Insulation suggestions for a pitched roof?

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Morning all.

I have a 1920's terraced house and a roof insulation problem.
We spend a lot on heating and the upstairs is noticably colder than the downstairs. In the loft there is some insulation which needs topping up to modern standards and thats fine, but the real problem is the sloping/pitched roof that goes down further than I can reach.

I'm not a builder so I thought I'd try and explain best with a picture

Roof.gif


As you can see in the loft the top to middle part of the roof is accessible and I can move around freely to place insulation.
But further down the roof between the joists there is no insulation at all, and the reason for this is the access is very limited.

The width between the joists is 330mm, while the height of those sames joists is 100mm high at the most. The gap running down to the bottom of the roof is about 110-120mm high at the most and in this section there is no insulation at all.

My problem is with such small access and so far down to go I cannot think of a way of insulation this area. I tried buying some of that space blanket and pushing it down with a stick, but once you push it into the gap you cannot see any further down and it snags on everything making it impossible to push down with accuracy.
On top of that I can only find the 150mm version which quickly expands to fill the whole gap leaving no room for ventilation.

Can anyone suggest a better material or method for insulating this large area and making my home a bit more energy efficient during the winter, and cooler during the summer (It's like a furnace!)

Many thanks :)
 
Well two options spring to mind.
Firstly take down the plasterboard, fit rigid pu insulation between the joists, another layer across the underside of the joists, new plasterboard and skim.
Second option, apply rigid pu insulation to the underside of the ceiling, add new plasterboard, skim.
Option 2 might get a bit more complicated - you could end up basically building a whole sloping suspended ceiling.
Could you do with less head height?
Either way, it's quite a problem, and I don't think there's any easy fix.
 
No other options?

Perhaps it will have to wait until the day I get the roof redone. It would be very easy with no roof tiles in the way...
 
I have the same problem with our 1930's house, I am planning on removing some tiles and putting in some Celotex from the outside.
 
To meet current regs you are likely to need to have one layer of insulation between the rafters and one either on top or underneath. Otherwise you'll have cold strips on your ceiling which will attract condensation and black mould.
It wouldn't really be that easy to do from above - rain, wind, up & down scaffolding....pushing it down between the rafters and loosening the plasterboard.
You'll probably also need a vapour barrier - most likely on top of the plasterboard, depending on roof design.
 
It sounds a nightmare. However while I cannot afford it yet the roof needs replacing. It's the original slate tiles and beams from the 20's and they're in their last years now.

I might be able to get the roofing fitters to sort the insulation at the same time.
 
Yes, they'll probably bung it in for free (not).
OK, what about polystyrene beads, I'm sure they'd pour down the cavity really well.
Just sell the place before you get the roof done.....
 
Yes they will work as insulation. They use them for cavity filling, but add a sort of glue so they stick together, then pump/blow it into the cavity through holes.

Perhaps you could do the same thing from below, after blocking off the opening at the top.

Or perhaps only specialists can do it. And you'll still have cold strips on your ceiling that would need resolving at some point.
 
For the non-accessible part of the roof (the raked part), you will require 125mm of kingspan or celotex insulation with a 25mm air gap above the insulation.
 

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