Have I got enough loft insulation in my home?

[JonnyBoy12]

I have been told repeatedly by insulation manufacturers that we all need at least 11 inches of insulation in our lofts. A few years ago my friend and I put in about 4 inches, and this seems to have made a difference, and this is what they used to put in years ago. This level covers up to the top of the beams, but is this enough?

How much do you all have in your homes, and should I put more in for full effect?

Thanks for your replies in advance.

[Count-A-Strong]

An insulation company would say that Knut generally they are correct, the more insulation the better ( up to a point but that's just over complicating things). What you need to consider, besides cost, is the fact that you will no longer be able to see where the joists are which makes navigating your way around the loft difficult.

[honky-tonk]

Ideal thickness for loft insulation is 8 inches anything 4 inches or less would need a top up. My loft has 8 inches of thickness with boarding over the top, problem we have now is condensation, seems the more you insulate the less the loft has to breathe, that is only in my opinion though.

[buildersmate]

I have 200mm of Cellotex in part of my roofspace (this is equivalent to 400mm of fibreglass) and 400mm of fibreglass in the flat sections.
More is better; there is no 'ideal thickness' - the proper answer is as much as you can afford or will in.

[carlton23]

A good way of knowing if you have enough is to look to see if frost or snow remains on the roof for very long, and if it does then you have enough. Providing it remains below freezing weather that is.

[alavahalf]

While you are all piling on those inches ... spare a thought for anyone that has to work in your loft.
If I go in a loft and I can't see the joists, I'll refuse to work up there and just walk away from the job.
It's one thing walking along the joists in a dark strange loft, but when you cant even see them because of a sea of insulation, it;s just not woth taking risks or you may end up going through the ceiling. ... then you will have a draught !

[AlBags]

The problem is that the recommended thickness semms to increase every year! We will all soon be recommended to have the whole loft packed with insulation.
A top up to 8-10" should be adequate enough oin most properties. After that, I think it's worth pursuing other thermal losses .. like windows, etc.

[jake-the-peg]

You might want to bear in mind that the more insulation you have on the beams the colder the roof cavity is.

With this very cold weather you could increase the odds of getting burst pipes.

You might want to consider additional insulatation on the underside of the tiles rather than on the beams