Floor insulation

[harryagain]

Came across this.

What does the panel think? Personally seems to me a bit dodgy. I don't quite see how it can be fitted from above.

[newshound]

I'm Jolyon and this is my friend Stephen

[RJH]

There's a video - they sort of blow the insulation in. Can't see how that's a tremendous use on the ground floor, where it's most needed.

[stuart noble]

Me neither

[Harry Bloomfield]

Why not, they can blow insulation into the cavity between bricks and it works well enough there. I board raised every 8 feet would make it easy to fill. Don't know how they would pin the material up to the joists at such wide spacing though.

[Nightjar]

Why not? They lift some floorboards, attach fabric to the undersides of the joists through the gaps where they have lifted the boards, then blow insulation into the space between floor and fabric.

Colin Bignell

[Nightjar]

My guess would be a stapling hammer with a long handle.

Colin Bignell

[Dave Liquorice]

having trouble reading again Harry?

"We do this by lifting floorboards at intervals up to 8 feet apart and fitting a unique type of 'hammock' between the floor joists ? into which we blow cellulose-fibre insulation that packs tightly into all corners, leaving no gaps."

So at a guess they have this "hammock" material in 8' wide rolls staple it along the underside of one of joists where they have access stretch it accross to the other access and staple there. Then shove the blowing pipe between the hammock and joists to each of the spaces in turn and blow in the fluff. Alternatively drill holes into each of the intermediate joist space and blow through that but that is much more work, lifting much more carpet and filling the holes afterwards.

[Artic]

Nightjar scribbled...

What's to stop the insulation material blowing out of the end of the hammock?

I can also see them ripping up perfectly good T&G to install their insulation.

[jgh]

"it adds a layer of insulation to keep your heat in, and it also blocks off the draughts."

So does a decent carpet, with the added advantage of muffling the sound of footsteps.

jgh

[Tim Watts]

On Monday 13 January 2014 18:02 harryagain wrote in uk.d-i-y:

The principle is sound - unlike spraying foam all over your roof raters from underneath.

The execution will be the main factor - will they block any ventilation; will the fibre become and hold damp causing rot; will it be a fire risk?

[Nightjar]

I assume that one place they lift the boards is near the walls, so they can fix it to the wall and seal the end.

In the FAQ they say that they will cut through the tongues in T&G to lift boards.

Colin Bignell

[RJH]

Not really getting it. I can see between floor and ceiling, but this hammock idea for GF voids seems bizarre. They'd need to block each end of the 8' length so it doesn't spill out, and it'd take some dexterity to staple along a joist 4' blind. Unless they have some sort of articulated jig.

And do people really insulate floors above the ground?

[Nightjar]

They lift boards up to 8 feet apart, but I assume the hammock runs the length (or width) of the room with ends only where the joists meet the wall. By lifting a board near the wall they can seal the ends to the walls.

Stick your arm down hole to the elbow and a 2ft long hammer stapler will allow most people to reach near enough 3.5 feet, which ought to be close enough. I don't see it being much of a challenge to hit the underside of a joist like that. Of course, they may have a cunning device they can lower under the floor to do it more scientifically.

I have known it where a house has been divided into flats, although mainly for sound.

Colin Bignell

[Tim Watts]

On Monday 13 January 2014 19:27 RJH wrote in uk.d-i-y:

If you follow this group, then the answer must be Yes. Although most people would take all the boards up and fit celotex or glasswool retained by netting.

[fred]

In article , Tim Watts writes

Just for the record, no I would not insulate between intermediate floors which I think was the question asked.

[Tim Watts]

On Monday 13 January 2014 21:08 fred wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Ah - misread that...

But as someone else said, acoustic insulation is a possibility

[RJH]

Yes, that was what I meant. I will at some point put some insulation around the party walls - but as mentioned elsewhere, for soundproofing.

[Dave Liquorice]

That's my view.

Probably no need they don't seal the tops of cavities when blowing fluff into them.

I don't see a need, the fluff as bugger all weight. Tension the hammock enough along the joists and it'll support the fluff well enough.

Rockwool went into the ground/1st floor void here in the rebuild. Partly for insulation, stops/slows down air from behind the 50 mm PIR foam insulation on the inside of the outside walls circulating through the inter joist spaces. Partly for sound. Same with the stud walls, damps the plasterboard from "ringing".

[jgh]

A small child?

jgh