How To Insulate Below Concrete Floors

The method shown above is the best way to insulate a concrete floor without digging it up and laying it again with insulation added below the finished surface.

How to insulate below concrete floors.

An uninsulated or under insulated basement floor is a major source of heat loss in the home. Why it s important to insulate a concrete floor in the basement. Check out this article for a list of slab edge insulation solutions and episode 125 for my interview with henry edney of maxraft. Up to 80 of heat loss in a floor slab occurs around the edges.

But it isn t cheap and it can cause additional problems such as raising the floor level too much. Most people know the benefits of insulating a home s wall floors and ceilings. If your concrete floor is for industrial or heavy duty applications then any insulation you use needs to have a high compressive strength to take the weight of whatever is above. The panels can be applied to every surface from floors to walls to ceilings.

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. This allows an area for insulation and fill material under the slab. Overlap the seams about 6 to 8 inches and seal the seams with waterproof construction tape. The first thing to consider when looking into different types of concrete floors is why it s so important to insulate the floor slab.

Adding insulation under the concrete floor requires the same skill set and equipment as forming and pouring the concrete slab. Run the polyethylene up the sides of the walls 3 to 4 inches and secure to the walls with construction tape. But fewer know that a. Insofast s insulation panels provide an easy way to insulate a cold concrete floor.

Three key benefits of insulating the concrete floors in the basement are heat loss prevention moisture prevention and a higher level of comfort. How to insulate a concrete floor before pouring. Insulating concrete garage floors begins with covering the entire floor with 6 mil polyethylene which will serve as a vapor barrier. 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.

Step 1 excavate the area under the slab to 12 inches below the planned level of the top of the slab. Insofast is a diyers dream a simple way to install insulation needing only a hand saw utility knife and caulking gun.