Proper insulation is essential if you have a timber floor in your home. In simple terms, these floors can lead to the loss of heat during winter and heat gain on hot days. Consequently, the interior space heating and cooling expenses can be quite high. Therefore, if you would like to keep your home comfortable while ensuring that your electrical bills are manageable, you should plan on insulating your underfloor. Here are crucial tips to prepare for efficient underfloor insulation.
Inspect for Hazards
Underfloor insulation involves the placement of the insulating material beneath the timber flooring. Simply speaking, the insulation will be stapled to the bottom surface of the wood. If your floor is relatively new, this process is quite simple. The installer will only need to place the material and attach it onto the wood. However, if the floor has some hazardous materials, you must plan for mitigation first.
For instance, if your house is old, there might be asbestos in the subfloor. In this case, insulation cannot take place without complete removal of the dangerous material. If you proceed without removing the asbestos, you will cause environmental contamination. It is also advisable to delay your project if the underfloor has just been treated for termites. Additionally, check for electrical hazards before beginning the work.
Check the Clearance
Adequate clearance is essential for the placement of the insulation. In general, someone will need to access the area below the house for the purpose of installing the underfloor insulation. If there is insufficient clearance, it will be difficult to effectively insulate the entire subfloor. Most houses will have at least knee-high clearance which is enough for access. However, if your floor has a strange terrain, there might be inaccessible areas. If this is the case in your home, you can have your installers dig a little to increase clearance, or you can just ignore the inaccessible area.
Choose Your Insulation
You should choose the best underfloor insulation to provide thermal protection in your home. The right insulation will provide adequate insulation and prolonged service after placement. When shopping for an ideal product, you should look for blankets or batts intended for underfloor use. These will be more effective because they can withstand adverse conditions well. Also, the material should have a high insulation value for better thermal protection. In addition, you should consider standards compliance and insulation area size before purchase.
Insulating your underfloor can be a difficult and time-consuming process. Therefore, if you are planning on conducting this project, choose experienced contractors.
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