Stupid perimeter/area insulaiton question.

May 23, 2006 3 Replies
I

I have a 1600s or so scottish cottage, that's lacking in insulation. It's some 20m*5m, with a suspended wooden floor, with no insulation underneath. The temperature below the suspended floor is essentially the average house temp. During other works, the path (20*1m) along one long side of the house has been dug up. Is there any point at all in putting down 2-5cm of rigid insulation under sand blinding, then membrane, and gravel, instead of just the gravel and membrane?



How would I go about calculating the extra insulation effect?



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P

You don't because there wouldn't be any. Insulation outdoors doesn't work because there's no heat to save....the inside and outside temperatures of your wall (below ground) will differ only slightly, maybe a degree if that, what tiny amount dissipates through the soil under your path, you want to lay insulation on top of this soil? You may save a degree or two if you stood the panels upright against the wall, but you'd probably do more damage to the walls with moisture retention and save nothing whatsoever in heating bills.

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T

Not true.

Mmm. there is a bit more difference than that...however I agree its bareley worth bothering with.

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H

On 23 May 2006 18:32:48 GMT, a particular chimpanzee named Ian Stirling randomly hit the keyboard and produced:

Hopefully, the void below your joists are ventilated. If so, virtually all your heat from the floor will be lost through this path, and the amount of heat lost through the soil will be insignificant. If not, then you've got more problems than heat loss to worry about.

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