Should I replace my loft insulation?

[simon ferris]

I am wondering if my loft insulation needs replacing - someone has been round locally saying that it should be replaced every few years - I don't want to be scammed so can anyone tell me if this is true? - I've looked at it and it appears fine to me, but I am no expert.

[GemmaRowlands]

You do have to be very careful when you take the advice of somebody who comes knocking on the door, and the question that should always be on your mind is "what's in this for them?" If they want something doing to your home, it's very, very unlikely that it is actually for your benefit at all. Being honest, I can't see why the insulation in the loft would need to be replaced, certainly not as soon as "every few years" at the very least!

[Luke Bainbridge]

It depends on what you would call every few years, to be honest. If the material that you have up there is old and worn, or damaged, you may find that it does indeed need to be replaced. But the best way to know for sure is to get up there and have a look at it, because it should be obvious. There are no dangers unless you have asbestos up there; the only thing you need to consider is whether you would be able to make better savings by getting new stuff.

[Piperfeeling]

Great topic And I'm trying Understanding these things.

[Ecolocker]

Strictly speaking loft insulation (standard fiberglass or mineral wool) should not need replacing for a very long time, that said however it can become damaged (flattened, especially if there is a lot of junk in your attic like mine) or even be inadequate in depth. The recommended depth of blanket style insulation (glass or mineral wool) for a loft is 250 to 270 mm and having less will cost you in your heating, far more than the cost to top it up / replace it.

This can be done yourself for very little money or cheaply by any competent handy person. The specialists need to be involved when you start to go down the cavity wall or external or internal wall insulation route.

All the best!

[Home Logic]

Loft insulation, if installed properly, should not need replacing at all. That's of course applies for new builds where you can plan your insulation install. For existing homes, a few more factors must be considered, what type of insulation there is, is it affected by damp and mould, how old the building is etc. To answer the question, I'd say you will need a loft survey to determine any further actions.I would recommend researching different materials used in the UK for insulation purposes and then decide on the best option. Spray foam insulation is fairly new to the UK market but tried and tested across Canada. It outperforms other types like fiberglass or mineral wool. Please visit www.homelogic.co.uk for more information on this.

[DianaW]

I've just updated the insulation in my Victorian attic.
The loft surveyor advised that the blanket insulation which my builders had laid between the joists when I did the basic renovation 25 years ago was still in good enough condition that it didn't need to be replaced, just topped up with another layer.

[olivermasson99]

From my experience i think renewing it after 5 years would be a great idea.