Damp Loft

[heatcall]

Hi
I have a 1960's bungalow with non breathable felt, but very good eaves ventilation, Just had Dyson Insulation do all the loft over summer for free with Scottish power.

OK, loft is very wet on underside of felt and trusses are damp, they have been back and put those expanding felt things in the felt, but that has made no difference.

After complaining again, all they say they will do is take out the insulation !!!

What do you think, is it their fault or mine. I know the problem, it needs a lot more ventilation, but who is responsible ??

mike

 

[Burnerman]

In theory, you can put as much insulation you like onto the loft floor.......assuming that the eaves and soffits are completely clear. Have you checked they are?
John

 

[heatcall]

Yes John, both long eaves have had new soffits and fascias with plenty of ventilation and they are not blocked.

Been told best solution is to fit ridge tile vents every couple of meters. What i'd like to know is who's fault is it ??

The loft was OK before they did the insulation.

 

[KenGMac]

heatcall, hi.

This entire rush to Insulate, insulate, insulate has caused me some concern for a while now, it appears to be IMO UN-Regulated? in that the canvasing is done by a group of people who respond to multiple adverts that run something like, Wanted, insulation Surveyors, NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! ? These people then are unleashed to try to get the owners of houses to agree to have cavity wall, or loft insulation installed, and by the way the new kid on the block is under-floor insulation.

I despair of the Installation teams who fit the loft insulation, I have seen a load of lofts where the insulation has been rammed hard into the eaves and thus blocking the ventilation.

The Industry is funded by us all when we pay our utility bills a portion is syphoned off into this IMO UN-regulated system then hey Presto the home owner gets so called free insulation? as an aside I do not and cannot benefit because I have a Georgian property, a ground floor flat with no roof that can be insulated and solid masonry walls.

Now we get to the problem, who is responsible for interstitial condensation occurring in your loft space?

1/. The Installer has a duty of care to ensure that whatever work he undertakes in your property is fit for purpose, the installer should be a competent person / contractor who should have conformed to whatever specifications the utility provider specified? Including an appraisal of Condensation occurring?

2/. The utility provider who is in effect funding this industry also has a duty of care to ensure that his Contractor is providing a fully competent service to you, more especially that the installation does not in the short term or long term damage your property

If I were you I would be sending e mails of complaint to the CEO of both the installer and the Utility provider.

Ken

 

[heatcall]

Thank you Ken, I agree entirely with your post. You know what it is like though, Scottish Power don't want to know, and all Dyson Insulation will do is take it all out !!!
I'm then left with a cold bungalow.

 

[Burnerman]

Are you absolutely certain there's no leak or failure of any extraction fans (bathroom, cooking) that could be allowing moisture into your loft?
If the eaves are clear as you say, the loft should be draughty anyway.......is it?
John

 

[heatcall]

My House is a rectangular bungalow, so above every room is the loft. It is a standard trussed roof with long eaves either side. There is loads of easves ventilation, you can feel it, and nothing extracting in there.

Still, underside of felt and trusses are wet, even when I can feel the draught.

I have been told I need Ridge vents every 2 metres to 'suck out' the moist air that gathers higher up.

This all sounds reasonable, however should it be me that pays for this, as I did not have this problem before the insulation was fitted.

Dyson insulation will only take the insulation out !!

 

[geraldthehamster]

The loft will now be colder, so if warm moist air can rise into it, it is more likely to condense on cold surfaces in cold weather.

Your two approaches to this are to ensure adequate ventilation (which you seem to have done), and try to prevent moist air rising into the loft. The latter can be accomplished with a vapour control barrier under the insulation (is there one?), and by blocking up any obvious gaps through which air could rise. I'm assuming there's nothing daft like a bathroom extractor venting directly into the loft space.

You may get some condensation in cold weather, but providing the ventilation is good, that may not be a cause for worry.

Cheer
Richard

 

[heatcall]

House was built in 1965, ceiling in loft is foil backed plasterboard. It would just be a nightmare if I had to take up all the insulation and put a vapour barrier below, surely the foil backed pb holds some back.

If I put a vapour barrier down would not he moisture gather on the underside of that and maybe give me a wet ceiling ??

There are no vents from below.

 

[JohnD]

//www.diynot.com/forums/floors-stairs-lofts/condensation-in-loft-answers.160032/

well, the water must be coming from somewhere.

roof leaks? water pipes? water tanks? Gaps in ceiling round lights or pipes? Gappy loft hatch?

Does your bathroom extractor fan work?

Do you get condensation on any of the windows? Is wet washing draped around, or over radiators?

The insulation installers have made a very fair offer. You say there was no prob before they put in the insulation, so they've offered to take it away. They are not responsible for finding and rectifying the source of the moisture in your home, and they make little profit out of insulating a loft.