How To Insulate Under A Concrete Floor

An uninsulated or under insulated basement floor is a major source of heat loss in the home.

How to insulate under a concrete floor.

The panels can be applied to every surface from floors to walls to ceilings. Where the heating is likely to be turned on and off such as in new build domestic properties and a faster thermal response is required the floating floor arrangement of. In addition to offering insulation and energy savings the plywood subfloor described here can provide the perfect foundation for finish flooring such as carpeting adding warmth in look as. Insofast easily exceeds the compressive strength requirements.

Why it s important to insulate a concrete floor in the basement. Typically the insulation would be situated below the slab and below the damp proof membrane for heavy duty use whilst normal domestic buildings would have a. Run the polyethylene up the sides of the walls 3 to 4 inches and secure to the walls with construction tape. Overlap the seams about 6 to 8 inches and seal the seams with waterproof construction tape.

This allows an area for insulation and fill material under the slab. Insulating concrete garage floors begins with covering the entire floor with 6 mil polyethylene which will serve as a vapor barrier. The average residential load bearing code requirement for floor system is 40psf. Step 1 excavate the area under the slab to 12 inches below the planned level of the top of the slab.

Three key benefits of insulating the concrete floors in the basement are heat loss prevention moisture prevention and a higher level of comfort. Adding insulation under the concrete floor requires the same skill set and equipment as forming and pouring the concrete slab. If the concrete floor is dry and reasonably level insulate directly on top with a rigid foam insulation that is impervious to moisture air leakage and radon gas. The first thing to consider when looking into different types of concrete floors is why it s so important to insulate the floor slab.

Insulation below the slab suits continuous low level heating gradually warming the thermal mass of the concrete and sustaining it at a consistent temperature. Check out this article for a list of slab edge insulation solutions and episode 125 for my interview with henry edney of maxraft. Insulating a concrete floor can save you money on your heating bill making an attached garage or basement warmer and by extension the rest of your house. Up to 80 of heat loss in a floor slab occurs around the edges.

The floor insulation can be placed under the slab or between the slab and the floor screed. If the basement floor is wet hire a professional find the source of the problem and fix it before doing anything.