'free Insulation' - Worth It?

[Jennykenny]

Having a new loft ladder fitted and the chap (local man, check-a-trade recommended) said that my insulation in the loft was low and needed looking at.
He wasn't pushing to do it, but suggested that I get it done - by him or by another professional.
He said that the government would do it for free but that it tends to be a bit of 'quick and easy' job rather than a professional one, i.e. there is about 100 mm
there already but 280 recommended and they would just lay it on top of the boards instead of removing them.
Any thoughts?

[Tuvok]

Ours was free and put on top of the existing - and better quality than the original.

Also got free cavity wall insulation.

[EDDIE51]

As long as the existing insulation is in good condition ( which it normally is) you just need to add the extra layer to bring it up to the full thickness.
A lot of installers will try to say the old stuff has to be removed first which is 'bullsh**t ' to try to get extra cash out of you !

[woofgang]

A friend of mine had it done. The quality of the insulation was fine but the survey didn't identify that she would need increased airflow (airbrick in the wrong place as I understand it) and she had a year of streaming condensation in her loft until it got fixed. She wasn't charged for the fixing but some of the stuff she had stored got ruined and her upstairs ceilings got stained.

[SirOracle]

Did he say it would be laid ON TOP of the existing flooring Jenny. ?

So you would lose being able to walk or store things in your attic - surely unsatisfactory,and I doubt this would be done.

[Sycamore3House]

I got mine done for free. The whole loft was boarded at the time. They told us that if we did not take the boards up it would not be done. We took the boards up and they came and did the job no problem and helped to put some of the boards back in place. The insulation is about 30 cm thick all over. We also priced it ourselves and for our 2 bed terrace it would have been about £80.

[Jennykenny]

Woof, that sounds like a nightmare.
Sir - no, not on top of boards. Sorry I wasn't clear. He was going to remove the existing boards, add new fibre and then put down new boards.
I'm more confused than ever now, and my sense of balance isn't great so the thought of crawling round the loft taking up boards scares me.
I think I'll just ignore it, my usual solution to anything difficult.

[Old_Geezer]

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. He's not doing it for free, the council's covering the cost.

But I'd suggest checking with the council first, then choosing someone to do the job once the council's confirmed that they'd pay.

[EDDIE51]

Get it done, you will soon find you are saving money on the heating bills. You do not have to 'crawl round the loft' he will do it for you.

[johnny37]

Im sceptical of cold calls from people who say they insulate your left for free. Is it only for people on low income? I did mine myself years ago but it could probably do with topping up. I rang warmfront once. Not only did i not qualify, their quote was a darn sight more expensive than the going rate.

[woofgang]

cold calls, yes, but the free insulation offer is genuine, as I said, my friend had it done and she knows several people who also had it done. Most of them were happy, it was just my freind who had a problem and that was with the surveyor, not with the actual offer. They wouldn't lift or relay flooring basically they just come in with rolls of stuff and unroll it.

[Jennykenny]

Okay. Will rethink it.