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Insulating below a floor Steve Barker LT 11-10-2006
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Posted by Malcolm Hoar on November 11, 2006, 11:18 pm


>
>>
>> Other than that, the air itself will provide decent insulation.
>>
>> -kevin
>
>If that is true, why don't they just leave the air space between the
>sheathing and drywall in a house? Why do we waste money putting up all the
>fiberglass?

1. There's typically a lot more outside wall than there is
floor (in terms of square feet). More heat loss.

2. Because warm air rises and the walls are therefore
normally a lot warmer than the floor. More heat loss.

3. And most of all, because the outside walls are subject
to the wind chill effect. More heat loss. The floor is
insulated by the dirt and rock -- quite a few feet of
it too ;-)

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| malch@malch.com Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Posted by Edwin Pawlowski on November 12, 2006, 12:55 am



>
> 3. And most of all, because the outside walls are subject
> to the wind chill effect. More heat loss. The floor is
> insulated by the dirt and rock -- quite a few feet of
> it too ;-)

But the earth is cooler than the inside air. As long as it is cooler, is not
Insulated, it is drawing heat. Insulation helps. Energy efficient homes are
built with 1" or 2" of insulation under the slab.

I agree that other places have much more heat loss, but over time, loss is
loss and if you can stop it you save money. Don't just take my word for it.

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/bp_insulation/article/0,2617,HPRO_20150_3463250,00.html

http://www.buildingscience.com/resources/foundations/renovating_your_basement.pdf

https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/b2c/b2c/init.do?language=en&shop=Z01EN&areaID=0000000042&productID=00000000420000000051



Posted by Malcolm Hoar on November 12, 2006, 1:34 pm


>
>>
>> 3. And most of all, because the outside walls are subject
>> to the wind chill effect. More heat loss. The floor is
>> insulated by the dirt and rock -- quite a few feet of
>> it too ;-)
>
>But the earth is cooler than the inside air. As long as it is cooler, is not
>Insulated, it is drawing heat. Insulation helps.

Sure, more is always better. Insulatio ad absurdum.

>Energy efficient homes are built with 1" or 2" of insulation under the slab.

But the OP doesn't have a slab.

Besides, what is 1" or 2" of insulation under a slab? It's
effectively 1" or 2" of air.

The OP already has that and more.

>I agree that other places have much more heat loss, but over time, loss is
>loss and if you can stop it you save money.

It generally costs money to insulate and some of those
investments can pay for themselves very quickly. Others
never recoup the initial cost.

And if inappropriately installed insulation creates or
contributes to moisture problems, rot and mold one has
a highly negative return.

>Don't just take my word for it.
>
>http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/bp_insulation/article/0,2617,HPRO_20150_3463250,00.
>html
>
>http://www.buildingscience.com/resources/foundations/renovating_your_basement.p
>df
>
>https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/b2c/b2c/init.do?language=en&shop=Z01EN&areaID=000
>0000042&productID=00000000420000000051

Since the OP doesn't have a basement or a slab I'm not
sure what point these links are trying to make.


--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| malch@malch.com Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Posted by yourname on November 13, 2006, 1:46 pm


Malcolm Hoar wrote:
>
>>
>>>3. And most of all, because the outside walls are subject
>>> to the wind chill effect. More heat loss. The floor is
>>> insulated by the dirt and rock -- quite a few feet of
>>> it too ;-)
>>
>>But the earth is cooler than the inside air. As long as it is cooler, is not
>>Insulated, it is drawing heat. Insulation helps.
>
>
> Sure, more is always better. Insulatio ad absurdum.
>
>
>>Energy efficient homes are built with 1" or 2" of insulation under the slab.
>
>
> But the OP doesn't have a slab.
>
> Besides, what is 1" or 2" of insulation under a slab? It's
> effectively 1" or 2" of air.
>
> The OP already has that and more.
>
>
>>I agree that other places have much more heat loss, but over time, loss is
>>loss and if you can stop it you save money.
>
>
> It generally costs money to insulate and some of those
> investments can pay for themselves very quickly. Others
> never recoup the initial cost.
>
> And if inappropriately installed insulation creates or
> contributes to moisture problems, rot and mold one has
> a highly negative return.
>
>
>>Don't just take my word for it.
>>
>>http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/bp_insulation/article/0,2617,HPRO_20150_3463250,00.
>>html
>>
>>http://www.buildingscience.com/resources/foundations/renovating_your_basement.p
>>df
>>
>>https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/b2c/b2c/init.do?language=en&shop=Z01EN&areaID=000
>>0000042&productID=00000000420000000051
>
>
> Since the OP doesn't have a basement or a slab I'm not
> sure what point these links are trying to make.
>
>
Don't listen to these people, insulate.

As far as venting etc, you are chinging things from what they were over
the last 150 years, so things will change....

If you are worried about moisture etc, use foam.


Posted by Eric in North TX on November 11, 2006, 8:45 am



Been there done that, pointless waste of time and materials. The floors
were nearly, if not, as cold after the install. We did a good job &
hung R-19 between the joists with chicken wire to hold it in place.
Warm air rises, cold air sinks you aren't really changing anything.


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