Note: Only do this step if the old insulation has been damp due to water leakage. Or if the insulation looks like it could cause a fire hazard, such as having incredibly large amounts of dust collected on top. You can use loft boards to create a barrier in your attic to stop heat from escaping and you can add loft insulation at the same time to maximise the effect. Loft boards are fitted by laying and securing them to the existing boards on the attic joists. If they touch the insulation, they lose their effectiveness, so ensure they are fitted high enough.

LoftZone does what traditional loft boarding procedures can’t! Not enough for you? Ok, let us tell you why:

How much does it cost to board a loft?

The floor level can be raised by attaching counter battens to the top of the joists. And then laying the boards on top. This will allow enough space for insulation and airflow. The LoftZone StoreFloor system Graphic showing the LoftZone system

The down side to this is that boarding out a loft or attic floor is made more difficult with an increased depth of loft, or attic insulation. If you fix the floor boards to the existing joists there will not be room for the insulation, and if you squash the insulation you make it much less effective. Regulations for Loft Conversion and Boarding Lofts And finally, asbestos-containing materials could be present in your loft if your home was built before the year 2000. If you suspect there is then don’t take the risk, talk to us about how to safely remove those materials. Decide whether or not the whole loft needs to be boarded. Many people only board a small area of the loft to keep costs low. Also the amount of boarding should depend on how much you want to store. Insulation requirements for homes have increased dramatically over the years. Most older homes have insulation between the joists only, usually 100mm high. Loft boards were simply laid on top of the joists then screwed in. Current insulation requirements recommended by the Energy Saving Trust are 270mm. This figure is based on glass fibre wool insulation. Most ceiling rafters are set at 600mm centres, or 400mm centres. (This simply means that measurements are taken from the centre of one rafter to the centre of the next one). The StoreFloor loft flooring system is designed to fit into these standard measurement perameters.We recommend 4.0 x 30mm screwsapproximately 70-100 screws per box of loft legs will be required (4 per leg base plus 2-4 to secure board to the leg Do you have water or gas pipes in your loft? If so then ensure you board around them to ensure easy access. If a water pipe bursts the last thing you want is to be ripping up your loft boards. This also applies to important electrical connection, such as light fittings and junction boxes. Down Lights (Recessed Lights)

For a warm loft, you also need insulating material on the underside of the roof. This is another type of job that we do regularly and when it’s covered with boarding can create a nice clean finish. Does boarding the loft help insulation? The system is compatible with any insulating material including Batt or blanket insulation, blown-fibre and loose-fill loft insulation. It is worth noting that if you squash down, or compress, loft insulation it reduces the effectiveness of the insulation material. Badly installed loft boards can increase your monthly bill, so it’s important to get them right the first time. Benefits of boarding your loftWe also try to advise that a 2” (50 mm) upstand is attached around these exposed edges. This will stop any small boxes or items from being pushed off the new loft floor boarding and onto the ceiling below. Although most loft boarding jobs are relatively straightforward, there are a few additional costs to consider. These include:

The more insulated your house is, the colder your loft will be. This is because the insulation is slowing down the heat trying to escape your house. A colder loft does also means warm moist air can condensate within the loft. It allows you to maintain the full height of your insulation (to Government guidelines of 270mm without impairment)… with no squashing (which is a massive no-no)!If you are only using it for lightweight storage I would go with the plastic legs. There are attic boards designed to be used with these legs (and get into the loft) which makes it quite simple but be prepared to make a few cuts around the rafters. If you potentially want to save some money places like B&Q will cut up a large sheet the boards for you but the savings and convenience over the little boards probably work out the same. In any loft, old or new, you will find the electrical cables feeding the lighting for the rooms below travelling across the top of the joists. Many times in the past, we’ve witnessed people cutting into the ceiling joists to lower the cables and allow for boarding to be fixed on top. Many lofts are already used for storage, so you might not see the point of loft boarding your loft. However, lofts tend to be unsuitably designed to get the most out of them. Storing items in your loft can be a difficult and hazardous task. Usually whilst you’re standing on the ladder and trying to move items around! Boarding your loft will not only provide you with extra space. If you also get a purpose-built loft ladder installed, getting the items up there will also be much easier (and safer) too. Awesome, right? After all, you’ll be able to go into the loft itself, and not have to perch precariously on a ladder! I do need the loft for storage and want to know how to board above the new insulation without putting new joists/joist hangers in across the walls. I know new joists would be the 'proper way', but it does seem extreme when most of the year the loft will be closed shut. It'll only be used for storing things anyone could carry up the ladder and for heavier stuff I put that across the load-bearing wall in the middle to take the weight.