How to insulate a floor

Coziness and comfort in the home largely depend on gender. After all, how unpleasant it is to stand barefoot on an icy surface, and the air in the house does not warm up to optimal temperatures. Therefore, we will tell you how to independently insulate the floor in a private house or apartment and what mistakes should not be made.

How to insulate a concrete floor in an apartment

In many old houses, such as "Stalin" and "Brezhnevka", they did not think much about floor insulation. A standard situation is when parquet was laid directly on a concrete floor. With the advent of new materials in stores, they began to lay laminate or linoleum.  But the problem always remained open.

Decide how much you are willing to spend on a new floor and what scale of work to withstand, since there are two techniques for floor insulation:

• Insulation with opening of the floor. In this case, you will have to remove the top layer of the screed, the old expanded clay and do everything again.
• Economy option. No major work is expected, since the insulation is laid directly on the old floor.

The first option is very expensive and troublesome. For such work, it is better to invite a master who will do the job correctly. But if you have “golden hands”, you can do it yourself.

Economical options for insulating a concrete floor:

• roll insulation;
• creation of sheathing.

Rolled insulation materials include foil and cork insulation, as well as foamed polyethylene.

You don't need any special skills, just clean the surface of debris and dust. The material is laid with an overlap of 15 cm. The edges can be sealed with masking or regular tape. Laminate or linoleum is placed on top. At this point all work is completed. But remember: this option is only suitable if the floors do not freeze very much.

The second option is to create a sheathing. In fact, there is nothing complicated either, but it requires a lot of tools and physical strength. Lathing logs are created on the old floor. They contain mineral wool or polystyrene foam. These two materials do not allow air to pass through at all. Therefore, the floor becomes very warm. Then a vapor barrier and rolled insulation with a finishing coating are applied on top.

How to insulate a floor in a private house

The insulation of the floor in a private house is not particularly different from the floor in an apartment. The options remain the same. Changes are made only if the ceiling height is below 240 cm. In this case, you will have to open the floor and do everything again. But this method has one big advantage - you will look at the old logs. If they are rotten, be sure to replace them.

The following can act as insulation between the joists:

• expanded clay-concrete mixture;
• mineral wool;
• polystyrene foam

In terms of heat capacity, polystyrene foam is best suited. For expanded clay this figure is slightly lower, but the material is breathable and non-toxic. Mineral wool or fiberglass have equally good performance. Your choice should be based on your budget.

The material is laid on the floor in the same way as in an apartment using vapor barrier fabric. A subfloor is laid on top. The finishing coating can be any.

By the way, if you want to have a constantly warm floor in a specific place, you can install a “warm floor” system. It is suitable for both apartments and private houses. There is a simple rolled floor that is not poured with concrete. It simply rolls out and connects to a sensor that you use to control the power. Laminate or linoleum is laid on top of such a system.

But if you want to lay tiles, then you will have to lay them under the mortar. Otherwise, the tile will not warm up and will cool down quickly.

How to insulate the floor in a bathhouse

Traditionally Russian bath lately is undergoing changes. The owners install modern boilers, steam rooms, and tiles are laid on the floor. But the question arises: how to keep warm without harming the family budget.

The answer is simple: a water heated floor is perfect for these purposes. Firstly, electricity costs are zero. Secondly, it is environmentally friendly. Thirdly, it costs less than infrared or cable flooring.

Yes, you will have to tinker with the installation, since the system is installed only under the screed. But then you become the owner of a heated floor without future extra costs.

In general, choose the optimal heating system based on your preferences and budget. But don’t forget to listen to the opinions of experts.