Question... Can I cover my fire rated downlights?

Insulating your loft space will mean that less energy is needed to heat your house. This in turn will mean paying less on your heating bills. Not only will you be saving money on your fuel bills but you will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions (CO₂): one of the biggest causes of climate change.

Insulating your loft space can save around £140 and around 730kg of CO₂ per year

For more information on the benefits of loft insulation follow this link.

Fire rated downlights are standard in most houses and are the safest option when choosing recessed spotlight fittings. See our earlier blog detailing why you should be using fire rated downlights .

The short answer is that in most cases you cannot just cover fire rated downlights with insulation. Fire rated downlights are essential for safety but it is important to remember that they still need lots of air both around and over them in order that they can dissipate the heat created from the lamps inside.

There are a couple of ways to address this problem. Firstly there are loft caps or fire hoods available that will keep the insulation a safe distance from the fitting whilst still allowing air to circulate. Alternatively, the easiest option for new installations is to buy specifically designed fire rated downlights which can be completely covered with insulation.

These give both the reassurance of fire protection and also the cost saving feature from being able to be covered with thermal insulation.