Depending upon the type of floor you intend on insulating will determine the method of insulating it. Whether you have a suspended wooden floor or a concrete floor, insulating it can certainly reduce your energy bills each month.
What’s great about installing floor insulation is that you can easily do it yourself if you wanted too. The only difficult part of the process is lifting the floorboards but apart from that, it’s relatively straightforward to install.
How Important Is Insulating The Floor
Although insulation mainly focuses upon exterior walls and attics, there are many benefits of installing insulation in your floor. Some of the potential advantages can include:
- Reduces energy bills by up to £60 (according to the Energy Saving Trust)
- Eliminates drafts via gaps in the floor and ground
- Helps to keep the pipes from freezing
- Prevents heat loss by retaining heat
- Creates a vapour barrier and reduces moisture
- Helps control the interior temperature during the warm summer months
Are There Any Drawbacks?
There are some minor drawbacks to installing floor insulation because it will involve removing carpets and floorboards. Not only does this mean you will need to remove all your furnishing in the room but it may unleash a “can of worms”. For example, you may lift the carpet and underlay and then notice that the floorboards are rotten and need replacing.
Acoustic or Thermal Properties
When it comes to choosing between the different types of insulation, you have the option of acoustic or thermal insulation. Although both provide thermal qualities, an acoustic insulation is far more dense, which provides better soundproofing properties. This is certainly something to think about before purchasing all the insulation because soundproofing your home is also a big requirement for many homeowners.
How To Install Floor Insulation
For this particular example, we are installing floor insulation to a wooden suspended floor. If you are installing insulation to a concrete floor, there are further steps that you need to take that may require a professional.
To begin installing floor insulation, it’s advised that you wear a face mask and protective glasses. As you rip or cut the insulation, all of the fibres go into the air and it’s not something you’d want to inhale.
Once you are setup and ready, below are the steps required to install floor insulation:
- Remove any furnishing in the room.
- Roll back any carpet that’s laid on top of the floorboards.
- Assess the condition of the floorboards and replace any if necessary.
- Remove old insulation if there is any currently installed.
- Sweep up and vacuum any dirt and debris under the floorboards.
- Measure and then cut the insulation board or roll to size.
- Fit the insulation snugly between the joists.
- Reinstall the floorboards and carpet.
Installing floor insulation really is quite simple and as mentioned above, the main task is lifting the floorboards. Below are some before and after photos on Instagram of a floor insulation project that we recently installed upon a second floor.
Conclusion
Whether you are feeling the cold or simply taking on a house renovation, floor insulation is definitely a worthwhile investment. Although there is an upfront cost for the materials, it will pay for itself over the years. It’s also relatively simple to install for anyone looking to take on an easy DIY project in their spare time. You may even want to go a step further and install underfloor heating in your home, which can be used alongside floor insulation.
