Loft Insulation and use as storage space

Hi

Sorry in advance that this is similar to many other posts. It just seemed that there were so many variables that each case seemed to have a slightly different answer.

I have a small roof space which I would like to use to store 'essential junk' i.e. things that I will probably never use but just can't bring myself to throw away!

At the moment, the insulation is all 'horizontal'. That is to say, there is no insulation in the roof itself, it is all above the ceiling of the upstairs rooms. The roof is terracotta clay(?) tiles layed over a black waterproof sheet.

There are no header tanks.

Ideally, at the end, it would be lovely to have a space that was not too damp. Temperature doesn't matter because none of the things to be stored are heat or cold intollerent. A finness would be some suggestion of how the end walls and/or roof inner might be covered to try to keep dust down a little.

It would be nice if the rest of the house was as warm as possible(!) so if any suggestions of where insulation should best be would be fantastic too.

On a separate (but linked) theme. I think (?) that the cement 'fillets' that complete the join between the roof tiles at the edge of the roof and the adjoining wall between my house and the next (terrace house) has come away slightly. I guess just though time as bits of the house have moved. It is too scary to go outside onto the roof (5 floors up!) without getting professional scafolding. Is there anyway I could try to 'inject' something from the inside to fix the problem? I wondered if expanding foam work? Failing that, has anyone had any success in training squirels to apply a coat of tar based roofing paint over such areas using their tails (and what is the RSPCA's view of this) :)

Sorry, I know I almost certainly havn't included enough info but I didn't know what to put in and wanted to keep the message slightly more managable than 'War and peace'

Thanks very very much in advance

Stephen

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The muck of sixty years was a problem in our loft when we floored it. The tiles had been back pointed and were sound but thee was no other protection from the sky. I think the muck was largely fine mortar dust, it was certainly heavy.

We saved expanded polystyrene sheets from packing, cut them into slabs and fitted them between the wooden members holding the roof. They fitted so well that they stayed up by themselves but eventually they were all covered with large pieces of cardboard, again from packing. I thought it might get damp but it hasn't. That was painted white so reflect light and help to find things stored up there. It made quite a difference to the warmth of the house, we thought (although we did no tests) even thought the floor of the loft had already been heavily insulated.

I don't think you can train squirrels to do anything they don't want to :-( They're a menace in roof spaces ... and if they die in there and you find it some time afterwards it's not pleasant to remove it ...

You can tell that's the voice of experience.

Mary

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Reply to
Mary Fisher

That's the right place for it - the more the merrier - anything up to 10" is good.

Presumably roofing felt. Fairly standard construction.

In order to keep it dry, it *must* be well ventilated. If getting rid of dust impairs the ventilation, it's better to live with the dust.

Do you have cavity walls, and are they currently uninsulated? If so, getting the cavities insulated should be a high priority. Double glazing is also good, but has a longer payback period. If you are single glazed, at least try to fix any drafts - as long as you still have *some* ventilation.

I wouldn't worry about it - unless it allows rain and snow to blow in. As above, ventilation is *good*.

With regard to storing stuff in the attic, what size are the ceiling joists, and what is their maximum span? This will determine the maximum load that can be stored on them. If you're proposing to board the area, you'll need to find a way of supporting the boards well above the top of the joists, to allow for plenty of insulation underneath. [You'll also need to take the weight of the boards and their support structure into account when considering the overall loading imposed on the joists.

Reply to
Set Square

Hi Mary,

Thanks very much. That sounds like a great idea (and cheep too). Result! How much space did you leave between the polystyrene and the roof felt/tiles. I remember someone talking about needing 'sufficient' ventilation for the timbers but I don't really know how much is enough. Do you have any other ventilation to the outside or are there enough natural 'holes' in a roof to let air in (and moisture out)?

Stephen

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Hi Set Square,

I don't think the walls are cavity but I havn't investigated anywhere. (They are certainly pretty thin). It is a listed building so double glazing isn't an option. There are certainly plenty of drafts!

In heavy rain, it does come through quite badly. This year has been worse than most. Possibly if I put a length of gutter along the wall on the inside to catch the drips? And put this to a container which I will, of course, remember to empty :) In a sense, the water would have dripped on the floor anyway so anything that is caught is a bonus.

The joists are about 8" by 2" and (from memory) about 3 feet apart and span approx 12 feet. I didn't do any calculations but just thought 'That looks pretty strong'. I assume the insulation can go between the joists. Do I need to leave any air gap between the insulation and the floor. If not, I guess

8" is close enough to 10" (insulation wise) to save alot of graft and floor straight over the joists.

Thanks very much indeed for your advice

Stephen

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It wasn't a fixed sized gap, it was determined by the thickness of the ep. there was always *a* gap left though.

Oh, about the length of a piece of string, I imagine. There's always be somebody who knows exactly how much is needed but since all lofts are different I'd be suspicious of such deterministic rules.

In ours there seems to be sufficient ventilation because nothing is damp.

I forgot to say that the narrowest part of the eaves was also boarded in, with the least used stored stuff behind and recorded on a computer which has since died :-) Our heirs are going to have fun. all I can remember are three small enlargers ... Again, that wasn't cabinet built, there were 'natural' gaps between the panels.

I know that swifts, sparrows and starlings still nest under the eaves (which we're happy about) but we seem to have solved the ingress of squirrels.

The cavity walls were insulted many years ago - if you haven't done that I recommend it. The comfort factor is immediately obvious and well worth the cost.

Mary

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Mary Fisher

Thanks very much again. I will have to start hording polysyrene.

Stephen

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