FreeSurvey across Willowbrae, Northfield & Duddingston and the surrounding area
Loft Insulation Willowbrae, Northfield & Duddingston
Northfield was one of Edinburgh's earliest council estates, with its first homes opening in 1920. Around it, Willowbrae filled with bungalows and semis between the wars, and Duddingston village sits beside Arthur's Seat. A hundred years of housing in one corner of the city, and three quite different lofts.
- Free, no-obligation survey
- Written quote, no hard sell
- Willowbrae, Northfield & Duddingston and the surrounding streets
“He took videos to show what was happening in loft and what would be required.” Heather, Trustpilot
Get your Willowbrae loft survey
FreeNo obligationWritten quote
Your details are used only to arrange your survey. See our privacy policy.
- £0
for the survey and written quote, with nothing to pay if the work is not worth doing
- 1 day
is all most lofts take, with the eaves kept clear and the house left tidy
- 7 days
a week, 9am to 7pm. Call free on 0800 433 2068
- 2016
family-run and working across Scotland ever since
Northfield's 1920s homes and what is above them
Northfield was built under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1919, and the first homes opened in October 1920. The council began with cottages and moved to four-in-a-block flats and three-storey blocks as costs rose, finished in harl, roughcast, brick and stone. Most of those homes are now a century old.
A hundred years is long enough for most of them to have been insulated once and then forgotten. The usual picture is a thin layer between the joists from a council programme, now flattened and dusty, and often disturbed by later rewiring or a new tank. In a four-in-a-block only the upper flats have the loft, and in the three-storey blocks only the top floor does.
Older roofs need care
Roofs of this age were built long before modern membranes and rely on air moving through the roof space to stay dry. As the loft gets colder with more insulation, the ventilation at the eaves becomes more important, not less. We keep it clear, and we check the condition of the timbers and the roof covering before anything new goes down.
Willowbrae, Northfield & Duddingston housing and what it needs
- Northfield cottages and four-in-a-block flats: the upper homes have the loft, usually with a single thin council-era layer.
- Three-storey blocks: only the top floor sits under the roof, and the space is often shared with the stair.
- Interwar bungalows and semis on and around Willowbrae Road: open private lofts, simple access and good value work.
- Older houses in Duddingston village: traditional construction inside a conservation area, where ventilation matters most.
- Converted lofts: rooms in the roof, so the work moves to the slopes and dwarf walls.
Whatever the property, the target is the same: 270mm of mineral wool at ceiling level, laid in two layers because joists are typically 100mm deep, with the eaves left clear so the roof can still ventilate. That depth is guidance for an existing home rather than a legal requirement, and it is the point past which extra material stops paying for itself.
We install loft and roof insulation only. No cavity wall insulation, no underfloor work, and no spray foam, which bonds to the roof timbers and causes problems at sale. Where old material is dry and clean it is topped up rather than removed, which is cheaper and works just as well.
In a hundred-year-old home, the heat loss through a thin ceiling layer is significant, and topping it up is one of the quickest ways to bring energy bills down. Whoever the installer, ask how the eaves will be kept clear, because condensation on old timbers is the risk in any older roof. For homeowners who use the loft, a ladder can be installed at the same time.
Where these streets sit, and why that matters
Northfield lies north of Willowbrae Road, between Meadowbank and Portobello, and Willowbrae runs south and east from it towards Duddingston. Duddingston village sits on the south east side of Arthur's Seat beside Duddingston Loch, and it is one of the city's conservation areas.
Conservation area status in Duddingston does not restrict loft insulation, which is laid inside at ceiling level and changes nothing anyone can see. It does cover rooflights, dormers and external wall insulation, which are planning matters.
The bungalows along Willowbrae are the most straightforward work in the area: open lofts, reasonable headroom and a hatch on the landing or in the hall. The Northfield homes take a little more thought because of shared roofs and ownership, and the older village houses need the most care with ventilation.
Other areas we cover near Willowbrae
We work right across the city. If your street sits on the boundary, these are the neighbouring pages.
- Loft insulation Portobello & Joppa
- Loft insulation Craigmillar & Niddrie
- Loft insulation Prestonfield & the Inch
For the citywide picture, including grants and how we price the work, see loft insulation in Edinburgh.
The work, filmed as it happens
Short clips from real jobs. Nothing staged, and nothing loads until you press play.
What people say after the survey
Our reviews are published on Trustpilot under Easy-Sprayaway, the other name we trade as.
“Ross showed me the video he took of my loft and explained his findings. I went for the Easy Quilt.”
“James McMillan came & completed a full survey of my loft space. Explained everything clearly & answered all my questions.”
“Rayan was very efficient and knowledgeable about the product. He explained the benefit of having the work done.”
Frequently asked questions
Usually, yes. We check the joists, the timbers and the roof covering as part of the survey, and if anything needs attention first we will say so rather than insulate over a problem.
If you are upstairs, the loft above your ceiling is usually yours, but your title deeds are the final word. If you are downstairs, there is a neighbour's floor above you and no loft to insulate.
A standard bungalow or semi sits around the middle of the range, and upper flats towards the lower end. The survey turns it into a fixed written price rather than an estimate.
Yes. Loft insulation at ceiling level is internal and invisible from outside, so conservation area status does not restrict it. Rooflights, dormers and external wall insulation are different and do need consent.
Only if it is wet, dirty or damaged. Where old material is dry and clean it is topped up rather than removed, which is cheaper and works just as well.
Yes. We work right across the east and south east of the city, including Mountcastle, Jock's Lodge, Meadowbank, Prestonfield and Portobello.
Book a free Willowbrae loft survey
We go into the roof space, tell you what it needs and put a written quote in your hands. No pressure and no obligation.