Floor insulation is indispensable if you want to live in a comfortable and economical way. By insulating the floor with floor insulation boards or PUR spray, you can save 15 to 20% on your energy bill. This is a great advantage, especially on the long run.
Possible materials for floor insulation
Several floor insulation materials are available: they all have their own specific applications. In case of application on the open ground (underneath the bearing floor), one generally uses polystyrene boards (XPS). These are resistant to pressure and they can bear a lot of weight. Moreover, XPS is well-protected against damp. Other types of synthetic foam boards – like PUR and PIR – are very suitable on top of levelling screed. As these materials insulate very well (even if they are thin), the construction height of the floor can remain limited.
Polyurethane (PUR) floor insulation boards
PUR (polyurethane) is one of the best insulating materials. It is used for several kinds of insulation purposes and available in both a liquid or solid shape.
Floor insulation boards that are made of PUR are pressure-resistant and especially designed for installation on levelling screed. Next, the reinforced floor finishing can be installed on top of the insulation.
There are also insulation boards which are provided with an integrated chipboard. These are especially suited to insulate and finish a ceiling floor. As these boards are immediately walkable, the insulation can be installed in no time. So you do not necessarily need to install a wooden floor finishing in this case.
Polyurethane spray
Polyurethane spray has got an average lambda value of 0.026 W/mK. The big advantage of sprayed PUR is the fact that the insulation can be applied seamlessly. This implies that the tubes in the floor will be perfectly encapsulated. As the insulation foam is walkable immediately after application, the work can be executed quickly.
The floor can actually be completed after just one day. It is also possible to combine sprayed polyurethane with solid insulation boards. A disadvantage, as compared to insulation boards, is that you cannot apply PUR yourself. The insulation value is slightly lower as well.
Thickness of the insulation
When using floor insulation boards, you will need enough construction height. The floor actually consists of several layers and the available space is not always big enough to apply a thick layer of insulation. The total floor construction usually exists of:
Because of the floor construction, many people opt for PUR spray insulation in the case of a new-build house. This insulation layer then functions as a levelling layer at the same time. As a result, you save space and the height of the floor construction remains small. Obviously, you can also choose a combination of sprayed polyurethane and floor insulation boards.
How much energy can you save with insulation boards?
The amount of energy you can save by using floor insulation boards, depends on the type of floor insulation and the building’s heating method. In general, the combination of floor insulation and floor heating achieves the highest savings. A smaller amount of warmth will get lost through the floor then.
Thanks to the insulation, heat can be transmitted way more efficiently. By applying floor insulation, you can easily save 15 to 25% of energy. In case of an average household, this comes down to an annual saving of approximately £85 to £110. So floor insulation will have a significant impact, especially on the longer term.
Cost of floor insulation boards
The price of floor insulation boards ranges between £4.5 and £17.5 per square metre. Especially XPS boards are quite expensive due to high production costs. However, as they are resistant to pressure, they can be applied directly beneath the floor finishing. Generally, polystyrene is the cheapest material, followed by PUR and PIR. Keep in mind that a professional installation will entail extra costs.
Do you want to have your floor insulated with floor insulation boards? Via our online quote service, you can request free and non-binding price quotes from specialised insulation companies. Click here to go to the quotation page.
Floor insulation in the crawl space
Do you have a crawl space? In that case, it is definitely advisable to have this room insulated. How this should be done, depends on the available space. If there is enough workable space, the floor can be insulated with floor insulation boards or with special insulation batts provided with a vapour barrier.
However, if the crawl space is barely accessible, you can also choose to have it filled with special insulation chips. These are small and light chips of polystyrene, which are blown into the crawl space. By insulating the crawl space, you can save 10 to 15 % on the heating costs.
Comfort-enhancing
A warm floor feels much more comfortable on your feet than a cold floor. A non-insulated concrete floor usually has a temperature of 11°C. By installing insulation floor boards, this temperature can rise with 4 or 5 degrees.
This is especially the case in combination with floor heating and when you are walking barefoot. Furthermore, the temperature in the house will be preserved longer. You won’t have to deal with rising damp from the crawl space either. So, a well-insulated floor generates much more than just a lower energy bill.
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