Housing refurbishment:
Ground floor insulation

• Check the required loading
• Decide where to position the insulation
  - above the slab provides a quick warm-up
  - below the slab provides thermal mass from the slab
• Determine the insulation material and its thickness
• Check the expected u-values with the insulation manufacturer

Insulation Materials: Cellular glass, Mineral wool board, Cork, Phenolic foam, Polyisocyanurate, Polyurethane, Expanded polystyrene, Extruded polystyrene.

Screed material: limecrete, sand-cement

• adding insulation to the slab will raise the floor level – this will have a knock-on effect on openings, stairs, radiators and access from adjoining spaces.
• ensure remedial work is carried out to the slab ahead of installing the insulation
• where laying of insulation is not feasible, an amount of insulation can be had from the laying of cork tiles.

• test timber for damp, rot and infestation
• cold air penetration – seal gaps in the flooring – consider over-boarding
• maintain sub-floor ventilation (see Approved Doc Part C for guidance)
• insulate hot water pipes
• insulate between the last joist and the wall
• ensure that there is no gap between insulation and the underside of the floor
• draft strip the u/s of skirting to seal edges
• determine the insulation material and its thickness
• check the expected u-values with the insulation manufacturer

Insulation materials: Sheep’s wool, Hemp, Cellulose, Vermiculite, Mineral wool quilt, Wood fibre board, Polyisocyanurate, Polyurethane.