Re: Equipment in loft - dust and heat issues?

["dermot_bradley" <bradley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Pete Church" <yahoo@p...> wrote:

> If the underside of the roof is lined with foil covered boards, and
the
> house is only 3 years old, then it is highly likely that the loft in
> question is of warm-roof construction.  Meaning that the loft could
actually
> be used as a living space - i.e. less dust and dampness that is
associated
> with old, cold roofs.

Just done a Google for "warm roof construction" - yeah, that's
what it
seems to be - the foil covered panels (labelled "Keyspan") are
between
the roof joists and the tiles.

> I would suggest that the condition of the loftspace itself (after
> 3yrs) should be a good indication of whether equipment will get
> dusty or damp: if it's not too dusty and doesn't feel too cold/damp
> on a cold day (like today) then probably the roof is well sealed and
> properly ventilated with breathable membranes, so drip trays etc are
> unlikely to be required. With the roof insulation, the addition of a
> few 100 watts of fan equipment may actually keep the roofspace quite
> warm in the winter.

There's a little dust up there but its from the usual insulation on
the floor of the loft. I'll put down flooring once I've figured out
cabling.

The info I found on Google seems to indicate that warm construction
roofs shouldn't suffer from condensation at all.

> The flipside of the summer may be a bigger issue - if there is no
> external mechanical ventilation then the space could get a bit hot
> in the summer and the heat problems will ensue. An extra vent/ fans
> may be required.

That's my main worry...there's no point have cases/cabinets with lots
of fans if its just blowing hot air around the loft.