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Floor Insulation Installation

An Introduction to Floor Insulation: Understanding its Purpose and Benefits

Floor insulation installation is mainly done as a means to reduce the heat escaping from the floor into the ground.

When you insulate a floor, you add insulating material, usually beneath the floorboards. When you do floor insulation, you reduce the risk of heat escaping by at least 15%.

Floor insulation also reduces the risk of drafts coming up through the floorboards.

It’s normally done when you want new floors installed or part of the process of constructing new floors; however, many floors which are already in place can be retrofitted with the insulating material.

When you insulate, you are actually saving money on your heating bill. Loose-fill insulation is so popular that it can be done through D-I-Y methods, or if you are not confident enough, a professional floor insulation company will come and do it for you to avoid hassle and stress.

What is Floor Insulation Made Of?

Floor insulation is made up of a variety of materials such as polyester and cellulose. The latter is commonly used among homes due to how environment-friendly it is.

Why Insulate Floors?

1. Comfort

Floor insulation is there to reduce the heat escaping through the floor. When you insulate your home, it will feel cozy and warm during the winter months but refreshing and cooler during the summer months.

2. Lessen High Utility Bills

Lessening the use of your radiators, heaters or AC can reduce energy costs. The heat flow can also be distributed properly, subtracting your energy costs.

3. Less carbon footprint

When you have floor insulation, you tend to use less gas and electricity, which means you are saving the earth by preserving its natural resources.

Today, it is more worrying to hear about sudden changes in the weather or climate change, so by helping in your own little way, you are contributing to making the earth a little greener by lessening your carbon footprint.

4. Indoor Air Quality

When you have floor insulation installed, it means that your home will become thermally efficient all year long. It means that your home will be able to maintain the ideal temperatures no matter what time of year it is without using more air conditioning, fans, or heating appliances.

5. Warmer winter

During the freezing winters, it can get unbearably cold, more so if you have cracks and holes found in your framed floors, and more cold air can come in. By insulating your floors, you are preventing this from happening as you have installed an extra layer of protection beneath your floors.

How do you know if your house needs it?

Many modern homes have a first floor usually made up of solid concrete slab. This needs to be insulated if it is time for it to be replaced or rigid insulation can be on top.

If you want to know if your house really needs to install insulation, try touching your ceilings, walls, access doors or floors. If your floors or crawl space, for example, is cold or damp, then you need to have them properly insulated.

Your living space should be dry and feel warm to the touch. If it is cold or damp, then your house needs insulation. If you touch the outside or exterior wall, it should feel cold as your house is keeping the warm air inside.

  • Older houses with suspended floors and joist spaces
  • Have solid concrete slabs on the floors
  • A modern house
  • Houses with floor trusses
  • An old house with framed floors

How to Insulate a Floor from the Top

Underfloor Insulation Options

  • Fiberglass/glass wool batts
  • Rock wool batts
  • Polyurethane or a foam board
  • Polystyrene panels

For Spray Foam Insulation

Spray foam is a popular and common way to insulate your floors. Spray foam is an underfloor insulation material that is sprayed directly onto the underneath of timber floors or elevated concrete floors.

How is Floor Insulation Installed

Spray foam is applied as a liquid that expands into a foam, curing in just seconds and creating a 100mm or more insulation barrier. Spray foam is usually water-based with no CFCs used.

The process can usually take up half a day or most of the day if you want to spray foam or fill the cavity with the entire floor or a large basement. Smaller areas can take up to 2-3 hours.

The whole duration from beginning to end can depend on the preparation work, masking of workers, how big the area is to spray, the clean-up time, and how thick the foam is to be sprayed.

For Fiberglass Insulation

Fiberglass insulation batts or rolls are the most economical and easiest option for insulating between the floor joist in a crawl space. The U.S. The Department of Energy recommends R-11 (3½”) insulation under floors in warm climates and an R-25 (6” to 8”) in cold climates.

Depending on the surface area, the installation can take up to 2-5 hours to one day for fiberglass floor insulation.

Fiberglass insulation is energy-efficient, affordable, easy to install, and readily available in a wide variety of sizes, types, and R-values. It can keep your home warm in winter and comfortably cool in summer. It can also reduce heating costs and ground moisture.

Is Underfloor Insulation Worth It? Pros and Cons of Floor Insulation

Pros

  1. Loose-fill insulation reduces the heat escaping
  2. Keeps your house cool during the summer months
  3. Insulation reduces drafts
  4. Prevents moisture from coming inside your house
  5. Insulation prevents indoor pipes from freezing during the winter months
  6. Improves uninsulated places like garages or basements

Cons

  1. Can be expensive
  2. Prone to insect infestation
  3. Additional costs can add up
  4. Remove furnishings (if any)
  5. Remove existing flooring, carpets or crawl spaces ( if any)
  6. Moisture problems if not installed properly
  7. Difficult to install

Additional Resources

To learn more about this topic, here are some helpful websites:

To know more about floor insulation, contact us today!

More from Star Spray Foam

Is It Worth It to Spray Foam in Your Attic?

Star Spray Foam insulation is proud to provide affordable, efficient insulation services to the community of New Orleans. We have built a reputation in the NOLA area for efficient, high-quality insulation at an affordable cost.

We use quality materials to maximize the amount of heat retained inside your home – and we install them for you hassle-free.