Room in the Roof
Insulate your roof to create a new habitable space
By your side with every step!
It is said that a quarter of the heat in your property escapes directly up through the roof of an uninsulated home. Insulating your loft or roof space should be one of the first measures you take care of when looking at how to improve the energy efficiency of your home.
A simple, yet very effective, way to save money on your heating bills and reduce heat loss.
What’s the difference between loft insulation and room in roof insulation?
In simple terms, loft insulation is visible and laid on the loft floor between the joists, room in roof insulation is out of view and is hidden behind floor boards and plaster board. RIRI is used when there is a desire to use the space for more than just storage as it can create a liveable environment.
A cold loft is for those who only use their loft space as storage and will, therefore only require standard loft insulation between the floor joists. This stops heat escaping up through your ceilings into your loft and through your roof – which can be a costly waste of energy and money!
A warm loft is when insulation is placed between the floor joists but also between and over the rafters. With this method the loft space will be much warmer and boards can be placed over the floor joists – however this is much more expensive than cold loft insulation.
The next level up from a warm loft is what we refer to as Room in Roof – this is when your loft space is used as a liveable part of the house already or you wish to convert it into one.
Room in roof is not suitable for all properties and in many cases it would be recommended you opt for the much simpler method of installing basic loft insulation.
However if you do have a liveable space in your roof, with the right insulation this could easily become an extra room in your home be that for an extra bedroom, home office, kids room or whatever else you choose to do up there.
For room in roof the floor, walls and rafters are all insulated but the roof and walls will have a layer of plaster board over the top which enables the room to have a finished and decorated look just like any other part of the house.
A cold loft is what the majority of us have – a space that is simply used for storage and not a room used by the occupants of the property. In this case standard loft insulation is sufficient which is applied directly above the ceiling between the joists on the floor of your loft space. Keeping as much heat as possible from escaping from the rooms below.
A variety of materials can be used including:
- Sheet Insulation
- Mineral Fibre or Rock Wool (known as blanket insulation)
- Loose fill insulation
- Blown fibre insulation
If you have a loft conversion or attic room then you can have this space insulated by also applying insulation to the roof and walls or roof rafters as they’re also called.
A retrofit method sees the application of thermal boards placed under existing plaster boards helping to trap heat inside your property.
This is a great way to maximise the space available in your home and in many cases can be used as an extra bedroom.
One of our advisors will be happy to talk you through the process depending on the individual circumstances and needs of your property.
In simple terms, loft insulation is visible and laid on the loft floor between the joists, room in roof insulation (RIRI) is out of view and is hidden behind floor boards and plaster board. RIRI is used when there is a desire to use the space for more than just storage as it can create a liveable environment.
There’s 3 main options for you to consider: Cold Loft Insulation, Warm Loft Insulation, Room In Roof Insulation For loft insulation the first thing to understand is what you need, is it a cold loft or a warm loft? What do we mean?
Creates an extra habitable space in your home.
Creates a cosy and warm feeling in your property.
Greatly reduces heat loss.
Reduces your energy bills.
