Floor Insulation

Older homes are more likely to have suspended timber floors. Timber floors can
be insulated by lifting the floorboards and laying mineral wool insulation supported by
netting between the joists. Many homes especially newer ones will have a ground
floor made of solid concrete. This can be insulated when it needs to be replaced, or can
have rigid insulation laid on top.
You do not need to insulate the floors of upstairs rooms in your house if they're
above heated spaces (like the living room). But you should think about insulating
any floors that are above unheated spaces such as garages, as you could be losing a
lot of heat through those.

Savings

Insulating and draught-proofing your floor can be a cost-effective energy-saving

measure, especially if you are able to do some or all of the work yourself.
England, Scotland and Wales
Solid Floor Insulation

Detached

Semi detached

Mid terrace

Bungalow

Fuel bill savings (/year)

70 - 90

40 - 55

30 - 40

65 - 80

Carbon dioxide savings

(kgCO2/year)

300 - 370 kg

180 - 220 kg

120 - 150 kg

270 - 330 kg

Typical installation cost*

From 950 to 2,200

Suspended Timber Floor

Insulation

Detached

Semi detached

Mid terrace

Bungalow

Fuel bill savings (/year)

75 - 95

45 - 55

30 - 45

65 - 85

Carbon dioxide savings

(kgCO2/year)

320 - 380 kg

190 - 230 kg

140 - 170 kg

280 - 340 kg

Typical installation cost*

From 300 to 750

Estimates based on insulating a gas-heated home. *Costs may vary significantly depending
on level of work required.
Source: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/domestic/floor

Thermal bridging occurs where a solid building elements continues from the
inside to the outside of the structure, conducting heat out or cold in. It severely
compromises the value of the work and can lead to cold spots and condensation.
The above diagrams show how to apply insulation around the edges of building
elements to prevent thermal bridging. Also consider in each case where the airtightness
layer beneath the floor next to the one in the walls around the edges. The airtightness
layer prevents unwanted draught infiltration. It can be pictured as a continuous envelope
around the building.
For example, in the diagram above for underfloor heating, which shows how the
membrane laps up the side of the insulation behind the skirting board, it should then go
behind, or be taped to, the plasterboard or plaster on the walls.
In the diagram above illustrating insulation beneath a solid floor, where it goes
underneath the wall to the outside, it should then connect to any render covering the
wall.

Best insulation material to use to insulate a floor

The graph above shows the relative thermal conductivity (k-value) of some
insulants which might be considered for underfloor insulation. The standard choice is
phenolic foam, XPS or EPS, but these are not ideal in an eco-home, as it is not a natural
material but non-breathable and a product of the fossil fuel industry.
Phenolic foam, EPS, polyisocyanurate and XPS should only be used if space is
a absolute premium. As can be seen, batts of woodfibre or mineral wool are almost as
good as EPS. Cellulose is also ideal if the insulant does not have to be load-bearing.
This is made of recycled newsprint. Granulated cork has also been used.
We will now look at how to deal with each type of floor in turn.

How to insulate a concrete floor

If a floor is being excavated and replaced, this is a perfect opportunity to improve

the standard of insulation. A U-value of 0.2W/m2K can be achieved for a typical semidetached dwelling using around 100mm of air-based insulation and careful detailing.
Better U-values could be achieved with the same thickness of higher performance
materials, or a deeper thickness of the same material.
Insulation can be added over the existing concrete slab or under a new one.
o

Above the concrete slab

If the insulation is placed above the slab, the room will warm up more quickly
when the heating is switched on, but cool down more quickly too this applies to all
internal insulation.
It will also affect the floor level, which has an impact on door openings, stairs and
other fixtures. This is why phenolic foam is the most common solution in this instance,
because it can achieve greater insulation for less depth.
In this case, the damp proof membrane goes above the concrete. Moisture
resistant chipboard goes on top, beneath the flooring surface. Leave room for expansion
around the edges.
o

Below the concrete slab

Insulation below the slab is generally better, especially in a warm south-facing

room, since the concrete helps absorb heat and limits overheating.
The damp proof membrane is placed over a layer of sand to prevent it being
punctured by sharp stones. As it also serves as an airtightness membrane, it laps up the
sides of the walls to link to the plaster or plasterboard.
Insulation goes on top of this and around the edges, and concrete is poured on
top of that. If underfloor heating is being used, which is fixed to the top of the concrete
mix, and then a small amount of concrete poured on top of that. The floorcovering can
be either tiles or floorboards, but any timber should be left in the room for some weeks
with the heating on before being laid to prevent it warping.

