We fit roof and loft insulation across Looe both as part of roofing work and as a job in its own right. Doing it at the same time as a re-roof or a new flat roof saves you a second lot of labour and, more importantly, lets us build in the airflow details that keep the roof dry. Many lofts in Looe, PL13 have been insulated badly: eaves blocked, no ventilation, and damp timbers and black mould as a result. We fix those as often as we insulate from scratch.
Why roof insulation matters in Looe
Heat rises, and in most of the older houses in Looe there's very little between the bedroom ceiling and the sky. A loft with 100 mm of old insulation, which is what we find in a lot of 1970s and 80s houses in Looe, PL13, is losing far more heat than one with the current recommendation of 270 mm. Flat roofs on extensions built before the 2000s often have no insulation at all. Topping up to modern standards cuts heating bills noticeably, makes the upstairs rooms more comfortable, and makes the house easier to sell with a better EPC rating.
Types of roof insulation we fit
- Loft insulation. Mineral wool laid between the ceiling joists and then across them to 270 mm. We keep the eaves clear with ventilation trays so air can still get into the roof space, and we fit loft legs and boarding over the insulation if you use the loft for storage, so it isn't squashed flat and useless.
- Warm flat roofs. Rigid insulation board over the deck, under a new EPDM or GRP covering. This is the standard build-up for every flat roof we replace in Looe and it's what Building Regulations require when a flat roof is renewed.
- Insulation between and over rafters. For loft conversions, room-in-roof spaces and dormers, fitted during a re-roof with a ventilation gap above and a breathable membrane, so the timbers can dry.
- Conservatory roofs. Insulated solid roofs that turn a conservatory into a room; see our conservatory roof page.
- Dormer cheeks and flat dormer roofs, which are often the coldest, dampest part of a converted loft in Looe.
Ventilation: the part installers get wrong
Insulation stops heat moving, and that includes the warmth that used to dry out the roof timbers. Insulate a loft in Looe without thinking about airflow and you get condensation on the underside of the felt, damp rafters and black mould on the ceiling corners. We see it constantly in lofts that were insulated under grant schemes. Every insulation job we do keeps the eaves clear with ventilation trays, adds ridge or tile vents where the roof needs them, uses breathable membranes when the roof is open, and moves or vents extractor fans that are blowing warm damp air into the loft. That's the difference between a roofer doing insulation and a general installer doing it.
Spray foam: why we don't fit it
You may have been offered spray foam insulation on the underside of your roof. We don't fit it and we advise against it. Spray foam traps moisture against the timbers, hides their condition so a surveyor can't inspect them, and is now causing serious problems for homeowners in Looe, PL13 trying to remortgage or sell, because many lenders won't lend on a house with it. Breathable insulation does the same job without the risk.
Doing it with the roof
If your roof in Looe is being re-covered, that is the moment to insulate between the rafters, because it's the only time it's cheap to do. The same goes for a flat roof: a warm-roof build-up adds little to the cost of the new covering and transforms the room below. We'll always point this out when we quote for roofing work, because it's the single best value add-on we can offer.
What a loft insulation visit involves
For a top-up in Looe we start by clearing the loft of anything stored up there and checking what's already down. Old insulation that's dry and intact stays; anything damp or compressed flat comes out. We fit eaves ventilation trays between every rafter at the edge so air can still get into the roof space, then lay new mineral wool between the joists and a second layer across them to reach 270 mm. Pipes and tanks are lagged, the loft hatch is insulated and draught-stripped, and any downlights below are fitted with fire-rated covers so the insulation can go over them safely. If you want storage we fix raised loft legs and boarding over the top. Extractor fans found venting into the loft, which we see in a surprising number of Looe houses, are ducted to the outside. Most lofts in Looe, PL13 are done in half a day.
Grants and EPC ratings
Loft insulation is one of the measures that moves a house's EPC rating, and a better rating matters when you sell or let a property in Looe. Grant funding for insulation comes and goes and depends on your circumstances and the property's current rating; we'll tell you what's available at the time you ask, but we don't rely on grant work and our quote stands with or without it.
Roof insulation across Looe and Looe, PL13
Looe Roofing is based in Looe and covers the whole of Looe, PL13. A loft top-up on a typical house is half a day; insulation as part of a re-roof adds a day or so to the job. We give written quotes and photograph the eaves ventilation and insulation depth so you have a record.