Timber flooring installed in dwellings must be acoustically treated before installation. In most cases, this is accomplished by installing an acoustic underlay beneath the floors, which dampens the sound of foot traffic below.
Floor insulation is often disregarded in the effort to make homes warmer and more energy efficient. It's important to consider how insulation can make your home more thermally efficient, keep heat for longer, and protect it from dampness because heat loss like this is frequent in older buildings. At Hitch Property Constructions, we offer timber repairs work from simple timber repair to almost new structures, renovations, and extensions.
The magnificent undulations and patina of age on original floors are a testament to the passage of generations of feet and the knocks and spills of daily life, making them a priceless link to the past. The problem, then, is to insulate the floor without altering its unique character.
It is also crucial that the process of insulating the flooring does not lead to wetness within the structure, since this would lead to corrosion and damage.
An important issue was addressed by the invention of suspended timber floors over a ventilated chamber around the turn of the 18th century, when construction methods shifted from using boards flooring fixed directly on the ground. Before, when floor timbers were always in contact with the damp earth, they quickly became warped and rotten. Now, this sort of deterioration of the timbers was prevented by the open space between the ground and the flooring.
The new construction method solved one problem but generated another: draughts from the cold air that was pumped under the flooring to prevent dampness. Since then, heating the floors of historic buildings has been a challenge due to their lack of insulation and poor sealing.
The floor is typically overlooked when it comes to thermal improvements, despite the fact that heat loss through the floor can be significantly greater than heat loss via the walls or the ceiling.
It is also possible to easily retrofit a system consisting of insulation, an airtightness membrane, and a vapour control layer (VCL) into an existing suspended floor, making it both thermally efficient and airtight. When properly specified and implemented, it can boost convenience and efficiency without negatively impacting the structure or appearance of a building.
Retrofitting insulation between the joists, beneath the floorboards, is the best and most appropriate approach to insulate a suspended floor and increase airtightness in most historic buildings. For further information, please refer to our in-depth installation guide.
To do this, the floorboards must be removed and stored until the thermal performance upgrades have been completed, at which point they can be reinstalled. As part of the renovation, you can also have any rotten floorboards or joists replaced.
Some thermal bridging via timber members can be mitigated by partially insulating the joists from below, but this is only practicable if the floor is accessible from below.
Where there is bare earth under the building, a damp-proof membrane on the ground may be useful to improve humidity regulation in the crawl space, the size and depth of which will vary depending on the circumstances.
Cross ventilation within the crawl area, however, is of paramount importance and must be preserved by not blocking or damaging the air vents constructed into the walls.
Specifying the insulation depth will guarantee the necessary thermal increase is made without compromising ventilation in the crawl space.
Suspended floors have two main concerns: enhancing thermal insulation and eliminating draughts. Insulation is easier to install if you can get to it from below, like in a crawl space or basement.
The simplest approach is to work from below, pushing blanket insulation into the voids between the joists. Plastic garden netting is nailed in place to provide support for this. The tongue-and-groove wood fibreboard can be fastened to the joists' bottom surfaces to add an extra layer of insulation.
Adding insulation from the ceiling requires removing floors, which is a more labor-intensive process. If the floor has aesthetic or historical value, this is not a viable solution because of the care required and the high probability of damage.
Frequently Asked Questions About Home Renovation
A property in need of renovation is likely to be cheaper than its renovated counterpart. On most streets, you will find that extended homes or those that have been finished to a high standard will command a higher asking price.
Depending on the type of room you renovate, where you live, and whether or not you're confident with a hammer, your renovation project could cost around $10–60 per square foot—with some projects costing up to $150 per square foot.
Over 60% of homeowners plan on using their checking or savings account to pay for home improvement projects in 2023. Credit cards, home equity loans and personal loans are also popular options to pay for home remodeling, accounting for 37.4%, 8.6% and 8.5% of all financing options, respectively.
As a general rule of thumb, the amount you spend on your renovations should not be more than 10% of the current market value of your home.
Every project is different, but typically, you can expect a whole house remodeling project to last anywhere from 16 weeks (4 months) to 24 weeks (6 months). More involved projects or projects that encounter several unforeseen delays may take longer.