How much insulation do I need for a concrete floor?

Source: http://www.superhomes.org.uk/resources/insulate-a-floor/

Floor Construction

Ground Floors
Preference 1 Hollow ceramic elements
Preference 2 Hollow concrete elements with reclaimed aggregate or limestone
Preference 3 Solid concrete with reclaimed aggregate or limestone
Not recommended Solid concrete without replacement for gravel

Tiled floors and floors made of hollow concrete elements demand less material
and use less energy than a solid concrete floor. With concrete elements a high saving
(50%) can also be made on the use of steel reinforcement. One advantage of ceramic
elements is that raw materials required are more common than those needed for
concrete elements. The use of reclaimed aggregate (from demolition waste) or limestone
as a substitute for gravel lessens the depletion of the gravel supply and the effect on the
landscape that gravel extraction causes. The use of reclaimed aggregate together with
hollow concrete elements is, however, hardly possible. Optimising the quantity of
material is preferable to the use of reclaimed aggregate.

Ground Floor Insulation

Preference 1 Mineral wool, EPS
Preference 2 Foamed glass
Preference 3 Perlite
Not recommended Extruded polystyrene, PUR

The production process of mineral wool and expanded polystyrene (EPS)

requires less energy and results in a smaller emission of noxious substances than the

production process of the skin and mucous membranes must be protected against
foamed glass and perlite. The fibres can cause irritation when mineral wool is used.
PUR and extruded polystyrene are considerably more harmful to the environment
than mineral wool. The use of (H)CFCs as foaming agents for extruded polystyrene and
PUR should be avoided because of the damage caused to the ozone layer.
The insulation layer must meet certain requirements in its compressibility
because of its prefabricated stone flooring elements. With mineral wool this means that
a special hard-pressed variety is required. Attention must be paid to how the insulation
layer is fixed to the concrete elements.

Party Floors
Preference 1 Wooden elements
Preference 2 Hollow ceramic and concrete elements with reclaimed aggregate
Preference 3 Concrete with reclaimed aggregate
Not recommended Concrete without reclaimed aggregate

Wood is a renewable material, whereas the raw material required for concrete
are scarce and their extraction affects the landscape. A wooden floor also requires less
material than a stone one, and causes less problems for waste disposal than a concrete
floor.
The use of wooden in up floors requires extra consideration in the specification
with regard to sound insulation. A floating floor and/or a suspended false ceiling is
desirable. The availability of ceramic and hollow concrete elements with reclaimed
aggregate is at present unproblematic.

Balconies
Preference 1 Sustainable durable wood elements
Preference 2 Sectional steel, aluminium
Preference 3 Prefabricated concrete with reclaimed aggregate
Not recommended Concrete without rubble, tropical wood

Balconies are generally badly affected by moisture, which demands the use of a
durable material. Wood with a Class II durability rating does not need to be treated when
used externally. Wood is a renewable material and degrades well in the decomposition
phase. Sectional steel and aluminium elements can be reused at a later stage, but steel
must be treated to prevent corrosion. The extraction and production of aluminium is
harmful to the environment, particulary because its high energy content. Aluminium, like
steel, is eminently reusable.
Prefabricated concrete with reclaimed aggregate is not as favourable as the
alternatives mentioned above with regard to the raw materials used, but it is an obvious
choice for use in combination with a concrete support structure. The life-span is
estimated to be greater than that of other alternatives. Prefabricated concrete is
preferable to concrete cast on site because the factory uses less material and causes
less pollution.
Comments: A wooden balcony can be used in many cases, but is less in line with
present buildings practice than the use of reclaimed aggregate concrete. As a result, the
price of a wooden balcony is therefore considerably higher than that of a prefabricated
concrete element.

