I'm just about to embark on sorting out my loft insulation and creating some storage space up there. My intention is to board up half the loft using a combination of Space Board and loft boards. The other half will be insulated using normal glass fibre insulation. I have a few questions regarding what I'm going to be doing which would be helpful if someone is able to give me their advice.

1. In order to create a platform that is suitable for walking on and storing boxes, do I need to have a layer of loft board on joists + 2 x layer of space boards + a layer of loft board? Space Insulation website says that you can't walk on Space Board which is why the first loft board layer is there. The 2nd loft board layer is used to spread the load of a person's foot print across the space board. Question is, do I definitely need the 1st layer or can the space board be rested immediately on top of the joists?

2. My roof joists are only 7 or 8cm high. They are currently filled with 10cm worth of insulation wool, will it cause a problem if I press this down a bit so that loft boards can be screwed to the joists? I know that pushing down on insulation reduces it's effectiveness and also introduces the risk that it will damage plaster board ceiling between the joists but is this going to cause an issue for 2 to 3 cm worth of compression?

3. The roof eaves are currently stuffed with loft insulation (from the previous owners). Shouldn't the eaves be kept clear so that it allows sufficient ventilation? Should I remove this insulation or keep it there?

Thanks for the help in advance.

Hi.

When boarding a loft, if you are just using it for walking and box storage.

Just use 18mm chipboard, thats rated for use as floorboards, this is all you will need to fit, only one layer.

Compressing the insualtion for the boards shouldn't be a problem, just leave a 6inch gap round the perimeter for ventilation.

I have never seen a loft with insulation in the eaves

I'd get that insulation out of the eaves - either re-use it, or stuff it into bin sacks in case you need it in the future.

I found a load of old doors in my loft, so used them as boarding. I put down 2x4 across the joists, and filled that entire space with insulation before nailing the doors on the top - even boards permeate heat/cold, so it's worth putting in as much insulation as you can (but a bit of compression is no problem - just don't squash it flat!). The recommended depth for insulation these days is 280mm (about 2 unsquashed layers of insulation) you don't have to abide by the recommendation, but I can tell you from experience that it's really good if you do.

Also, if you're buying new insulation, check out Earthwool (at homebase/b&q etc). It's super-cheap at the moment, and comes in about the same sizes as the pink fibre glass stuff. Earthwool is carbon zero, and doesn't make you itch either - so makes for a much more pleasant fitting experience(!)

Once you've got all the insulation up there, you'll find it gets pretty hot in summer - so be careful about what you store up there. More on that subject here: excessively-hot-loft-t28535.html