Flooring Material
Most houses, especially newer ones, have a concrete basement. When this wears out, it can be replaced with insulation or solid insulation can be installed on top.
The majority of residences with suspended timber floors are older ones. You probably have a suspended timber floor if there are air bricks or ventilation bricks on the exterior wall(s) of your home below floor level.
Air bricks in the walls should not be sealed off. They are essential for preventing the deterioration of your floorboards and increasing air circulation under your floor.
If you have a basement or cellar that you can access without putting yourself in danger, you should check it out to find out what kind of floor you have. If the floor is made of wood and it is suspended, you will likely be able to see the joists and the bottoms of the floorboards.
You'll have to lift a corner of the carpet and underlay to peek if you can't get down into the crawl area.
In order to insulate a wooden floor, the boards must be lifted and the joists must be modified to accommodate mineral wool insulation. Adding insulation beneath the first floor's floors can reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as $70 annually for a single-family home and $40 annually for a duplex or townhouse.
Another option is to use a robot to apply spray foam insulation to the subfloor, which would eliminate the need to remove the flooring. We have a huge range of home facade renovations Melbourne at Hitch Property Constructions.
Guidelines for Floor Insulation
- Make sure the skirting board is completely flush with the floor, and that any openings are sealed. Because it's impossible to do so after a fitted carpet has been installed, this must be done beforehand.
- Keep in mind that insulation material loses most of its effectiveness if it is compressed, so take care when installing it.
- When replacing a floor, underfloor heating is an option worth considering because it can be both comfortable and efficient, especially when paired with solid floors.
- Do not lift an old floor unless absolutely necessary; it will not look the same when relaid, and you risk upsetting the building's equilibrium if you do.
- Floorboards, flagstones, bricks, and tiles should always be numbered with chalk if they are being temporarily removed.
- Avoid covering a solid floor with layers that won't allow it to breathe.
- Don't block exterior air vents under suspended wooden floors; this will help keep the wood dry and extend its life.
Challenges in Choosing Materials
Because the enhanced thermal performance of the floor will be invisible after the renovation, even if the original floorboards are left exposed, listed building approval has no bearing on the material selection. While there are many insulation options out there, many of them aren't great for suspended floor upgrades.
It is normal practise to upgrade suspended floors with conventional foil-faced, impermeable (non-breathable) PIR/PUR boards, which can improve thermal performance in the near term. The insulation material's rigidity plus the method's lack of vapour absorption and diffusion slowing make it less than optimal.
Heritage buildings typically have joists that are not perfectly straight and even, making it difficult to fit rigid board insulation into the spaces between the timbers.
This leaves room for air to escape, decreasing the insulation's effectiveness. If the spaces are big enough, the insulation board pieces could fall through and land on the ground in the crawl space, defeating the purpose of the insulation.
Expanding foam is commonly used to fill the voids caused by this problem. Nonetheless, any structural movement could cause the gaps to reappear, so this treatment may just be a stopgap measure. Because these materials do not allow air to circulate through them, any moisture that makes its way into the floor during the building's lifetime will have a difficult time escaping.
Mineral wool is frequently utilised as an alternative to rigid board insulation due to its adaptability. With the help of some chicken wire or netting, this may be tucked away nicely between the joists.
While this addresses the problem of heat loss via the spaces, it may compromise the material's insulating characteristics by allowing cold air from the crawl space to "window-wash" through the unstructured fibres.
The level of thermal gain achieved with this method can be seriously compromised by substantial volumes of air flow into and through the insulation itself.
Standard Method
The insulating material specified for use in a suspended wood floor must provide good thermal performance, airtightness, and moisture management, while also allowing for some breathability, if the floor is to be used to mitigate heat loss.
Compared to the loose fibre insulation on the left, the optimal solution involves covering the insulation with membranes, much like a gore-tex jacket would be worn over a wool sweater.
This ensures that the project's goals are met without incurring any unanticipated costs (like those associated with window washing) or risks (like those posed by secondary issues like wet, moisture, and mould).
Ecological Building Systems' tried-and-true method for adding thermal efficiency to suspended timber flooring makes use of cutting-edge building fabric technology and naturally hygroscopic insulation materials. Structural timbers are kept in dry, stable condition thanks to this technology, which is also tough enough to endure structural movement and severe footfall.