Floor covering
Preference 1 Linoleum
Preference 2 Ceramic tiles
Not recommended Vinyl

Linoleum is preferable to tiles as a floor covering in rooms. Linoleum consists of

renewable raw materials, such as cork, linseed oil and jute, and its degrability is good,
depending on the finish.
Ceramic tiles are made of the les renewable material clay, with additives for,
among other purposes, colour and hardness. They have much greater energy content
because of the firing process, and offer the advantage of being harder and therefore less
vulnerable to damage.
Source: Handbook of sustainable building An environmental Preference Method for Selection of
Mterials for use in Construction and Refurbishment (David Anink, Chiel Boonstra, John Mak)

Sustainable Flooring Solutions

Sleeving air vents or underfloor ventilators

The most commom method is to insert the insulation between the floor joists. If
there is insufficient crawl space below the joists there is no alternative but to remove the
floor boards or sheet covering to achieve a meaningful degree of insulation.
For solid concrete floors, there is no alternative but to place the insulation material
on top of the slab. To realize a meaningful improvement in thermal efficiency will
necessitate raising the floor level by at least 80mm using a rigid insulant, such as cellular
glass. Ideally, the floor covering should be removed exposing the screed. May be
necessary to make good the screed with a sand and cement mix to achieve a smooth,
level of surface. An insulant with high compressive strength such as Foomglas
floorboards is then laid on the screed. A polyethylene vapour barrier must be laid over
the insulation and beneath a chipboard subfloor. The finish is optional.
Source: eco-refurbishment A guide to saving and producing energy in the home (Peter F. Smith)

Window Frames and doors

Window frames
Preference 1 Sustainable, durable wood, untreated softwood
Preference 2 Softwood with solid borate implant
Preference 3 Aluminium, preserved softwood recycled PVC
Not recommended Tropical wood, PVC

The production process of an aluminium or PVC frame is much more

environmentally damaging than that of a wooden frame. Recycled PVC means a
substantial fraction has been recycled. Alternatively, future recycling should be
guaranteed. Poor quality softwood, requiring large amounts of preservative, was much
used in the 1960s and 70s, and softwood gained a poor reputation. Today, thought
softwood frames are often of high quality, the practice of using large amounts of
preservative remaisn, resulting in much over preserved softwood. The use of more

durable woods is one possible solution. Untreatated softwood frames are also a possible
solution, provided that the quality of the selected wood, the specification and finish has
received sufficient attention for their durability to be about the same as that of treated
frames.

Door frames
Preference 1 Sustainable, durable wood, untreated softwood
Preference 2 Softwood with solid borate implant, sustainable plywood
Preference 3 Aluminium, preserved softwood, recycled PVC
Not recommended Tropical wood, PVC

Wooden external doors may be treated with harmful preservatives in order to

prevent wood decay when damp is a factor needing to be considered. Durable woods
are less environmentally damaging than the alternatives.
Untreated softwood doors, in which the quality of the wood, the specification and
finish have been carefully safeguarded, are also satisfactory. A plywood door is also a
possible alternative, but its disadvantage lies in the use of adhesive which can be harmful
to the environment.
Glazing
Preference 1 Argon-filled, LE-glazing
Preference 2 Air-filled, LE-glazing
Preference 3 Double glazing
Not recommended single glazing

Source: Handbook of sustainable building An environmental Preference Method for Selection of Mterials
for use in Construction and Refurbishment (David Anink, Chiel Boonstra, John Mak)

http://www.wbdg.org/resources/windows.php
http://www.psfk.com/2015/02/r-951-solar-powered-brooklyn-passive-house.html
http://www.theyellowhouse.org.uk/eco-prin/princip.html
http://www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk/page--passivhaus-diaries.html
https://vimeo.com/74294955