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Loft conversions give you some much-needed extra space without needing to do extensive building work like knocking down various walls. It’s like an extension without an extension – if that makes sense! Many homeowners opt for these when they have a new baby and require an additional bedroom. Others simply want a new room in the home – perhaps it becomes a personal study or games room.
Regardless, loft conversions all share one thing in common: they struggle during the winter months. Your loft is naturally designed to retain heat, but it will always be the coldest area of your home in the winter. Why? Because it’s one of the only parts of your house not directly connected to your heating system. You must find an efficient and effective way of heating this space before you let someone spend time in it.
Here are two simple tips to do just that:
Improve the insulation
Your loft should already have some measure of insulation, but this can always be improved. The proper loft insulation itself might need to be swapped out for something more modern and thermally efficient.
Alongside this, you should think about insulating parts of your loft that aren’t usually insulated. Lay down some carpet over the floorboards to make the space much warmer and better at retaining heat. Think about adding thick curtains to any windows, and make sure you properly cover up the rafters.
All of this creates a loft space that’s more “person-friendly.” It goes from being somewhere you might happily store old boxes to a room that’s genuinely pleasant to sleep in throughout the winter.
Install an electric heater
When you’re happy with the insulation, you can work on providing your loft with a heating source. Theoretically, you could try to install a fan system here to connect to the rest of your home’s heating system. If you use central heating with radiators, then you could also install one of those up here.
Unfortunately, these ideas require additional work and come with installation concerns. A far better option is to use an electric wall heater. They’re perfectly sized to heat a small loft space without consuming too much energy. You simply plug them into a socket and attach them to a wall bracket. Some will even come with legs to stand freely if you prefer. It’s the most no-fuss option out there and will ensure your loft has a proper heat source throughout the colder months.
What about the summer weather?
These two tips help you keep your loft warm in the summer, but won’t they make it too hot in the summer? No, because some of the tips work both ways. The right insulation should retain heat in the winter and reflect it in the summer. Curtains or blinds can block sunlight in the warmer months, too, further cooling the area. You can also get some standing fans for added ventilation – or consider installing an extra window or two if you’re super worried.
Hopefully, that clears everything up and you can get started on your ambitious loft conversion project. Whatever you’re turning the space into, you can do so knowing that it’ll keep you warm throughout the colder months.
Note: This is a collaborative post
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