How To Keep Your Loft Warm This Winter

Did you know that 25% of your home’s heat is lost through the roof if your home is not insulated? That’s a significant amount, especially at a time when we are all more than aware of the rapidly rising cost of heating. 

The good news is that there are many different ways to keep a loft warm this winter, from general insulation all the way to utilisation of the space that leaves you not only with more insulation, but a converted and usable space, too. Let’s take a closer look…

Loft Insulation: Taking Action For A Toasty Loft

Loft insulation is something that is not able to be done right away if a loft has issues with dampness and condensation. Damp and condensation will only get worse with loft insulation as the way it is done means it traps the heat into the living spaces below but keeps the loft cool, which will only make damp and condensation worse. 

Once the damp and condensation has been sorted out, insulation can be placed between the joists, to cover the joists and across the space to fully insulate it. This can potentially take up to £600 off your energy bills every year or more, and many energy firms offer it for free if you own your own home and meet certain criteria. In some cases, you can also get the funded insulation through these schemes if you rent from a private landlord and they agree to have the work done. 

Loft Conversions: A Toastier Loft Plus Extra Benefits…

Some savvy homeowners are opting to skip general loft insulation alone, and instead, are choosing to enjoy a warmer loft with some pretty extensive benefits. How? By choosing a loft conversion, rather than just loft insulation. 

Loft conversions have to meet a heap of different regulations to ensure that they are insulated up to standard, far beyond standard loft insulation. In England, the energy efficiency of the loft has to be a U-value of 0.15W/m2K, and with the design planning of the conversion, different measures will be planned to ensure it meets those standards. 

Insulation will be considered in relation to the living space that you have in the loft. Efficient, thinner insulation is used in some places so the headroom is not too decreased by the materials. There are also some environmentally friendly materials that can be chosen if you want to maintain eco-kudos in your build. 

Additionally, windows will be thermally efficient, and the floor will be insulated for energy efficiency and to add extra support for weight bearing, and for noise reduction. The walls will also require insulation, and further measures will be taken to ensure that the entire conversion meets fire safety regulations. 

Of course, the insulation is not the only reason that many people choose to get a loft extension. It’s more a case of – the loft needing insulation, so why not make the most of the disruption and the work, and transform the empty space into a usable space with all kinds of benefits? Loft conversions are a major investment but one that is incredibly impactful in the functional and financial returns that it brings, including the following:

Space To Use

During Covid-19 around half of us worked from home, and now things have returned to normal, many businesses have embraced hybrid working, with 24% now enabling workers to work from home some of the time, and in the office the rest of the time. If you’re a home worker some, or all of the time how handy would a stunning, light-flooded space be to have as a home office? 

Or, are you adding to your family and an extra bedroom would be more than useful? Loft rooms can also be used as a guest bedroom, art studio, nursery and games room – the possibilities are endless. 

Space To Rent

When you rent out a loft space on Airbnb you can make anything from £50 a night or more. You can also rent the space out as a spare room (regulations permitting) on a long-term basis at £700 a month or more in London. It’s not an amount to sniff at, especially when the cost of living is so high. 

Self-Contained Luxury

Whether it’s used by a teenage member of the family who wants some independence and privacy, as a luxury guest suite, or as a fully kitted-out rental, you can make your loft conversion completely self-contained. An ensuite is possible for many loft conversions of different sizes, and in some cases, you can add kitchenettes, multiple rooms and even balcony space. 

Added Value

An extra bedroom adds value to a home, especially in an area in particularly high demand, like London where an extra room can add £23K onto the overall value of your home. This is particularly handy if you don’t have a garden, as is the case with 1 in 5 London homes and 1 in 8 homes in the UK. Interestingly, if you do have a garden, you could find preserving it and having a loft conversion to create space (instead of an extension) actively boosts the value of your home twice. The garden is so much more of a valued asset since we all went through the covid-19 pandemic. These days buyers would be willing to pay 5% more for a house with a garden space, and over 50% of house buyers would seek out a house with outdoor space if they were moving from a property without a garden.