Is It Worth Insulating Under Basement Floor

You want the most insulation in the attic tapering down to the base.

Is it worth insulating under basement floor.

Nothing good will come from insulating on top of a wet basement floor. To get the highest r value completely fill the cavities between the joists. The old adage an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure really means something in a basement. Once the basement is prepped choose an insulation to reduce heat loss and moisture transfer from the slab.

If you can t afford to fix the problem or don t want to invest the money do not insulate the floor. Address uneven floors prior to installing any floor system the low spots should be fixed with concrete patch or floor leveler. To enclose the space in a thermal envelope. Insulation projects are often focused on exterior walls and attics.

And i do think that insulating floors is a good idea and in fact in most building codes they require floors to be insulated. What s an effective economical method for insulating the floor of a cottage on piers. If you have an insulated floor you re going to find that that floor surface is a lot warmer than it is right now. Buildings tend to lose heat in descending amounts form the top down.

I posted on the basement insulation site but i ve developed my thinking a little more and now ponder whether this would work for the concrete basement floor that i very much want to finish in ceramic tile 6 poly 1 xps foam 3 4 advantech 1 2 hardibacker thinset and 1 4 tile. While insulating these areas is important homeowners can also save money on their heating and cooling costs if they insulate the space under their floors. Insulation also helps to preserve the air quality and reduce energy costs. For homes without basements and those with unheated cellars adding insulation can bring heating costs.

If the basement floor is wet hire a professional find the source of the problem and fix it before doing anything. Underfloor insulation can take a variety of forms. Floors above cold spaces such as vented crawl spaces and unheated garages. While it is always a good idea to insulate concrete slabs you don t need to do so especially in your climate.

Filling the spaces between the floor joists under the cottage with insulation batts is the simplest and most cost effective method. Also insulate 4a any portion of the floor in a room that is cantilevered beyond the exterior wall below. You know we re kidding about the cold feet but it really is true. There are two types of crawl spaces ventilated and unventilated and each requires its own form of insulation.

For that matter don t do anything. 4c as an alternative to floor insulation foundation walls of unvented crawl spaces. 4b slab floors built directly on the ground.