt it right. My boyfriend the roofer recommended my parents to buy it. They also had the yellow stuff in the attic tho not across the whole house. Boyfriend recommended buying at least 150mm and if you can manage it then 200. It's essentially like coating your house is really thick cotton wool and you should invest in some good gloves and a face mask as you must not breathe in the fibres. The parents got their insulation from Chadwicks and for their house which is about 60 ft by 40 ft they paid about €450 - think dad did some haggling.

The stuff comes in large cylindrical packages so they can fit into your loft entrance and are light enough for your wife (or me as it was on the day) to pass up to you. Boyfriend took 3.5 hours to do the whole house but being a professional he is well practised...I'd say you'd get your house done in a day.

well, i am a girl:D but im pretty strong so hopefully will be ok!

Curly Judge

A couple of things:
1] The air trapped by the insulation material is the essential ingredient.
Do not "squash" the insulation when fitting it but try to keep it as "fluffy" as
possible.
2]Leave a space over the wall plate so air can circulate through the attic.
The ideal is a cold drafty attic but well insulated rooms beneath.
3] Do not insulate under your water tanks.
The ideal is to form a cosy little insulated "house" around your tanks and rising pipework so that rising heat through the plaster slabs can keep them from freezing.

prettygurrly

I'm always doing that...I read journal papers in my phd and for some strange reason I presume it's a man's work that I'm reading, and I'd be horrified if someone read my papers and presumed I was a man...it's just weird really! of course bubblypop should have given it away!!