Insulated Basement Floor Slab

An uninsulated or under insulated basement floor is a major source of heat loss in the home.

Insulated basement floor slab.

In addition to offering insulation and energy savings the plywood subfloor described here can provide the perfect foundation for finish flooring such as carpeting adding warmth in look as. My basement slab is insulated with two inches of foam and it s actually pretty great. Care was taken to ensure no thermal bridging between the slab and the footing. Basement floor slabs are best insulated underneath with rigid insulation.

The floor never feels cold even even it s 30 outside. Insulation requirements for slab on grade floors can be found in section r402 2 9 of the 2012 iecc and section n1102 2 9 of the 2012 irc. The basement walls and floors of older homes are generally uninsulated. Both extruded or expanded polystyrene have been widely used with success.

Both extruded or expanded polystyrene have been widely used with success. Insulating a basement is a great idea if it wasn t insulated when built as before we began insulating foundation walls and below slabs see slab on grade it was generally estimated that basement heat loss accounted for about 1 3 of the total heat loss of a house it is likely that such an abysmal starting place made the addition of any insulation at all seem sufficient so basements built to. Both codes state slab edge insulation is not required in jurisdictions designated by the building official as having a very heavy termite infestation. Creating an insulation layer and a vapor barrier between the concrete slab and the ground beneath it is the best practice in insulating basement floors.

The insulation barrier will help keep warm air in and the vapor barrier will keep unwanted moisture out. In these homes the basement accounts for one third of the home s heat loss. Although the energy savings of sub slab insulation are not as significant as basement wall insulation such insulations do offer a significant improvement in comfort and moisture damage resistance. Insulating a concrete floor can save you money on your heating bill making an attached garage or basement warmer and by extension the rest of your house.