A quarter of a home's heat escapes through an uninsulated roof, and the loft hatch is often the weakest point of all: a thin board in a cold ceiling with a draught whistling round it. Both are among the cheapest jobs you can do.
Check what you have
Pop your head into the loft and look at the depth of the existing insulation. The current recommendation is around 270 millimetres, and many older homes have half that or less, flattened down over the years.
Topping it up
Laying a second layer over the first is straightforward, but a few rules keep it safe and effective.
- Lay the new roll at right angles across the old to cover the joists.
- Never cover downlighter fittings or block the eaves ventilation.
- Wear a mask, gloves and long sleeves; the fibres itch.
The hatch itself
Cut a piece of insulation board to fit the back of the hatch and glue it on, then run draught-proofing strip around the frame so it seals when shut. A simple hook-and-eye or two latches pull it down tight against the seal.
Mind the tank and the boards
Do not insulate underneath a cold water tank, as it needs a little warmth from below to stop it freezing. If you store things up there, raised loft boards on stilts keep the insulation at full depth underneath. It is a morning's work that quietly pays for itself.