A US Army survival guide from 1970 strongly advised that you should cover your head when it is cold, because between 40 to 45% of your body heat will be lost via the head. This led to an increase in hat wearing at the time. Whether or not this is fact is something still debated today, one thing that is definitely true is that an awful lot of heat is lost through the head of your home. Heat will always flow from a warm space to a cold space, and that is a very good reason why insulating your attic is as important as getting good household insurance. Good insulation will keep the heated air in your home, instead of being wasted by escaping through the roof.
A house loses about 25% of its heat through the roof so it makes sense to make loft insulation top of your list of jobs to do; it will not just save you money, but also energy. It really is an easy job and remember you should aim for at least a 270mm thickness between the joists as this will improve the lagging efficiency. If your existing insulation is less than 270mm then it is very easy to top it up.
Remember to check the attic for any signs of woodworm, rot or even faulty wiring. Check that the attic has plenty of ventilation as well. It is desirable to have a clear floor space to do this job, so if possible remove as much of the stored items as practical or even move them all to one side of the attic, leaving enough space to start the job. Also remember to walk on the joists otherwise your weight will take you straight through the ceiling board.
Insulation is available in units named Blanket Packs, these are compressed and will expand when unwrapped. Because of this it is always best to bring them up to the attic before opening them. Wear a pair of gloves and a face mask as insulating can be a messy job and the insulation could irritate your throat and your skin. Always start at one end of the loft against the wall. (Sentence removed as it wasn’t in context) You should find that the rolls of loft insulation are normally standard so that they fit the space between the joists and really the only thing you have to remember is to make sure that any wiring running along the joists must never be covered by the insulation. A good way to think about the job is that it is very similar to laying turf in the garden. Butt the ends of each roll of insulation to each other and then carry on with the next blanket pack, working your way across the loft making sure that you do not block any ventilation from the eaves of the attic. If your cold water tank is at ceiling level, you must never lay any insulation underneath it, as warmth from below will help keep the water from freezing if it gets really cold.
All that remains to be done is to fit an off-cut of the insulation to the attic hatch. Measure the size needed and then secure it to the hatch itself and that’s the job completed and cheaper bills and less energy use will be the order of the day.