Bangs head on wall at dullness of life...Loft Insulation/melting snow..

[FishfingersAreOK]

So. Our newly renovated at fucking huge expense 1930s semi is the one on the street with the embarrassingly "snow-lite" roof. Both at the end of last week and this week's snow we have less snow/more meltage than most of the rest of the road. But it is only over the front of the house (south facing but not affected the rest of the street the same way)

It reminds me of those energy saving cartoons/promotional leaflets of the 1980s. We are the embarrassing house with clearly not enough insulation.

Builder says there is more than regulation amount of insulation up there - and it looks full up between the joists.

There is the odd gap over the bathroom spotlights - which I am guessing is for fire/H&S?
Some of the insulation is boarded (loose-laid) for storage of DH's obsessive book/crap hoarding.
We redid the roof over the summer (felt/batten/tiled).

What are we doing wrong? Do we just need more insulation? I want to cry.

[FishfingersAreOK]

Oh and are suffering from more condensation at the front over the bays. Tis the front which the snow is melting from. Is this all linked.

[MaybeAMayBaby]

I'm in a 1930s semi too. The house in our cul de sac that have more 'meltage' tend to be the one with newer tiles on the roof. They seem to emit more heat maybe? But if the builder has got the regs for the house, he must be right.
Our extension has jus one tiny square in the middle that has melted . They must have missed that part...

[Mum2Fergus]

Yyaawwnn...is that the time already!? Lol ah bless you Fish...oddly enough, Ive become a bit obsessed with roof coverage after a Phil (the dish!) Spencer programme the other week.

Ive recently bought an older house and Im keen to get in and start some energy saving...loft insulation looks ok, bought stuff to seal floorboards, window/door seals...lightbulbs lol I think you can get thermal imaging through the EST so might get a before and after...

[FishfingersAreOK]

We have so many variable that it "could" be - the gaps for the spots, the extractor ducting? The little shower mixer tanks. But it just feels like/screams not enough insulation! Building regs not signed off yet as still finishing off bits.

[PigletJohn]

holes to let the hot steam up from the bathrom.

You can get fire resistant smoke-hoods for that.

Extractor ducting should have insulation flopped over it to prevent condensation inside the duct.

[FishfingersAreOK]

Hoping you'd pop along Piglet. Also the ensuite shower extractor is ducted to a vent in the bay window/roof soffit..just in front of a trickle vent....will the be OK or will it cause humid water to be drawn back into the bedroom via the trickle and/or the attic via soffits?

[PigletJohn]

it isn't a very good place. However the steam will tend or rise or blow away from the trickle vent, given reasonable luck, and most of the time will not be blowing steam.

On a frosty day go and see how forcefully it is blowing. You can get some powerful ducted loft fans.

[FishfingersAreOK]

Thank you - DH says cheers too! Off to google spotlight hoods rocks slightly at another wowser exciting evening

[PigletJohn]

hoods

you can stick it to the ceiling and seal it with fire foam

[FishfingersAreOK]

Thank you - have been getting overwhelmed with choice about something sooo dull....had been veering towards this http://www.screwfix.com/p/halolite-downlight-insulation-guard-340mm/84802 but was thinking the holes would just offer space for steam to make insulation all soggy....so the ones you linked to - will stop steam getting up - will we able to put insulation on top too - or will this risk overheating the spots?

[ouryve]

The houses in our street with the snow melting off the roofs quicker than the rest are the shiny new lego houses at the top of the street. Most of the 1940s terraces are insulated so much the ceilings are in danger of falling in.

[FishfingersAreOK]

Working link www.screwfix.com/p/halolite-downlight-insulation-guard-340mm/84802

[PigletJohn]

that one is intemded to prevent mineral wool touching the downlighter, rather than intended to seal the hole.

Your downlighters (if you like that sort of thing) ought to be wired with heat-resistant insulation on the wires. If you can find energy-saving lamps to suit, then they will get far less hot.

[FishfingersAreOK]

So sealing the holes is my goal? Could I then insulate over the hoods you linked to?

[PigletJohn]

you can. Very few lamps are designed so that they will overheat and catch fires (those used in shop-window displays sometimes are, and emit heat from the back) but you ought to find the instructions for the lamps and see what they say.

If you can find energy-saving lamps to fit, they will get far less hot.

[FishfingersAreOK]

Cool. And one last question (I hope) please...is there any problem with sogginess if I do install the firehoods...ie the hoods getting soggy from the steam and goings manky, or condensation forming in the hoods and dripping down onto/through lights/back onto the ceiling? If these are issues would actually this mean the status quo is "better" ie a bit of steam in the loft but dissapted throughout..may have melted snow quicker than our neighbours but it is not actually due to "paid for heating" loss IYSWIM...a consequence of the lighting but not something to cause our heating bill to be higher?

[PigletJohn]

The hoods will be warm due to the lamps so will not get condensation. The bathroom extractor fan will suck the steam out through the wall instead of rising up into the loft.

[PigletJohn]

What are your "shower mixer tanks" and have they got lids and insulation like other loft tanks?

[FishfingersAreOK]

Ummmm... Showers are these www.aqualisa.co.uk/Our-products/Browse-showers-by-range/Visage-Digital/Gravity-exposed-with-adjustable-height-head/?area=2927 so have a little mixer tank about 12inches across in the loft - water from megaflor cylinder/cold water is pre-mixed in the tank so we do not get the hot/cold arghhhhs when my 4 yo son flushes the loo in the middle of someone's shower. No idea if insulated but hot water only passes through them when being mixed...not a tank in the sense of holding water...

[FishfingersAreOK]

Just been up to check. Tanks and extractor ducting all insulated to the nines - is just the 12 inch square gaps in the insulation around the spots then....

Did notice that one of the spots is covered (with gap) by a piece of plywood (loose board in random spots for storage) so will move that...steam rising+plywood am guessing is not a good long term mix....

So seal in the spots and we will be sorted?

[PigletJohn]

If you have a megaflo, there should be no tanks, and hardly any pipes, in the loft.

It sounds like you might have a remote-control Aqualisa with the mixer in the loft, I haven't seen one.

Preventing steam getting through the downlighter holes will make a big improvement to loft condensation. There might be some other holes in the ceilings for pipes or cables, especially over the bathroom. They will probably not be big. If you have an old loft hatch it might be a poor fit and warm air might rise through it. On a cold night go into the loft, shut the hatch, see if air is getting round it.

[FishfingersAreOK]

Brand new loft hatch with new ladder (wickes I think). We have got a couple of velux windows installed up there (did whilst doing the roof as will do a loft conversion at some point over the next few years) and there is a bit of condensation. Think the no-steam-in-attic is the way forward.

Thank you so, so much Piglet. This has been invaluable - and saved me hours of confusion/googling.

I shall no longer bang my head

Have and . And some for later if it is your tipple.