How easy/practical is it to insulate between roof beams and cover with fabric?

[KatyMac]

We are having the loft boarded _ I wondered if I could get rolls of insulation and sort of staple it in place (staple gun) using some sort of tape and then cover with sheets?

Or is there a better/easier way of doing it?

Celotex might be better, as long as the joists are reasonably uncluttered. Cut to fit with a saw (easy as it’s like polystyrene) slot in place and hold up with nails sideways into the joists.

Would I need to put membrane/linings in at all?

Sorry I know very little about this

No not as far as I know, is it inside a house or in a garage or something?

It's just the house attic

We have the proper insulation under the floor and are boarding it for storage

But I wondered if I could insulate the roof and use it as an occasional workroom

It would look cleaner and I could pretend there were less spiders

Aah I see so the insulation would be more or less against the roof felt? You’re probably gonna need someone with more knowledge than me then. Celotex is designed exactly for this sort of thing though and I would imagine that, plus maybe osb/ply on the inside of the joists will be better performing than just stuff on a roll with cloth. But you’ll need advice on airflow/moisture buildup. Hth.

You could do use insulation on a roll, when my husband used some he kept it in place (while we were waiting for the plaster board) with tape held on with a staple gun, so your idea of fabric would work, but celotex is really easy and would give a cleaner more 'solid' finish.

Thanks both of you

I think I still need more advise wrt linings/membranes

I need to compare the cost implications of insulation on a roll compared to celotex

What do you hope to use the loft for?

lofts are supposed to be cold anddraughty; insulated from the house, and with plenty of fresh air to prevent condensation.

here is an example of rolls.

It is quite a lot of work, and dusty, to cut foam slabs to a perfect fit between the rafters Any trapped damp will lead to rot.

I am less worried about the temperature and more about cleanliness

I hate the dripping cobwebs

But the idea of a clean smooth(ish) surface appeals

I'd be storing clothing/fabric and maybe having a cutting table

I just assumed that at some point they would expect me to put more insulation and if I've already put some in it might be better

The work to move the insulated layer from loft floor to rafter level is not totally simple and would actually require building regs approval. As mentioned by the illustrious piglet John the loft is supposed to be well ventilated to keep the timbers in good condition, so detailing is crucial if you're changing that.
Having said all that you'd basically need to ensure there's a breathable membrane between the rafters and tiles, then you could insulate with either celotex or fibreglass, keeping a small gap between the insulation and membrane. You'd need just under 150mm or so of celotex in total, or just under 300mm thickness of wool.
You would need to join it as best as possible to the insulation in the walls to make sure the envelope is continuous. And you would really need a radiator or two up there as the moist air will rise so if it's generally unheated and unventilated it would get condensation and mould.
You would need to staple a plastic membrane on the inside to prevent humidity from the warm room getting through to the cold side and condensing on the rafters. Then you could plasterboard or add fabric.

So it's not a job for me - way too complicated!!

Thank you all so much

Just for cleanliness, I suppose you could staple white breathable roofers membrane to the rafters. If you ever have your roof replaced they will use it instead of black felt, under the tiles. It is rotproof.

I suppose you could soft-brush or Hoover the cobwebs off.

Yes DH has promised to hoover it all for me once the floor/staircase is in!!

Maybe I could put net wire up and make actual curtains? It's not like I'm short of fabric!

revisiting this as I have a bit of money now

How expensive would this be to have someone in to do?