Loft insulation - how to?

[aidanm]

Guys, I am in trouble.

We have an abandoned house next door (well the owner is leaving it to rot) and we keep getting mice and rats in our loft (I have sound devices in the garage and cellars, they are clear). (The houses are detatched).

I'm going to put these sound devices in the loft too - BUT the critters have done a lot of work. They've eaten the electrical cable insulation and have made the mineral wool insulation blanket into a race track with their rat runs.

SWMBO wants it sorted pronto, or she is off to the relatives.

So - and I guess I can do this myself:

Cut and bag and remove the existing insulation.
Replace the electrical cable. Carefully.
Replace with roll insulation between the joists.

Anything I should look for/be wary of?

Best place to get the insulation - suggestions anyone?

The space is approximately 32' x 22' - what length/how much insulation do I need?

All suggestions and advice gratefully received!

Aidan

 

[davy_owen_88]

When replacing the electrical cable you might want to consider running it in metal conduit attached to the roof rafters to just in case they come back. Running cables in conduit alters their current carrying capacities so check the values here or ask over in the Electrics forum.

If you don't want the hassle of conduit then metal capping could be used instead to cover them after they are clipped down. Remember that cables should not be covered with the loft insulation so clipping them clear is a good idea unless you want problems with overheating later on.

Sorry I can't help with the actual insulation, but you might want to check your local council as many offer free/discounted loft insulation.