Insulating roof (internal) - very old house

[DoingItOnesSelf]

I’m renovating an Old coach house to live in the for next 4-6 years before letting it out.

The house is upside down and the livingroom upstairs is absolutely freezing. The roof is made up of (from what I can tell) slate, membrane, a very thin (3-4 inches) layer of some kind of rockwool then plaster boarded.

I was told to potentially just screw in insulated plasterboard (as thick as I can get) on top of the plasterboard as a fix rather than redoing the entire roof (which I can’t afford / don’t want to spend the money on). The roof has so many difficult angles and the beams are bowed slightly in places so cutting boards for this as a novice is extremely daunting.

My questions are:
1. What is my best option here so insulate this ice box?
2. If I want to rent this house out in the future, do I have to adhere to the 270mm thick insulation regulation? If so, it will completely cover these beams and make the room feel much smaller.

Many thanks for any help and advice in advance.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I'm gonna hazard the walls are solid and uninsulated?

 

[DoingItOnesSelf]

Correct! Running theme throughout the house. Stone walls and next to no insulation anywhere.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Suspect you're on a hiding to nowhere, cold and pretty house and pay the price for it or go all out .....

 

[DoingItOnesSelf]

You wouldn’t attempt to insulate on top of the plasterboards?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Well you could and it might achieve a token gesture but with nothing on the walls it won't achieve much will it?

 

[DoingItOnesSelf]

I’m not entirely sure to be honest wether insulating the roof is enough. I’m certainly open to advice and would consider insulating all of the walls, but again my question is, if i want to rent this house out later on, does the amount of insulation used need to comply with regs? If so, that’s going to eat into the floor space way too much and probably box in all the windows too much.

The end wall where the fireplace is will be stripped back to brick and plenty of dot&dab insulation stuck on there + a wood burner.

The wall with the windows and doors might be complex to board up and maybe not worth the hassle given half of it is glass anyway.

The wall opposite the wall with windows and doors is only about a meter high.

Would insulating the roof and walls be 1. doable and 2. Effective enough to actually spend the money (this will be beyond my DIY capabilities)

 

[RandomGrinch]

Well you could and it might achieve a token gesture but with nothing on the walls it won't achieve much will it?

I don't often argue with Freddie, but I disagree with this - if it were true, I wouldn't have bothered insulating my loft!
Walls have high thermal mass, even more so when solid - roof structures tend not to.
Even so - looking at the photos of the upper floor, it is nearly all roof and no walls.
It is well worth trying to get insulation in, below the plasterboard - it will also help make a big difference when summer comes and the room turns into an oven.
If you can afford to insulate the walls, all the better, but having lived in a top floor flat with ceilings like yours - spending money on the ceilings, should be worth it.

 

[DoingItOnesSelf]

Great - That’s reassuring to hear. Thank you.

Is it just a case of insulated boarding between the beams as tight as you can get given they are bowed and then fill any gaps with expanding foam then tape and joint everywhere? (Appreciating this is not the “best” option, I’m looking for most effective option on a budget that I can do myself).

Also, does anyone know if I did the above, would it be against regs? And would this stop me from renting the property in the future?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[cdbe]

To rent out you did/then didn't/but probably will in the future, need an EPC of C or above. If you bought recently you should have an EPC, if not it's worth getting one (+-£100) - it will tell you what it is now and it's potential with various options to achieve it.

If you haven't already, replace all the lightbulbs with LEDs - easy brownie points. You'll probably get away with solid walls but not the roof. You'll need to get a certificate from building control as the EPC assessor probably won't accept "I've done this mate, honestly"! Unfortunately this may require a higher standard, ie thicker, than the EPC.

Make sure you don't get an idiot assessor who tells you to put 300mm of mineral wool in the roof.

 

[JohnD]

If you are willing to cover up the old plaster so it can't be seen, pull it all off and insulate like any loft conversion.

Rigid foam slabs between the rafters are usual. If yours are wavy you will have a lot of tiresome cutting and trimming. Mineral wool is easier to press into an irregular shape, but would yave to be twice as thick ti achieve the same indilsion.

If you can live without the exposed beams you can fix more insulation and plasterboard over (under) them.

 

[DoingItOnesSelf]

To rent out you did/then didn't/but probably will in the future, need an EPC of C or above. If you bought recently you should have an EPC, if not it's worth getting one (+-£100) - it will tell you what it is now and it's potential with various options to achieve it.

If you haven't already, replace all the lightbulbs with LEDs - easy brownie points. You'll probably get away with solid walls but not the roof. You'll need to get a certificate from building control as the EPC assessor probably won't accept "I've done this mate, honestly"! Unfortunately this may require a higher standard, ie thicker, than the EPC.

Make sure you don't get an idiot assessor who tells you to put 300mm of mineral wool in the roof.

Thank you mate. The place has an E rating with a C as achievable. Very helpful!

 

[DoingItOnesSelf]

If you are willing to cover up the old plaster so it can't be seen, pull it all off and insulate like any loft conversion.

Rigid foam slabs between the rafters are usual. If yours are wavy you will have a lot of tiresome cutting and trimming. Mineral wool is easier to press into an irregular shape, but would yave to be twice as thick ti achieve the same indilsion.

If you can live without the exposed beams you can fix more insulation and plasterboard over (under) them.

Thanks John. I think this might be the only way forward if I am to get a thick enough insulation to be effective and not hide the beams - I will need all the space/depth I can get. I was hoping to avoid this as naturally ripping it all back can cause or expose more issues / cost more money..

 

[DoingItOnesSelf]

Can anyone help me translate Building Regs for a project like this. Are they intentionally vague and broad in every description?
I just want to know if I have to adhere to the 270mm insulation is I was to do this? Do those regs apply to new builds only or old buildings that are being altered too?

Their definition of “Alterations” is so in distinct;

• Total or partial change of use.
• Extension.
• Partial demolition.
• Linking or separating spaces.
• Making or closing openings.
• Retrofitting a new a component or feature.
• Refurbishing an existing a component or feature.
• Renovating an existing component or feature.
• Repairing an existing component or feature.
• Maintenance.
• Decoration.

Sorry for all the Q’s..

 

[Notch7]

Can anyone help me translate Building Regs for a project like this. Are they intentionally vague and broad in every description?
I just want to know if I have to adhere to the 270mm insulation is I was to do this? Do those regs apply to new builds only or old buildings that are being altered too?

Their definition of “Alterations” is so in distinct;

• Total or partial change of use.
• Extension.
• Partial demolition.
• Linking or separating spaces.
• Making or closing openings.
• Retrofitting a new a component or feature.
• Refurbishing an existing a component or feature.
• Renovating an existing component or feature.
• Repairing an existing component or feature.
• Maintenance.
• Decoration.

Sorry for all the Q’s..

Is the coach house a listed building?