Insulation, Radiant and Vapor Barriers - floor insulation in cottage

Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.




View Full Version : floor insulation in cottage


nancyandrews
01-18-03, 07:04 PM
My cottage has an eight-inch crawl space. I have insulated around the perimeter with blue styrofoam. My floors are still cold. I want to change the flooring and wonder what would be the best way to improve the warmth of the floors. I have pets so I do not want to put down a carpet. I am wondering if should rip up the present floor and insulate or to put down a vapor barrier, insulate and a new subfloor. What kind of insulation should I use? What are the pros and cons of the different methods? Thank you for your help.I have a gas fireplace that heats my 800 square foot cottage. I am looking for a relatively inexpensive method.


Mike Swearingen
01-19-03, 04:50 AM
Does your cottage have forced air heat?
An 8" crawlspace in a small cottage wouldn't be too hard to warm up with a small heat duct into it, if it is sealed well and has rigid insulation around it.
If you could do that, it would be less expensive than removing and rebuilding the subflooring and flooring.
However, if you want to change the floor and the expense is of no concern, you could remove the floor and subfloor to the floor joists.
Then install 6" fiberglass insutaltion batts with vapor barrier up (toward heated space) stapled to the tops of the floor joists.
Then, new 3/4" subfloor plywood, a layer of 30-lb felt vapor barrier, and then your flooring level.
If you wanted a floating hardwood floor, you could install its padding over the felt. If you wanted a glue-down type hardwood floor, you could install another 5/8" layer of plywood over the felt, and then glue to flooring to the screwed-and-glued down (Liquid Nails) flooring plywood.
Just a couple of alternatives.
Good Luck!
Mike