Any info on insulating under floorboards?

9 years ago

I'm planning a reception room refurb in my late Victorian terrace and after ripping up the old carpet will sand and varnish the floorboards. However, as I can feel a few drafts at floor level against the front wall, I was thinking about under-floorboard insulation as the first task.
I don't want to take off the skirting and take up all the boards to do this and have seen that there is a minimally invasive alternative where a few boards are taken up, then a sort of hammock is slung between and this is filled with eco friendly insulation material.
Anybody out there done the same? Any advice appreciated.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

Matthew Decorator
9 years ago
If your worried about the gaps you can get gap filling adhesive or alternatively sawdust/glue mixture

You apply either one keeping the edges smooth and clean then varnish over the top and it genuinely blends in very well
catnappin2
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks, Matthew, will definitely bear this in mind.
Related Discussions
Floorboards as main floor? (No sub-floor)
Q
Comments (5)
Like Sam I have original floorboards. The boards are nailed to a frame, and downstairs there is just a gap of about 1 foot between the floorboards and the soil below! However, I think you could get a carpenter to lay a solid floor onto the subframe, as has been laid in older houses like mine for hundreds of years. So yes, floorboards can be attached to the joists. That way the floor can be one level throughout the house. It may be a little bit draughty but I think it will be the best option for you. Accessibility is the key I would imagine, not noise levels or drafts.
...See More
original floorboards HELP!
Q
Comments (31)
as mentioned before, the exposed pine floorboards are the structural element of your floor. They were fitted to support a membrane and carpet on top. Pine floorboards were not designed to be walked on directly. Pine is a type softwood, easy to mark and stain. Planks are not tongue and grooved and therefore there will always be a bit of draft. They do look rustic and "original" but especially on ground floors you may find that have technical limitations. Also they were fitted sideway, whereas longways fitted boards enhance the room length
...See More
Damp proof (membrane) for floorboards
Q
Comments (5)
Firstly check where dump comes from. No point in replacing the floorboards if then there is too much moisture. Replace all damaged floorboards and make sure joists are sound and stable. Then you can add a damp proof membrane over the pine floorboards. Then you can add the underlay and the floating hardwood flooring on top. Solid wood flooring is the worst option in areas where there is moisture. We strongly recommend quality engineered flooring instead. This is a rather complex job if done properly. The installation of the damp proof membrane is crucial obviously and to do a good job you should remove the skirting boards. damp proof membranes are available from may retailers https://www.screwfix.com/p/capital-valley-plastics-ltd-damp-proof-membrane-black-1000ga-4-x-25m/88322 and all have more or less the same specs. The DPM is indeed required to damp proof anything above the structural floor. There is nothing you can do on the structural pine board other than making sure there is no water leakage and there is good ventilation. hope this helps
...See More
Neighbour says floorboards are vibrating
Q
Comments (6)
Thanks everyone for your feedback. Definitely don't think it's the washing machine - we ourselves have an upstairs neighbor and it's very obvious when their machine's on. Our whole ceiling practically vibrates, as I'm sure does the downstairs neighbour's when ours is on. The downstairs neighbour insists the noise happens when we're walking around, I did offer to go down to their flat but they didn't take me up on it. Even if they did and I heard the noise, I'd haven't the first clue whatsoever about what it could be nor whom to call to fix it. Before this flat we only ever lived in new-build blocks so I'm totally clueless in terms of what's normal for an old terrace like this. Surely the most prudent thing to do would be to call a professional, have him go into their flat, diagnose the noise, and put together an action plan. If it means a fix through my floor, so be it. Does anyone know what kind of tradesperson would be able to identify the problem?
...See More
CWD
6 years ago
Catnappin2 - what did you do in the end and how did that work out? We are in same position now - renovating Edwardian house, all original floorboards, lots of draughts coming up from below. We want to insulate between joists, but builders say all floorboards need to come up to achieve that. We are taking down the ceilings in the downstairs rooms to re-do and will put insulation into the ceiling so we don't need to lift the upstairs floorboards - will this be enough insulation (along with new central heating/radiators) so that we won't need to insulate under the ground floor??

Anyone got any experience of this and what's worked?
catnappin2
Original Author
6 years ago
Hi. I got a quote for the under board hammock solution, which although I now can't remember the costs, I do remember I dismissed it as too much! So we went with the glue/sawdust option. There are still some draughts in the winter where the boards meet the outside wall, but in the cold months we put a kovely, large rug down...which gets the cats' approval too.

We did the same in the bedroom above, just with smaller area rugs, which give the 'country' look I like.

Our rooms are not enormous and with good heating we are certainly toasty enough, so it depends on just how draughty your rooms are and if you do/don't like the rug idea...if you have the budget you might prefer the hammock approach.

Good luck with your renovations...we're tackling the kitchen/utility now...granite work tops arriving tomorrow!
CWD
6 years ago
Thanks for the update! Good to know that you haven't had to lay thick carpet everywhere to get away from the draughts. We will definitely have rugs down, so maybe that's enough with the new heating/radiators. Good luck with the kitchen reno!

Any info on insulating under floorboards?

Comments (5)

Matthew Decorator

catnappin2
Original Author

Related Discussions

CWD

catnappin2
Original Author

CWD

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Any info on insulating under floorboards?

Comments (5)

Matthew Decorator

catnappin2Original Author

Related Discussions

CWD

catnappin2Original Author

CWD

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

catnappin2
Original Author

catnappin2
Original Author