Concrete Floor Insulation Options
Warm Feet – Happy Occupants
Although concrete itself has certain insulation properties, it is not nearly enough to keep your feet warm during harsh winter months. In order of achieving this, you will need proper insulation installed. This applies regardless of whether you have a garage or a basement space underneath your home. In case your home is laid directly onto the ground, then added insulation will only prevent heat loss and the cold coming from the underground from penetrating inside, thus optimizing the inner temperature. On the other hand, if you decide to insulate your basement or garage concrete floor, this will not only make these spaces warmer, protected from damp and moisture and more comfortable to stay in, but also protect the upper floors, since there will still be some heat/cold exchange between the basement or garage space and the rest of your interior but not at the price of affecting the commodity of everyday life. Thus, what shall be discussed here are some concrete floor insulation options.
Some Previous Considerations in Concrete Floor Insulation
Prior to commencing your concrete floor insulation, there are a few things you need to consider and take into account before choosing the insulation material. Namely, if these questions are dealt in due time, they can cause serious problems later on, why we believe that there is more to insulation (in general) than just purchasing the material and installing on the designated area. Some of these issues include:
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The first important thing to pay intention to is the depth of the floor slab. Namely, if you are only digging the slab, you will need to take into account the thickness of the insulation, since it will affect the depth of the slab. The math is pretty simple – the thicker the concrete floor insulation material – the deeper the slab will have to be. On the other hand, if you are laying insulation on top of the existing slab, than you will need to make sure that there are no construction elements getting in the way, such as skirting boards or ceiling heights, for instance.
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Another important question refers to the type of the soil underneath the floor, since this will infect the type, characteristics and the required U value of insulation. Namely, some materials such as clay have lower thermal conductivity, meaning that it will not allow as much heat to escape through the ground, again affecting the insulation material’s U value. However, some materials such as sand or rock are more conductive and will result in higher heat loss, why the insulation material needs to have higher U value.
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Since floors are generally building’s foundation, it is expected that they are able to withstand the imposed loads. This also affects concrete floor insulation, since in case you are dealing with an industrial building, the chosen insulation material will have to have greater comprehensive strength and should be installed below the slab, whilst residential properties usually do not require heavy duty materials, why you can opt for lighter insulation that can be installed above the slab.
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Finally, if you are planning on using underfloor heating, then there are a few additional requirements to consider, mostly concerning the location of the insulation. Here you can either opt to install the heating within a creed and the insulation installed above the floor slab or install insulation under the slab, depending on the effects you want to achieve.
Some Insulation Materials Recommendations
Your choice of concrete floor insulation material will depend on everything above mentioned, but also your budget (since some materials are initially more expensive than others), but also the goal you want to achieve with insulation – whether you want not only to affect thermal comfort but also provide acoustic insulation and a level of fire performance, for instance.
Firstly, your choice of material can be some rigid insulation boards, such as Celotex PIR boards or Jablite and Kay-Meltzer Polystyrene insulation boards. Now, if you are looking for a multifunctional product, designed not only to provide thermal but also acoustic insulation, you can choose KarmaFloor Acoustic Chipboard which consists of polyethylene resilient layer, laminated to moisture resistant tongue and groove chipboard or Celotex Fire Resistant PIR board which is faced on both side with low emissivity aluminum foil and has A+ fire rating.
Another option for insulating your concrete floor are some more flexible materials such as Knauf rock wool insulation slabs or Rockwool insulation slabs, which also offer a level of sound insulation, apart from known as being great and versatile insulators. The good news is that all the mentioned products can be found right here at Insulation Shop.
When it comes to installing the concrete floor insulation, the installation process will depend on the chosen material, but the principle is pretty much the same. The first thing you need to do is make sure that the floor is prepared for insulation, which includes dealing with potential moisture issues, if any and making sure that the floor surface is smooth and even. Another important thing you need to do is clean the floor surface and apply a thin coat of asphalt primer. For improved moisture protection, if required, you can cover the floor with some polyethylene sheeting which will serve as a water vapour control layer. Make sure that the sheeting overlaps and extend along the perimeter walls. You will then need to install the sleepers at the edges using proper masonry nails and mark them for additional sleepers installed in a single direction across the room. Then the chosen concrete floor insulation material (i.e. rigid insulation boards) is installed between the sleepers, close to one another, so that there are no gaps in the insulation. Finally, you will need to add properly sized plywood sheets across the sleepers and finish with the flooring of your choice.
Insulation Shop offers a range of structural floor insulation products, at low prices. Send your quote enquiry to info@insulationshop.co.