Insulating a floor is an essential step in making your home more energy efficient. Draughty gaps around the floor can waste heat and money and make your house colder. By insulating your floors you can maintain a warmer living environment, improve health problems such as arthritis and asthma symptoms, reduce noise levels and cut energy bills.
If you have a new build house with concrete floors they will already be insulated, but older insulating a floor may need to insulate their ground floors. To do this you will need to remove any existing flooring, clean the base and lay a layer of insulation. This can be either Styrofoam or PIR boards. These should be secured to the concrete using heavy-duty construction tape (as used on roofs) – duct or household tape will not be strong enough.
Before you put down any insulation, the floor void should be ventilated as it can become damp and rotten without it. This can be achieved by allowing air in through ventilation grills under floorboards, or by leaving them open and letting fresh air in from outside.
Insulating a Floor: Techniques and Materials for Success
In a cantilevered floor, blocking should be installed between each joist bay, and these should be sealed with caulk to prevent air leaks. The joists should then be insulated with either a continuous layer of rigid foam or a board such as EPS which is secured to the joists with a strong adhesive. Narrow gaps between joists should be filled with blocks nailed to the underside of the joist and this should also be sealed with a high quality adhesive or caulk.