Pro Clima Solitex Plus is first installed in the system. This windproof, permeable membrane reduces heat loss and prevents mould and decay by allowing moisture to escape from the joists. The membrane is wrapped up and over the joists to form a cradle for the insulation, and its strength ensures that it will remain in place throughout the installation's useful life without sagging.
Ten millimetre wide, eight millimetre deep galvanised staples are used to fasten the Solex Plus to the joists. Every 10 to 15 centimetres along the joist's bottom border, a staple should be utilised. After that, a timber batten should be set up on top for further strength and longevity.
Pro Clima Tescon Vana tape should be used to seal the overlaps of each membrane length, and Pro Clima Contega Solido SL airtight tape should be used to bind the perimeter edge of the membrane to the walls. Before you can apply the Solido SL tape to the wall, you'll need to prime it with Pro Clima Tescon Primer. If there is a region that is particularly challenging to tape over due to its extreme unevenness, try using Pro Clima Orcon F instead.
You'll need 1.5 times as much membrane as the floor's square footage because it will be wrapped up and over the joists to provide support for the insulation. If the floor area is 50 square metres, for instance, you need purchase 75 square metres (50 multiplied by 1.5) of Solitex Plus or Fronta WA to be safe.
Thermo Hemp Combi Jute, a natural, permeable, high-performance insulation with hygroscopic qualities that allows moisture to be released gradually, is excellent for use in this system because it helps to counteract the risk of condensation within the insulating layer. Thermo Hemp Combi Jute may be simply shaped and trimmed on-site to fit snugly between the joists.
The lack of proteins in its natural fibres makes it unappealing to insects as a food source, and the great density of the material counteracts any sagging that would occur with time. Insulation made from wood fibre, such as Gutex Thermoflex, is another option; it's dense and hygroscopic.
The airtightness membrane is placed on top of the natural, permeable insulation (figure 11). For this purpose, we advise using the tough Pro Clima DA membrane, which was created specifically for use beneath feet. This keeps the warm air and moisture inside the house and out of the frigid crawl space. Overlapping and taping each section of Pro Clima DA using Pro Clima Tescon Vana sealing tape is required.
Sealing the floor-to-wall contact where the Pro Clima DA membrane meets the perimeter walls using Pro Clima Contega Solido SL tape is the last and most important step in Ecological Building Systems' solution.
After the repairs and upgrades have been completed, the floorboards and skirting boards can be replaced. In conclusion, this approach guarantees lower energy costs and improved comfort without sacrificing the uniqueness or longevity of the floor.
How Much Will I Be Able to Put Away
It's smart to get multiple estimates for a job before committing to one company. Professionally insulating a timber floor, including filling the spaces between the floorboards and around the skirting, can cost anywhere from $500 and above, depending on the size and form of the room and the insulation material used.
The price of insulating a concrete floor can range from roughly $1,000 to well over $10,000, depending on factors like whether or not the concrete needs to be removed and whether or not any supplementary work needs to be done.
Adding insulation to a room can make it feel several degrees warmer during the winter and cut heating costs by about $70 annually. Looking for the best home repairs services? Look no further! Hitch Property Constructions has you covered.
If you install a timber floor and save this much money, it will take you around seven years to break even. Nevertheless, if you do the work yourself, you can save a lot of money and the insulation may pay for itself in about two years. The payback period for insulating a concrete floor, which may be as long as 14 years, will shrink as energy prices rise.
Expert Insulation of Floors
You can hire a professional to remove the floorboards, install the insulation, and then put the floorboards back down if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself. The cost will vary based on factors like the square footage of your house and how easily the floorboards can be accessed.
You must insulate a floor when you replace it in order to meet building rules, so if your solid concrete floor needs to be rebuilt, make sure your builder installs insulation beforehand.
Rigid insulation foam is installed on top of or beneath a concrete slab to insulate a solid floor. The concrete can act as a heat sink during the day and release it at night if it is placed above the insulation. If the insulation is above the concrete, the room will heat up more quickly in the morning.
