As a homeowner, you may know a little bit about insulation and what it does. You probably even know that your attic and walls should be insulated. But what about the floors? Keep reading to learn more about installing insulation under your flooring.
Is Underfloor Insulation Worth It?
Energy efficiency and quality underfloor insulation go hand in hand. Heat can escape when floors aren’t properly insulated, leading to higher utility bills.
Retrofit insulation can help address this issue by adding adequate underfloor insulation to your existing property.
Insulating your underfloor space offers several advantages, including:
- Improved thermal barrier: This provides a thermal barrier to prevent unwanted heat loss in winter and heat gain during summer.
- Increased comfort: Underfloor insulation also directly impacts the overall comfort of your home. Insulating your floors keeps them warmer and more comfortable to walk on during the winter, and it helps make your living area cozier and more inviting.
- Moisture control: It can also reduce your home’s moisture and humidity levels, which is especially beneficial for areas like Washington, DC that can get humid and damp in the summer.
- Reduced drafts: Insulating the floor helps to seal gaps and cracks where cold air can enter and warm air can escape.
- Energy efficiency: By preventing heat loss through the floor, underfloor insulation reduces the workload on your heating and cooling systems. This leads to lower energy consumption and can significantly reduce your utility bills.
Should I Insulate Under My Floor?
It’s a good question and one we often hear. Floors above cold spaces — like vented crawl spaces and unheated garages — should be insulated, but don’t forget about under the flooring. This will help ensure maximum energy efficiency for your home.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, it’s ideal to insulate:
- Slab floors built directly on the ground
- Foundation walls of unvented crawl spaces (as an alternative to floor insulation)
An insulated slab is easy to heat, and placing its mass in your house’s thermal envelope helps keep interior temperatures comfortable. Most slab insulation is done during home construction.
While insulating a slab in an existing home can be more expensive and invasive, it’s possible to dig around the perimeter of the house and install insulation, typically foam board.
Insulating the exterior edge of a slab can reduce heating bills by 10 to 20% in many homes. Foam-in-place insulation can also be blown under floors to help insulate and reduce air leakage.
It’s also a good idea to install an air barrier — caulk, foam sealant, etc. — to help prevent cold air in the garage from “short-circuiting” the insulation under the subfloor.
Get an Insulation Inspection with Accurate Insulation
A comprehensive insulation inspection is the best way to ensure your floors are properly insulated. At Accurate Insulation, our team will thoroughly assess your property to identify any areas where insulation may be lacking or improperly installed.
We’ll address any deficiencies we find and retrofit your property with the underfloor insulation it needs to remain energy-efficient and comfortable all year.
Underfloor Insulation in Maryland & DC
If you’re in the Washington, DC metro area, call the team at Accurate Insulation. We install floor and underfloor insulation and have experience with new construction and retrofit projects of all kinds. Contact us to learn more.
Schedule your insulation inspection or request underfloor insulation installation in Washington, DC today.
