Loft insulation removal and replacement in Carlisle

The job

A homeowner in Carlisle had damp taking hold in the roof space. Part of the loft had very little insulation left, and what was there had been water damaged, so it was holding moisture rather than keeping the heat in. The eaves had also been blocked up by cavity wall insulation, which left the loft with very little ventilation to help it dry out. The old insulation needed lifting out completely so the damp underneath could be dealt with and the loft brought back up to standard.

What we did

We recommended a full extraction rather than topping up over the top, because leaving damp, water damaged material in place would only trap the moisture and let the same problems carry on underneath. Every bit of the old insulation was lifted, bagged and taken away for disposal, which also gave the other trades a clear roof space to work in. Once the loft was clear and that work was finished, we returned to supply and fit a full 300mm thickness of Superglass loft insulation, laid across the whole roof space rather than just the easy areas.

Challenges

The eaves were blocked with cavity wall insulation, which stops air moving through the roof space and makes any damp problem harder to shift. We cleared the blocked eaves as part of the job so the loft could ventilate properly once the new insulation was down.

The result

The loft now has a full 300mm depth of insulation, clear eaves and much better ventilation, with the damp that was sitting under the old material dealt with rather than covered over. The work took two days on site. The customer was very pleased with the outcome and could notice the difference within the next few days.