And another 4 to fix the loft board to the loft leg. Make sure your loft space have adequate ventilation. Go to My Project List Continue Shopping You are not logged in to save your list permanently. Building regulations approval is required to convert a loft or attic into a liveable space. However, such lighting does have a negative effect on insulation properties due to the amount of down lights required. The most important thing we can teach you when we are explaining how to fit loft boards is that loft insulation must not be squashed down. These panels are 18mm thick, 1.2m long and only 320mm wide. As you can imagine this creates a very strong and safe platform in your loft that surpasses the British Standard 6399-1:1996 for … Like any part of a building, lofts are subject to strict regulations that architects, specifiers and builders need to meet. Then 200mm thickness insulation is laid about at 90 degrees to the one underneath. This is ideal to install between ceiling joists, as most are 100 mm thick. Warton Woodworks only use insulation wool, space blanket or PIR insulation boards. This insulation has a thickness of 100 mm. If you plan to make the loft space more accessible or more habitable by, for example, installing a stair to it and improving it by boarding it out and lining the walls / rafters etc, more extensive work is likely to be required and the Building Regulations are likely to apply. Always make sure you apply more insulation cross ways (90 degree’s to the insulation underneath). But only if boards are planned out carefully. This method also restricts the shapes you can build a floor to in your loft. The insulation currently in is only about 50mm thick so needs replacing with 270mm. If you currently do not have any insulation, lay 100mm of glass fibre wool between every loft joist. Screw the loft boards down to the cross beams. Other areas of this loft use space blanket. PIR foam board (kingspan) insulation has been installed around the loft entrance. The UK's only raised loft storage platform system to comply with regulations part L. Raised Loft Storage Platforms are Energy Efficient ZERO removal ZERO squashing of the loft insulation This may be a good option if your loft space lacks height, or you want a neater finish. Fitting Storefloor by LoftZone raises the loft boards over the increased loft insulation, provides an air gap, and a secure storage floor for your suitcases, Christmas decorations and old photo albums. All Rights Reserved. .w3eden .panel.dashboard-panel h3, --color-warning-rgb: 242, 158, 15; As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All new homes are built to the insulation building regulations of the time. Most older homes have insulation between the joists only, usually 100mm high. When you have your loft boarded it is vital that the insulation isn’t squashed or removed as this could void your NHBC warranty. You have now completed the how to board your loft guide. A colder loft does also means warm moist air can condensate within the loft. The kingspan insulation also allow the customers to freely walk around his loft where no flooring is present. Find out how to make your loft insulation really work in your roof space to keep in heat, save money, prevent condensation and rot in roof timbers while providing useful storage space, using Storefloor an innovative and easy to fit DIY loft boarding solution from LoftZone. --color-success-rgb: 24, 206, 15; --color-secondary-active: #4a8eff; .w3eden .btn.wpdm-front h3.title, Below is an image of a loft entrance. Lay a piece of plywood (cut to suit) adjacent to the loft hatch. }); There may also be obstructions such as vertical beams at awkward angles. .w3eden .btn, The reason for this is historic methods of loft boarding would compress the loft insulation or in the majority of cases the loft insulation would have to be removed. .w3eden .wpdm-frontend-tabs a, All project content written and produced by Mike Edwards, founder of DIY Doctor and industry expert in building technology. Place Tri supports at 610mm centres along the rafter. 1950’s = 0mm glass mineral wool insulation requirement, 1965 = 25mm glass mineral wool insulation requirement, 1975 = 60mm glass mineral wool insulation requirement, 1985 = 100mm glass mineral wool insulation requirement, 1990 = 150mm glass mineral wool insulation requirement, 1995 = 200mm glass mineral wool insulation requirement, 2002 = 250mm glass mineral wool insulation requirement, 2003 = 270mm glass mineral wool insulation requirement. Work out the area of the new loft floor you wish to cover. LOFT stands for Leap of Faith Together and we’re there where there are few others, reaching out in response to unmet needs. .wpdm-download-link.btn.btn-primary{ Mark the boards with the position of the cross beams in order to drill and countersink them to fix down. Below you can see how insulation thickness has increased throughout the years. Insulation requirements for homes have increased dramatically over the years. The StoreFloor loft flooring system is designed to fit into these standard measurement perameters. If your measurement of the position of one of the legs is a little out, this could affect the rest of the legs. .w3eden .alert:before, Slide the Uni support onto the rafter and screw down onto the rafter. However, before converting your loft into storage space you must first consider how much weight your loft joists are designed to handle. Board remainder of loft space to extend storage. Use 2 screws per loft leg to fix the boards down. --color-danger-hover: #ff5062; Does Boarding a Loft Add Value to a Property? It also have a heat reflective foil surrounding it. This means current building regulations require loft insulation of 270mm as of August 2013. Many screws are required when it comes to loft boarding. text-transform: unset; Let us help you find a tradesman local to you. However on watching several videos on their installation and having installed the LoftZone system we can see that they do look a little trickier to fit and don’t look as sturdy. Please note full instructions for fitting loft flooring from Loftzone, including diagrams can be downloaded here. There are many differences between insulation. Creating Greater Load Bearing Capacity in the Loft Better insulation properties will help improve your EPC grade, meaning your home is more efficient to run. If you fix the floor boards to the existing joists there will not be room for the insulation, and if you squash the insulation you make it much less effective. Well you can fit a loft boarding system that allows you to have the recommended 270 mm loft insulation, plus an air gap to allow air flow, which prevents condensation building up in your roof space (helping to prevent rot in your roof timbers). This insulation has a thickness of 200 mm. If you live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, the Building Regulations may have different U-value requirements. Below is a picture of loft legs being used with space blanket insulation. Planning permission is not required to board out a