How much of your loft did you board?

[SpidersAreShitheads]

Hi all,

We're getting a ton of work done on the house we're moving into and so we've decided to get the loft boarded as the first job. It was something we wanted to be done anyway, and we can use the space to stash stuff while all the work is going on.

It's just boarding not a conversion but when the building work is finished, DP wants to set up his model train set up there for him and DC to enjoy. We'll get a light put up there. There will also be some storage needed for Christmas decs and a few bits and pieces.

Loft is a decent size - 26ft x 18ft approx.

Our builder suggested quoting for boarding over two-thirds of the loft. He said that boarding to the edges is a waste and no one does it. I've never heard of this - I always assumed the full loft space was boarded. DP thinks the full loft should be boarded. Builder is happy to do whatever we want but thinks it's a waste of money doing the full loft. He's approximating two-thirds as the usable section of the loft.

If you had your loft boarded, how much did you board? All of it or just up to the bit where the eaves start to significantly reduce the head height?

I'd be very grateful for some advice here!

I’d be inclined to do it all.
I get that it would be cheaper not to, but it would be cleaner with no rockwool fibres getting onto your stuff, easier to sweep, less dust, and extra layer for heat etc.if they are carting the boards and tools up there anyway they may as well do the whole lot rather than just 2/3.

Isn’t there some kind of ventilation issue if you board over the entire area though?

We’ve probably got a 6” gap in the eaves, the gable ends are boarded up to the wall.

I would do the lot because :

a) It will trap all the insulation and dust.

b) You may not want to walk under the eves, but that area is great for storage, especially if you are having a big train set in the middle.

c) It will be cheaper and easier to do it now rather than in the future.

Also, consider what your current loft insulation level is at and whether it is at maximum. This can make your house warmer/lower your energy bills and is realtively cheap to do, but to get the maximum insulation you often need it to come above the level of the joists. For this, the boards are installed on stilts that give extra insulation room beneath the boards.

We had ours done last year and were advised to only do half of it by the builder. I found this really odd but we went along with it. It's now full and he's going to have to come back and do the other half 🤦‍♀️

I really don't understand why this is the advice unless it is something to do with ventilation etc as per pp, it just seems ridiculous to only do half a job?!

We had the usable space boarded and left about 6’ under the eaves with just woolly insulation.

you need to be careful about condensation. I think the not boarding fully is part of that, but also add some ventilation in the roof itself.

We boarded most of our loft but not all of it - I'd say 20% of it is not boarded (the sharp corners of eaves, iykwim). We consulted several builders, surveyors and loft companies and the consensus was that, at least for Victorian properties, there has to be a bit left without boarding to allow for ventilation. Otherwise you might start getting damp/rot between your top floor ceiling and the loft boarding.

IF you look on the outside of a modern house you can normally see rows of vents facing downwards as the roof extends above the upstairs windows that allow air to circulate into the loft. It's these things you don't want to block up, but it is only the very last bit of the loft (the corners where it meets the wall) that actually has them. I don't know where they are/how it works in an older house.

It's a question of diminishing returns really, as the most usable area is in the middle. It's ultimately up to you though as you're the customer!

You likely can't butt right up to the edge (no gap at all) as you'll block ventilation, and it would be a waste of money anyway. But only boarding 2/3s will leave a fair bit of usable space unboarded.