Draughty Loft to Warm Living Space

Individual measures of a retrofit package. Conversion of an attic at a 5-bed listed property in Shrewsbury town centre into a living space.

The customers wanted to transform the attic of this Georgian house into a liveable space. It was a storage area and part time office, but cold and draughty.

The Process

1. Insulation

80mm wood mineral boards were fitted to the walls and the sloping ceiling plus, 40mm boards to the flat ceiling part which had to be thinner due to the low ceiling height.

The tongue and groove boards had an integral vapour barrier built in so the plasterer could apply a lime plaster straight onto the boards.

As a listed building, suitable materials and finishes needed to be used.

2. Making the room airtight

On the very thin sides/cheeks of the dormer windows Aerogel was used – a very thin and highly insulating material. This material was covered over with a mesh to hold the lime plaster.

Expanding foam filled in any gaps and cavities to achieve a good level of overall insulation.

3. Finish

The plasterer achieved a great finish with the historically fitting off-white lime plaster.

The Outcome

The loft space has been transformed into a comfy living space and office.