I have read through the many discussions about the loft insulation and not really finding a definitive answer to my specific case. So I hope somebody on here can advise on the best thing to do.
Background: Renovating a 1930's semi - damp problems, but all sorted. Insulating loft is next job - minimal, old insulation present, need to retain boarded for storage. Roof is new and loft is nice and dry. Cavity walls, but not insulated since deemed not suitable by installers - probably a good thing.
1. In loft there is a disused brick chimney flue (on external wall) in the loft which is not covered. There are no longer any fireplaces feeding into this. Can I just cover this with a board, with a view to lowering heat loss - or is this a bad idea for ventilation reasons ?
2. As the cavity walls not being filled, is it worth putting cavity socks in the cavity opening in the loft - again to lower heat loss ? Or again is it a bad idea for ventilation reasons ? Or is the view that it won't help with heat loss ?
3. Ideally I don't want the extra hassle of having to raise joists to get 270mm clearance under loft boards (joists are 100mm, but have centres that vary between 300mm and 400mm) - I might just insulate to the 100mm depth with standard insulation and accept it isn't as good. I guess the boards themselves will contribute somewhat to lowering the U-value ? Maybe using thin foil insulation as well would help ? If anybody has some suggestions on best option (cost vs benefit) to get a lower U value.
Thanks for your thoughts in advance,
Andy
Background: Renovating a 1930's semi - damp problems, but all sorted. Insulating loft is next job - minimal, old insulation present, need to retain boarded for storage. Roof is new and loft is nice and dry. Cavity walls, but not insulated since deemed not suitable by installers - probably a good thing.
1. In loft there is a disused brick chimney flue (on external wall) in the loft which is not covered. There are no longer any fireplaces feeding into this. Can I just cover this with a board, with a view to lowering heat loss - or is this a bad idea for ventilation reasons ?
2. As the cavity walls not being filled, is it worth putting cavity socks in the cavity opening in the loft - again to lower heat loss ? Or again is it a bad idea for ventilation reasons ? Or is the view that it won't help with heat loss ?
3. Ideally I don't want the extra hassle of having to raise joists to get 270mm clearance under loft boards (joists are 100mm, but have centres that vary between 300mm and 400mm) - I might just insulate to the 100mm depth with standard insulation and accept it isn't as good. I guess the boards themselves will contribute somewhat to lowering the U-value ? Maybe using thin foil insulation as well would help ? If anybody has some suggestions on best option (cost vs benefit) to get a lower U value.
Thanks for your thoughts in advance,
Andy
