VIEWPOINT
MAKE THE MOST OF THE LOFT INSULATION BOOM
Matt Neary, national sales manager at Knauf Insulation
£648 IS THE amount a typical household could save on their energy bills by installing loft insulation. It’s no surprise then that sales of loft insulation have gone through the roof (pardon the pun). In the three weeks before the October 2022 price cap rise, the Kingfisher Group reported a phenomenal 260% increase in like-for-like loft roll insulation sales compared to 2019 – and we know it’s a similar story for merchants up and down the country.
This isn’t a short-term spike. The trend will continue for the foreseeable future as homeowners who can afford to, take steps to make their properties more energy efficient. After all, there are more than 8 million uninsulated, under insulated or poorly insulated lofts in the UK. That means there are a lot of people who are paying more for their heating than they should be.
The potential for merchants is huge. So, beyond ensuring they have the stock levels to cope with increased demand from trade and DIY customers, what can merchants do to capitalise on this opportunity?
The thicker the better When advising customers on how much insulation should be installed, Approved Document
L of the Building Regulations states that a minimum U-value of 0.16W/m2K must be achieved. For a typical loft, this can be met by installing Knauf Insulation’s Loft Roll 44 insulation to a depth of 270mm (350mm in Scotland). But the key to remember here, is that the building regulations are the minimum standard. They are not advising on how to achieve optimum energy efficiency. Many new build lofts are now insulated to a depth of 400-500mm. It makes sense, as we know that the thicker the insulation, the more effective it will be at preventing heat transfer. Increasing the depth of the insulation is in your customers’ best interests too, because it will ensure they achieve maximum energy efficiency, which means they’ll cut their bills as much as possible.
Choose right DIY customers especially will need advice on how to get the best results from their loft installation. It sounds obvious, but it starts by making sure they are buying the right product for the application. Different products are engineered to work
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in different ways, so installing an acoustic product in the loft, would not give the required thermal performance (and will cost more than it should). It makes sense to encourage them to choose insulation that’s both environmentally and installer friendly. For example, our Loft Roll products are made using recycled glass and are manufactured with ECOSE® Technology, our unique bio-based binder that contains no added formaldehyde or phenol. It is 70% less energy-intensive to manufacture than traditional binders, and products made with ECOSE® Technology are soft to touch and easy to handle. They generate low levels of dust and VOCs and have been awarded the Eurofins Gold Certificate for Indoor Air Comfort. Our Loft Rolls have also received the Declare ‘Red List Free’ label.
How to ensure a quality installation It’s also worth highlighting the potential challenges and pitfalls of retrofit jobs. The saying goes that a bad workman blames his tools, but having the wrong tools for the job will definitely make achieving a successful result much harder.
So, take the time to talk to your customers and check they
have the correct equipment so they do the job safely.
First, they’ll need to prep their loft space. To do this, they’ll need to seal around any gaps where air could leak into the loft from the room below using a high-quality sealant and tape. Any heat producing fixtures (including recessed lighting fixtures) must also be isolated. For downlights, the best way to do this is to install non- combustible protection covers to stop them overheating and becoming a fire risk. Then they’ll need the equipment to install the insulation. This includes PPE, a crawl board to ensure they don’t crush the insulation or inadvertently put their foot through the ceiling, and tools to measure and cut the insulation accurately. This is essential because ensuring a good fit between the insulation and the construction elements will prevent gaps that let heat escape. Ultimately, taking the time to have a simple conversation to check they understand the basics will create valuable cross-selling opportunities. More importantly, it increases the likelihood of a quality installation and ensure they do make savings on those bills. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net March 2023
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