Underfloor Insulation – Easier Installation than the Rest

Underfloor insulation is also listed as one of the priority areas to insulate in your home. The main idea is to keep your home warm and reduce your energy bills. Unfortunately, it is one area the least attended to among the obvious ones (the walls and the roof).

The main thing really is improving the insulation so you could save you with some sizeable amount every year. You may need to have some financial help (if you don’t have the budget for it) to be able to pay for your insulation that will be done by professionals.

From a practical point of view, it is a one-time expense compared to the yearly payment you fork over in keeping your place warm with no insulation on your floor.

Your floor

It is important to know your underfloor insulation type before staring on anything about the project. You can determine it two ways. First, if your house has a basement or a cellar, you might be able to see wooden joists and the other parts of the underside of your floorboards from below.

In this case, you might have a suspended timber floor. Most likely, too, you may have this floor type if there are ventilation bricks on the outside of your house that are below the floor level. If you cannot access the space underneath your floor, you need to lift a corner of the carpet and underlay.

Regulations

Another thing is that you need to comply with some building regulations. One of them is that if you are adding extra insulation to your existing floor, there are a number of issues to consider.

With this, you need to ensure your ground floor rooms meet the minimum room heights. Second, you need to achieve the minimum U-value (standard measure of thermal performance) and that you minimize the risk of fire.

Make use you get advice from building control officers of your local council before working on the changes.

Timber floor

There is need to anything damaged by damp, rot or infestation before you do any work. If your floor is above an unheated cellar or basement, have the insulation tightly between the joists and secure the netting.

You also need to fix the plasterboard to the basement’s ceiling. This will provide fire resistance. If your floor is not accessible from below, take up your floorboards to fit the insulation.

Concrete floor

When the insulation is over the slabs, the room will warm up faster when the heating is switched on. Keep the thickness of your insulation to a minimum to reduce of having the costly alterations on doors, stairs and others later because of increase of floor heights.

You can help regulate the temperature and prevent overheat if you insulate the floor underneath the concrete. If you have a damp proof membrane and is placed above the slabs, an additional one might be needed to protect the insulation from ground contaminants.

Underfloor insulation is not really that difficult to install. If you’re a good carpenter, carrying out the work yourself can save you more.