Insulation in Frinton On Sea (5)

The approach to floor insulation very much depends on the type of floor you have, with the two most common types being a suspended floor or a solid floor.

How to install floor insulation for a suspended floor

A suspended floor is where you have a void beneath your ground floor floorboards. This space can cause a lot of heat loss but can be insulated to reduce the heat loss and improve your home’s energy efficiency.

The best way to insulate a suspended floor is to fill the void with floor insulation, such as insulation roll or insulation board. If you have a basement underneath the floor, you’re in luck because you should have easy access to the void below the joists – making it a relatively easy job.

If your home doesn’t have a basement then installing floor insulation is a bigger job. You’ll need to pull up the flooring to access the void underneath the floor and fit the insulation material of your choice.

How to install floor insulation for solid floors

Theoretically, solid floors by definition shouldn’t need as much insulation as a suspended floor because they’re thicker and denser, which naturally limits heat loss. But if you do find you need to insulate a solid floor, the only way is up – layering up.

You’ll want to install a damp proof membrane between the solid floor and the insulation to avoid issues with unwanted moisture. Then add your choice of insulation board, matting or underlays.

With layered insulation, it’s important to be aware that the interior floor level of your home will rise, which can affect internal fixtures, fittings and furniture. One common consequence of layered floor insulation is needing to shave the bottom off doors, so that they can still open and close properly.

Need help with floor insulation?

Whether you need to insulate your whole home or a single room, it’s always good to get advice from local insulation installers before you get started.

Find the best local floor insulation specialists near you with our quick and easy online search. Or request a quote and we’ll reach out to multiple local insulation companies for you and they’ll get in touch with you directly.

At its core, insulation refers to the installation of materials that are designed to stop heat, sound, or electricity from escaping or entering. With homes, insulation is typically used to reduce heat loss as a primary goal, and then providing a level of soundproofing as an additional benefit.

There are a number of parts of a property that can benefit from being insulated, with the most common being cavity walls insulation, solid wall insulation, floor insulation, and roofing insulation.

Common wall and floor insulation material

• Blanket insulation – This is the most common type of insulation and usually comes in rolls of glass wool with a foil backing. It also happens to be one of the easiest and most cost effective insulation materials to install.

• Loose-fill insulation – This is another one of the more common options for insulation and is made up of small particles of insulating material (such as cellulose, fibreglass or mineral rock wool) that is able to be installed without disturbing structures. Loose-fill insulation is particularly useful for insulating cavity walls and loft.

• Rock mineral wool insulation – Extremely resilient to heat and fire and more solid than glass wool insulation, rock mineral wool insulation is a good choice for use where floor insulation or roofing insulation material will be compressed.

• Sheet loft insulation – As you might have guessed, sheet loft insulation comes in sheets and is most often used to insulate the sloping side of the roof inside a loft.

• Sprayed foam insulation – The most expensive type of common insulation, sprayed foam insulation works by pouring or injecting liquid foam and adding a foaming agent that will expand and become solid as the mixture cures.

• Rigid foam insulation – This type of insulation is used where underlying support from the insulating material is needed, such as under a floor or in a loft. Rigid foam also has the added benefit of providing good acoustic insulation.

Want to speak to insulation experts in Frinton-on-Sea?

Sometimes it helps to have a quick chat with local insulation companies to understand what options are available in your area and how much they’ll cost.

If you’re ready to reach out to local insulation installers, you’re in the right place. We can help you find the best tradespeople in your area with our quick and easy online search – or request a quote and we’ll get multiple local insulation specialists to contact you directly.

When it comes to installing floor insulation when you have a concrete floor, there are a number of options available to help you keep your home warm.

Here are some of the most popular options for insulating a concrete floor:

• Polyisocyanurate (PIR) boards – A very popular insulation choice, PIR boards are often made from a foam type material in the form of a rigid board that is easy to cut and shape. For concrete floors, PIR boards between two aluminium foil facings are used to provide an additional level of insulation.

• Insulation slabs – Insulation slabs are popular for insulating a concrete floor as they can be easily installed on top of the floor and are typically highly dense.

• Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) – This type of insulation is created using beads of foam that are heated in order to make them expand and bond together. The result is a consistent layer of insulation, perfect for installing across a whole concrete floor.

Tips for how to lay a concrete floor with insulation

Here are a few of our top tips for planning a floor insulation project for a concrete floor:

• Always install a damp proof membrane between the solid floor and the insulation

• Insulation can either go above or below the concrete floor

• Insulation above a concrete floor is beneficial if you want to avoid excavation and relaying of the floor

• Insulation above a concrete floor will help the room to warm up more quickly, (but also cool it quicker too)

• Insulation below a concrete floor is the best form of installation for concrete floors

Find the best local insulation companies

If you’re keen to get started with your home improvement project and need insulation, we can help you find the best local insulation installers near you – including those who come highly recommended by your neighbours.

You can either use our quick and easy online search to find and contact local insulation companies yourself. Or, alternatively, request a quote and we’ll do the legwork for you by reaching out to the best local tradespeople near you and we’ll get them to contact you directly.

In order to calculate the amount of insulation that you’ll need for a floor, you’ll need to start by calculating the Perimeter Area (PA) ratio. This is done by dividing the exposed perimeter of the floor by the floor area itself.

Here’s how to measure the perimeter:

1. Measure the floor dimensions using the finished internal surfaces of the external walls as the limits of the perimeter

2. Make sure you include non-usable heated spaces, such as ducts and stairwells (but not unheated areas outside of the property,such as garages or porches)

Once you have the perimeter length, divide it by the total area of the floor you want to insulate. The result will give you the P/A ratio, and the smaller the P/A value the less insulation is required.

You’ll also need to factor in the type of floor that you have, as that will affect the heat loss of the floor. It’s likely that your floor will be one of the following: suspended timber, beam and block, solid concrete or suspended concrete.

To make sure that your insulation is fit for purpose, we always recommend hiring a professional insulation installer to measure up and calculate how much insulation you nee for your floor.

Want to find out more about local insulation services?

When planning a project that requires insulation work, it’s important to speak to local insulation specialists to understand what’s involved and how much it will cost. Experienced insulation installers will be able to advise on the options available, what you’ll need for your project, and how much it will cost.

Keen to get started? Search for the best local insulation companies in Frinton-on-Sea and get in touch with them yourself. Alternatively, you can get multiple quotes from local insulation installers by using our request a quote feature – simply post details of what you need and we’ll get reliable local tradespeople to contact you directly.

The cost of floor insulation will depend on the type of floor you have, the area of flooring you need to insulate, and the type and quality of insulation materials you choose.

Floor insulation costs

• Suspended floor insulation – £770 - £1,000

• Suspended timber floor insulation – £300 - £750

• Solid floor insulation – £950 - £2,200

Cavity wall insulation costs

Here are some of the average cavity wall insulation costs you can expect to pay in the UK:

• Detached property – £725

• Semi-detached property – £475

• Mid-terrace – £370

• Bungalow – £430

• Flat – £330

If you’re looking to remove cavity wall insulation, rather than install it, the average cavity wall insulation removal cost is around £22 per m2.

Cost of external wall insulation

Insulating external walls tends to be a much more expensive job than insulating the interior of a property. Below are some of the average external insulation costs:

• Mid-terrace – £6,000 - £8,000

• Semi-detached – £8,000 - £10,000

• Detached – £15,000 - £20,000

Loft insulation costs

If you’re looking to insulate your loft, the average loft insulation cost per square metre will vary depending on the insulation material you choose:

• A thermal foil layer is the cheapest loft insulation material, at £3 per m2

• Blanket loft insulation costs around £5 per m2

• Loose-fill insulation is about £7.50 per m2

• Spray foam is the most expensive loft insulation option, costing around £55 per m2

Quotes for insulation costs

To get accurate insulation costs in your area, we always recommend getting at least three quotes from local insulation companies near you. By shopping around you can make sure you're paying a fair and competitive price for the job.

Thankfully, our request a quote tool makes getting multiple quotes super easy. Simply post details about the work that you need help with and we’ll send it out to the best local insulation installers in your area, who will contact you directly. Try it out – it's quick and easy!