Even if your solid floor doesn't look worn and is in good condition, you should still insulate it. The existing floor can have stiff insulation placed, and then chipboard flooring can be built on top of that. Since this will result in a higher overall floor level, it is imperative that door heights be reduced to accommodate the added insulation. Things like electrical outlets and baseboards might need to be moved.
Conclusion
Timber flooring must be acoustically treated and insulated to make homes more thermally efficient, keep heat for longer, and protect it from dampness. Retrofitting insulation between the joists is the best and most appropriate approach to insulate a suspended floor and increase airtightness. Insulation can reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as $70 annually for a single-family home and $40 annually for a duplex or townhouse. The most important details are that the insulation must provide good thermal performance, airtightness, and moisture management, while also allowing for some breathability, and that the optimal solution involves covering the insulation. Ecological Building Systems' method for adding thermal efficiency to suspended timber flooring uses cutting-edge building fabric technology and naturally hygroscopic insulation materials.
Ecological Building Systems' solution guarantees lower energy costs and improved comfort without sacrificing the uniqueness or longevity of the floor. Hitch Property Constructions offers expert insulation of floors to save money and reduce heating costs.
Content Summary
- Timber flooring installed in dwellings must be acoustically treated before installation.
- It's important to consider how insulation can make your home more thermally efficient, keep heat for longer, and protect it from dampness because heat loss like this is frequent in older buildings.
- The problem, then, is to insulate the floor without altering its unique character.
- It is also crucial that the process of insulating the flooring does not lead to wetness within the structure, since this would lead to corrosion and damage.
- Since then, heating the floors of historic buildings has been a challenge due to their lack of insulation and poor sealing.
- The floor is typically overlooked when it comes to thermal improvements, despite the fact that heat loss through the floor can be significantly greater than heat loss via the walls or the ceiling.
- It is also possible to easily retrofit a system consisting of insulation, an airtightness membrane, and a vapour control layer (VCL) into an existing suspended floor, making it both thermally efficient and airtight.
- Retrofitting insulation between the joists, beneath the floorboards, is the best and most appropriate approach to insulate a suspended floor and increase airtightness in most historic buildings.
- Specifying the insulation depth will guarantee the necessary thermal increase is made without compromising ventilation in the crawl space.
- Insulation is easier to install if you can get to it from below, like in a crawl space or basement.
- When this wears out, it can be replaced with insulation or solid insulation can be installed on top.
- You probably have a suspended timber floor if there are air bricks or ventilation bricks on the exterior wall(s) of your home below floor level.
- If you have a basement or cellar that you can access without putting yourself in danger, you should check it out to find out what kind of floor you have.
- Heritage buildings typically have joists that are not perfectly straight and even, making it difficult to fit rigid board insulation into the spaces between the timbers.
- Pro Clima Solitex Plus is first installed in the system.
- You'll need 1.5 times as much membrane as the floor's square footage because it will be wrapped up and over the joists to provide support for the insulation.
- The airtightness membrane is placed on top of the natural, permeable insulation (figure 11).
- Sealing the floor-to-wall contact where the Pro Clima DA membrane meets the perimeter walls using Pro Clima Contega Solido SL tape is the last and most important step in Ecological Building Systems' solution.
- After the repairs and upgrades have been completed, the floorboards and skirting boards can be replaced.
- Professionally insulating a timber floor, including filling the spaces between the floorboards and around the skirting, can cost anywhere from $500 and above, depending on the size and form of the room and the insulation material used.
- The price of insulating a concrete floor can range from roughly $1,000 to well over $10,000, depending on factors like whether or not the concrete needs to be removed and whether or not any supplementary work needs to be done.
- Adding insulation to a room can make it feel several degrees warmer during the winter and cut heating costs by about $70 annually.
- Nevertheless, if you do the work yourself, you can save a lot of money and the insulation may pay for itself in about two years.
- You must insulate a floor when you replace it in order to meet building rules, so if your solid concrete floor needs to be rebuilt, make sure your builder installs insulation beforehand.
- Rigid insulation foam is installed on top of or beneath a concrete slab to insulate a solid floor.
- If the insulation is above the concrete, the room will heat up more quickly in the morning.
- Even if your solid floor doesn't look worn and is in good condition, you should still insulate it.