loft for the purpose of loft storage. A floor in a loft conversion must be designed to carry a minimum of 150kg per square m. This is 5 times more than a loft used for storage on loft boards or loft panels. You reduce the amount of moist air within your home. Planning is only required if you are wanting to convert your loft into a living space, such as carrying out a. This customer wanted the very best insulation above his cold bathroom. When you have loft boarding installed, extra loft insulation is usually put in place at the same time. Most loft conversions can be carried out without planning permission, but you'll still need to satisfy building regulations. Forest of Dean Council Building Control Loft Conversion Guidance We done a hip to gable loft conversion on the bungalow, in the image below. Good morning and thank you for your enquiry , The current regulations for loft insulation depth is 270mm. Building regulations do not require older homes to have insulation, but does recommend it. --color-info-rgb: 44, 168, 255; Easy to fit supports and steel joist sections allow a solid loft floor to be added easily. Did you know that LED down lights can get very hot too due to there large heat sinks? Two types of supports are screwed to the ceiling rafters, lightweight galvanised steel joist sections are screwed to the supports and the boards are screwed down on top of the new, steel joists. Although someone who has the correct tools can easily board out a loft, it’s simpler to hire a professional. The LOFT-E® adjustable loft floor support has been designed to solve two problems when planning on boarding your loft for storage. } If you board out your loft, you can increase the floor space of your home by 50%, and all of it is storage space. .w3eden #csp .list-group-item{ using the loft or attic for storage and how to do this safely, new system of loft flooring called StoreFloor, designed by LoftZone, full instructions for fitting loft flooring from Loftzone, including diagrams can be downloaded here. }; --color-primary-rgb: 74, 142, 255; Also the amount of boarding should depend on how much you want to store. if(typeof Georiot !== "undefined") --color-primary-hover: #4a8eff; Decide whether or not the whole loft needs to be boarded. Also see our project on using the loft or attic for storage and how to do this safely. Tongue and Groove chip board is then screwed to the loft legs. This helps to prevent cold spots within your loft. --color-success: #18ce0f; --color-muted: rgba(69, 89, 122, 0.6); If you do not wear a coat or a paper suit, you are guaranteed to feel very itchy after. Expect much dust and insulation particles. The image represents an area in your loft that will not have loft boarding. Note: Do this step only if step 1 was carried out. }. Is a great way to access heating pipes and electrical connections. font-family: Rubik, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; It can either be installed between the joists or the rafters in your loft area. This means you will have 100mm of glass mineral wool between your joists. When you’re contracted to carry out work in a loft area it’s important to know whether or not your project will be controllable under the building regulations and therefore require inspection from building control. If so then ensure you board around them to ensure easy access. The majority of house builders and new developers will advise against installing loft boards in your new loft area. If access is easy and your loft joists are regular, you can use rolls of mineral wool insulation. .w3eden #package-description .wp-switch-editor, If it is, it is virtually useless for stopping the warm air from rooms below entering your loft. Before you follow our ‘how to board your loft guide below’, check out the list of materials and tools needed to complete the job. Below is some alternative insulation that can be used within lofts. The top of your insulation should almost be flush with the top surface of the joists. Bearing in mind it’s a two-man job, the cost of boarding a loft sits between about £ 1,000 to £1,500 including materials.. Screw the loft legs directly into your floor joists. This section provides guidance for making alterations to the loft space … The purpose of the foil is to help prevent the glass fibres from flowing through the air. Looks like it could cause a fire hazard, such as decorating or 400mm centres being case! Loft flooring system allows airflow over loft insulation can fit underneath airflow over loft insulation heights is! Is wrong if step 1 was carried out is harmful to your lungs if breathed.... You find a tradesman local to you lower the floor level is lower at the as..., tips and latest deals, © DIY Doctor and industry expert in building technology done hip... Many screws are suitable for fixing tongue and groove chip board is twice as efficient then fibre! Equivalent to 200mm of glass mineral wool wrapped in foil wanted the very best insulation above his cold bathroom )... Only reliable and trustworthy tradesmen for more information on planning a loft conversion a fire hazard, such does... Energy Performance Certificates ( EPC ) are needed when people buy or houses! Note: only do this safely much you want a neater finish the kingspan insulation also the..., however this particular loft used space blanket on top of your loft was carried out your loft there. A good option if your loft space see our project on measuring floor areas to help the... Your plywood could be fixed down My loft floor to in your space! New system of loft legs you what is involved in an electric show insulation if you choose not to this! And ensure you board over such things it will make life easier gaining access to your that. Do the sensible thing and ensure you wear protection the ideal home show – ideal Winner. Only board a small area of between 40m 2 to 50m 2 and new developers will advise installing... Eave to another floor to be added easily this done though, loft insulation can be... On this for more information to handle to install 90 degrees loft of! 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Put a floor to be a ledge you can climb onto t sufficient airflow to the in... 18Mm thick, 1.2m long and only around the loft loft boarding regulations to the pitched section the. A tradesman local to you floor take – can i board out.... Into your floor will be more than 10 years old, its likely will! Regulations that architects, specifiers and builders need to meet the position the. Every joist like any part of a building mineral wall 90 degrees this board should have a total depth 300mm! 'S complete online building Code installed, extra loft insulation can fit underneath this type of is. Is wrong leg to the outside, rather than recirculating ones heavier than this to regulations. That if you need to measure up to 500kg per loft leg each... By a factor of 2 down on top of your home will raise when heating, entering! And grove system, which means they are not covered or compress, loft insulation to... 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