Celotex GA 4000 Floor Insulation Guide
Floor Insulation Solutions
If you have noticed that your feet are getting cold during harsh winter months, then it is probably because you have a poorly or uninsulted floor. Namely, beside proper wall and roof/ceiling insulation, floor insulation should also be top on your to-do list. This way, you will add another layer of protection to your floor, regardless of its composition (concrete slab, beam and block or suspended timber floor) and improve its thermal performance which will on the long run affect the overall thermal performance of your household. Proper floor insulation however is not only important for keeping your feet warm during winter, but also for another aspect of insulation found in acoustic insulation, since it will add a sound barrier between bottom and upper floors which will give you a piece of mind. Well, this is why we are writing this Celotex GA 4000 floor insulation guide.
As you will come to realize, Celotex GA 4000 is a high-quality PIR insulation board whose greatest advantage is its wide application since it can be easily installed in almost any part of your home, including walls, floors and roofs. Only with proper guidance, you will end up with a highly insulted home, with only one product. The versatility of the boards is also found in different thicknesses it is available in and the fact that they are highly compatible and can be combined with a number of other insulation and construction products and materials.
Celotex GA 4000 Floor Installation Guide
As upper mentioned, Celotex GA 4000 insulation boards can have a number of different application, why they can be successfully installed in concrete slab floors, beam and block floors and suspended timber floors, which will all be discussed right here.
Concrete slab floors
Some basic advantages of using Celotex PIR insulation boards in concrete slab floors is the easy installation process, since the thickness and dimensions of the boards allow them to fit in almost any space, they provide great dimensional stability and reduce the risk of thermal bridging at floor edges.
When installing the boards over slab, the first thing you need to do is to install a damp proof membrane below or over the slab, so that it provides continuity with the damp proof course. The slab surface needs to be levelled, smooth and free of any projections. In order of providing continuous support for the insulation, cover the tamped, rough slab with a thin layer of sand blinding. Cut and fit the board upstand to floor perimeter. Make sure that the upstand depth equals the thickness of the screed and insulation, but should not exceed the skirting and wall plaster thickness. Install Celotex GA 4000 floor boards onto the slab, making sure that all joints are tightly butted. In order of preventing condensation and liquid screed migration, install a vapour control layer over the insulation. Finally, apply a cement or sand screed over the vapour control layer and the boards (minimally 65mm thick).
If installing insulation under the slab, the hardcore needs to be levelled and blinded with sand. The damp proof membrane needs to lap into the damp proof course. Cut and fit the board upstand to floor perimeter, whereas the insulation height needs to correspond to the finished floor level. In order of preventing condensation, install a vapour control layer over the insulation, cover with concrete and use a float level to smoothen the surface.
For a chipboard floor finish, a vapour control layer laid over the insulation should be turned up 100m at room perimeters and all joints lapped and sealed. The chipboard should be glued with appropriate adhesive and use temporary edges to provide a gap of around 10 to 12mm to allow expansion.
Beam and block floors
Celotex GA 4000 floor boards can also be successfully installed onto beam and block floors, due to their high dimensional stability, easy installation and provided continuity with added wall insulation.
The beam and block floor should be firstly covered with some damp proof membrane, if possible. In order of providing continuous support for the insulation, use a thin layer of sand blinding and level the floor surface. So that the thermal bridging can be eliminated at screed edges, use adequate boards as upstands around floor perimeters, whereas that the upstand depth equals the thickness of the screed and insulation, but should not exceed the skirting and wall plaster thickness. The boards are installed directly over the beam and block floor and covered with some vapour control layer. Finally, apply a cement or sand screed over the vapour control layer and the boards (minimally 65mm thick).
For installing a chipboard finish, please refer to the upper mentioned guidelines.
Suspended timber floors
Celotex PIR boards are perfect for suspended timber floors, since these are very easy to install, provide great thermal performance in only one layer of insulation, reduce air leakage, and impose minimal load to the entire structure die to their thickness.
The floor joists should be properly installed with diagonal or solid strut bracing, if necessary. You can use special insulation clips to ease the installation of the Celotex GA 4000 insulation boards between timber joists, whereas you can fit the clips at one metre centres or install battens to the joists’ sides. Once the boards have been properly cut to the appropriate size, they should be pushed down between the joists. Any gaps between the walls and joists should be sealed with insulation to prevent thermal bridging and softwood floor boarding or chipboard installed onto the joists. The void below the insulation needs to be properly ventilated.
If you are dealing with an exposed floor, we advise that you try insulting the floor from below. Simply fix the Celotex floor insulation boards to the joists’ underside at 400mm centres, using galvanised clout nails and fix adequate fire protection board to the soffit. For improving acoustics of the space, you can install a layer of rock wool insulation (100mm thick) between the floor joists.
Get a quote now for a GA4000 floor insulation board by contacting us through our live chat support system or email address info@insulationshop.co.