Covering timber panelling and insulating the ceiling

The panelling of the nineteen seventies

It still covers thousands of ceilings. Fixed on battens, often varnished, it darkens the room and already lowers the height without providing any notable insulation. Taking it down produces dust, holes and an extra day of work.

Why keep it

It forms a flat, solid substrate already fixed to the structure. A light framework goes on top without touching the original fixings, which removes the stripping out and the waste handling that goes with it.

What the timber really provides

Very little thermally. A few millimetres of softwood is not insulation, and the gaps between the boards let air through to the loft. It serves as a substrate, not as a barrier.

What the new layer provides

A continuous reflector that closes the gaps in the panelling, a still air gap, and a new facing. All three are installed in the same operation, within a thickness that stays of the order of a few centimetres.

The question of height

Panelling on battens has already taken several centimetres. Measuring it before deciding is essential, because adding a layer to an already low room can tip the balance towards full removal.

What to check first

The state of the battens and the absence of damp. Sound panelling can be covered without reservation; stained or soft panelling signals a problem above, and that problem is dealt with before closing it up for good. A point pushed into a board gives a reliable answer on the state of the timber in three seconds.

The fitting is set out on the execution page, and the product on its data sheet.