The math is pretty simple the thicker the concrete floor insulation material the deeper the slab will have to be.
How to lay a concrete floor with insulation uk.
Laying a concrete floor is a very labour intensive task and cannot be performed alone so ensure you have a few hands to help you before you begin.
We recommend to use a carpet underlay prior to a carpet being installed.
If a vinyl or lino is being used we would advise the use of a plywood over the top of the floorfoam.
Typically 75 100mm of rigid.
There will be a damp proof membrane under the insulation and possibly a second membrane on top depending on the type of screed.
On the other hand if you are laying insulation on top of the existing slab than you will need to make sure that there are no construction elements getting in the way such as skirting boards or ceiling heights for instance.
How to lay insulation under a concrete floor slab and advice on target u values damp proof membranes and underfloor insulation boards.
Insulating a floor slab how to lay insulation under a concrete floor slab.
How to lay concrete with insulation.
If your concrete floor needs to be reinforced in areas which are likely to be heavily loaded such as garages then a metal mesh standing on plastic feet will be put down before the concrete is poured.
Super insulating an existing floor may pose problems with room heights in many buildings.
The method shown above is the best way to insulate a concrete floor without digging it up and laying it again with insulation added below the finished surface.
Most modern buildings have insulation built into the floor structure.
But it isn t cheap and it can cause additional problems such as raising the floor level too much.
This isolates the slab below from any floor covering applied above.
Wood laminate flooring can be installed directly on top of floorfoam.
Insulating a concrete floor alternative options.
Insulating the floor in a renovation or conversion is challenging but even more important as it is unlikely that there is adequate insulation in the existing sub floor.
Lightweight rigid polyisocyanurate pir foam insulation boards such as those manufactured by celotex are among the most thermally efficient commonly available.
The insulation is then laid followed by a polythene separating layer and either a concrete screed or tongue and groove chipboard ready to receive the specified floor finish.
In this scenario a rigid foam insulation is usual and as you d want the same u value in the roof we need the same thickness of insulation 180mm.
Get an understanding about the importance and what is involved in insulating a floor slab.
Once your concrete floor has been covered with floorfoam next you can install your desired flooring.
Insulation is laid on the concrete and covered with a screed.