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You are here: Insulating System |
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Privacy Policy |
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Cold floors are a major complaint among homeowners. Often the problem is an uninsulated floor above an unheated crawlspace or basement. If you have a vented crawlspace with insulated ducts and no pipes, the best course of action is to insulate the floor above it.
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| Installation: | |
| In heating climates, homes with subfloors of plywood or OSB sheathing generally will not need a separate vapor retarder. But older homes with sub-floors made of wood planking may need a separate vapor retarder. (In Gulf Coast and Florida, local building practice may not call for any interior vapor retarder.) If needed, simply cut strips of polyethylene the width of joists and staple directly to underside of subfloor, or use kraft-faced insulation with the paper up and in contact with the subfloor. | |
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Begin at one end of floor and place insulation between floor joists. |
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Insulation will stay in place temporarily if you are using R-19. R-25 insulation needs to be supported as you go. Use metal insulation supports (16" or 24" wire rods or crisscrossed wire) to hold insulation in place. Be careful not to compress insulation too much with supports. Insulation should fit snugly against band joist and overlap bottom plate. |
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Measure and cut small pieces of unfaced insulation to fit snugly against band joist. If the insulation is faced, peel off facing before installing the small pieces. Where a wall vapor retarder is required, use a material that meets local building codes (fire rated). |
| NOTE: Never leave faced insulation exposed. The facings on kraft- and foil-faced insulation will burn and must be installed in substantial contact with an approved ceiling, wall, or floor construction material to help prevent the spread of fire in the wall, ceiling or floor cavities. Unfaced fiber glass is non-combustible. A 4- or 6-mil polyethylene should be placed over the dirt to help prevent moisture from coming up into the crawlspace. | |
