Loft insulation advice

[IWasThere4Aug12]

DH is planing to insulate the loft in the house we've recently bought-anyone got any advice?

Yeah.
Unless your husband is a builder I'd get someone else to do it.
Sorry but that's my honest tip

We got a grant for ours, it wasn't means tested. Our builder friend wouldn't do it as its a horrible dirty itchy job. There's likely a current government scheme to provide grants

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Yes wear a mask and gloves for gardening, clean the loft first, make sure any cables for any electric shower are clipped away from insulation (lights are fine)
Seal any gaps or holes in the ceiling, this is important to stop air and vapour leakage and condensation.
Then get the fibre glass insulation, most are soft touch coated with something to stop them being as itchy, but do check.
Use a craft knife to cut the width between the joists, you'll need a piece of scrap wood behind where you're cutting. Then push it in the gap. This layer should be the same thickness as the joists so 100mm will be about right.
Then do the same on top, you'll either need 170mm or you can just use another 2 layers of the 100mm
If you want to use storage with better head room, you can get 75mm celotex or kingspan boards at greater cost. Lay these on top of the joists and then you can board on top of that with chipboard or plywood at your choice.

use the mineral roll between joists and stuffed into gaps, a brand treated with Ecose that prevents it shedding irritant dust and fibres.

It is made by Knauf, but sold under various own-brands as well. "Ecose" will be printed on the wrapper. It is brown, not yellow.

Big wallpaper scissors will trim it, or a fine saw before you open the roll wrapper. It will stuff into gaps, so it's OK to cut it slightly oversize. Don't unwrap it until it is in the loft, and take up some boards to stand and work on.

I agree with John about the rigid board on top of the joists, that you can put ply or chipboard onto. Use long screws.

You need a ventilation gap through the eaves, so cut it short enough that you can still see daylight. It can still cover the plaster ceilings, and usually overlap onto the wall.

Cables can be underneath the insulation and touching the ceiling, or on top of it exposed to air, but must not be buried in insulation all round.

If your loft is dirty, hoover it first with a builders' canister vac (not your household cleaner).

Actually we are about to tackle this too. But I did buy some sheeps wool insulation for another part of the loft and the builder said it was a dream to work with in terms of dust etc. It's more expensive mind.

It's a fairly unskilled job, I don't think you would need a builder if you are using the rolls of insulation. It is dusty and unpleasant though - as others have said, long sleeves, gloves and a dust mask. If your using the rigid stuff, be warned, it smells really nasty when it's initially cut.

Thanks all x