insulate floor

[alan ditchfield]

Hi again,

I have a timber floor with a cavity of around 600mm and i want to insulate under the floor to prevent drafts, what would be the best material to use.

Thanks in advance, hope you can help.
Alan

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[felix]

It sounds like you've got the same sort of floor as we have. Is it on 4" joists resting on sleeper walls with many holes in them and crawl gaps so that you can get to any point under the floor from a single access hole? Apart from the inevitable dirt, this arrangement is great for maintenance.

I suggest you use ordinary loft insulation - thickness to match your joists - and hold it up with plastic mesh and lots of staples. Invest in a decent staple gun. You must use mesh so that the insulation can breathe.

DON'T go blocking up any air vents you find down there. You need that air to keep the sub-floor space free of damp - and dry rot - and woodworm. Draughts coming up through your boards are best stopped ABOVE the floor.

Don't forget that the sub-floor space will be a lot colder once you cut off its overhead heating. Make sure your pipe lagging is up to scratch.

Have you considered building yourself a decent access hatch? Mine's under the front doormat.