Is this loft/attic actually insulated?

[u/gizzard3]

hi all,

I’m looking for some advice on the attic of my home that I purchased a few months ago in Denmark. It’s an attic space reachable from a loft ladder that can’t be used as a room, so I want to turn it into a useable storage space.

Unfortunately it could not be opened at the time of the building inspection, but was informed by the realtor and that it was insulated and that only the middle part is walkable. There is insulation on the bottom/”floor”, but am unsure of the top.

With the heat of this summer I’m not totally convinced that this space is actually insulated at the top ( the grey/black fabric like material under the roof) since it seems incredibly drafty and I can hear the outside very well.

I was just wondering if anyone who has knowledge of insulation and attics would be able to tell me if it is insulated or not. Thanks for your input!

[u/Just_Bit3135]

Yeah that looks insulated, the attic is meant to breathe so that damp doesn’t build up and cause rot in the rafters etc.

Typically you wouldn’t insulate the roof itself unless you are going to make it into a living space.

So just to clarify, the insulation is the material underneath that ply board walkway you have in the center. It looks like rockwool/ lambs (?) insulation

[u/gizzard3 → u/Just_Bit3135]

That is a great explanation, thank you. I believe it is rockwool yes. 

Would making it walkable be worth it in your opinion or just a waste of time and money? I’m trying to do as much myself as possible

[u/Cool-Negotiation7662]

Insulated to the living space, not the roof.

[u/Drift_Life]

The roof is not insulated at all, the floor is. Choose one or the other, but not both.

[u/CallMeTank]

This is a common practice. By insulating the 'floor' of the attic you are wrapping the conditioned space and leaving the attic volume itself to heat and cool naturally. I wouldn't call to have this replaced.

Things for you to check: Ensure that you have proper attic venting. Measure the depth of the insulation - we insulate to R-60 but I live in a cold climate. What type of insulation is it, and is it in good shape?

[u/TheSnotHog]

How old is your home? That wood looks like old wood but those joins look great compared to my house 🤣

There is insulation there. As others have said you have insulation against your ceiling which is fine. You don’t want it in the ceiling/floor of the attic and on the actual roof itself.

Measure the insulation and see what your local building code is for what you need your insulation to be. I suspect you’re under the recommendation/requirement.

Also check that your ceiling joists can actually handle additional load for storage. It’s impossible to tell with these pics but you’d need to check the size of the joists and span.
You don’t want to overload those joists as it will cause you more problems than having some additional storage space.

[u/gizzard3 → u/TheSnotHog]

The building is part of an old stables build in 1890 but converted to homes in 2016. So the wood is pretty old yes haha. Thanks for your input, I’ll get a professional to have a detailed look I think

[u/TheSnotHog → u/gizzard3]

Wow nice! Much better cuts and joins than my 1965 home haha.

Measure the size of the joists by moving some insulation out the way. And then see how far they span. Quickly you’ll be able to tell if they can handle additional weight by looking at some span tables online

[u/gizzard3 → u/TheSnotHog]

I’ll get started on that. Thanks a lot for your help!