How to insulate a ceiling

If you put down flooring-grade particle board after you have insulated between the joists, you will have a useful storage area. But remember the joists are only ceiling joists for the room below, not floor joists, so you cannot use the space as a room or store anything heavy there.

Before you start: Clear the floor space as much as possible and vacuum-clean the loft. At the same time, check for termites or rot, and, if necessary, call in a specialist contractor to treat any problems. If the ceiling space has no light, connect an inspection lamp to a socket downstairs. A torch will not give enough light.

Fixing a vapour barrier on the floor

Tools: Scissors.

Materials: Rolls of reflective foil building paper or sheets of polythene; masking tape.