Cement falling into boarded storage loft

[DrDvorak]

When I first moved into my house, the loft had a lot of belongings left by the previous occupants that were filthy from a cement/dirt mix falling onto them from the roof tiles. So I knew that being able to stop these cement falls was important for making it a useful storage loft.

I boarded out all the loft floor, and filled the roof with rafter insulation (http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-60mm-Polystyrene-Rafter-Insulation-Board-0-74-M2-Pack-3/p/210020). In addition to insulating, I had hoped the rafter insulation would stop cement falls from getting onto the stored items.

So a couple of years on I have a lot of stuff stored up there - but the cement falls continue to be a nuisance. It's possibly a bit better than it would otherwise have been, but over time the cement still gets through the gaps. So, numerous cement falls on the stored items; cement falling onto the landing every time I open the loft hatch; when I get a suitcase down to pack for a holiday, the first job is hoovering the cement from the outside of the suitcase, etc...cleaning all the stored items regularly would be less than easy as I have quite a lot stored up there, so you have to move some items around to get at others in the eaves, etc.

I had hoped to have a big storage space for which when I take items down, they come out as clean as they went in, and that's just not the case.

Has anyone else successfully solved this sort of problem?

 

[JohnD]

I expect this is torching on the underneath of the tiles, and that your roof is unfelted.

When you have your roof renewed, there will be no torching, and a membrane will be laid under the tiles which will mostly stop dirt getting in.

 

[foxhole]

You can tack underfelt to the rafters , starting at the top and working out so that any dust falls are carried out to the eaves.If you use a light colour it will also help brighten the area with good lighting.

 

[Doggit]

You could brushing off the loose cement dust (or vacuum if you have a builders one) and then paint on some brick stabilising solution.

 

[DrDvorak]

Thanks for replies. Yes it's an old unfelted roof. I think I will go with tacking light underfelt to the rafters.