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Suspended timber floor retrofit insulation (Q+A)
Suspended timber floor retrofit insulation (Q+A)
About:
Q I am currently trying to find a suitable insulation material that is:
Q1 natural-based;
- Mineral/Animal/Plant: many
- Mineral+Plant: Hemp-lime, Earth-Cork, Cob,
- Mineral: Cellular glass, Aerogel,
- Animal: Sheep’s wool, Goat hair, Goose down,
- Plant: Wood fibre, Hemp, Cellulose fibre, Cork, etc.
- not chemical, petrochemical, hydrocarbon, plastic
Q2 relatively great thermal insulator;
A2A Conductivity?
- (not plastic)
- VIP Vacuum Insulated Panel,
- Aerogel,
A2B Radiation?
- Not plastic,
- Not multifoils: (only reflective),
- Cellular Glass,
- Dense Wood Fibre
- Cellulose fibre
- Hemp-lime (improves as hydration progresses over long period)
- Cork
Q3 airtight;
- Foil faced (but not plastic) and taped joints None that I know about
- Spray foam (but not plastic) None in market that I know about
- VIP Vacuum Insulated Panel and taped joints
- Cellular glass with taped joints or flood coat
- Hemp-lime: Smoothing shown face will close surface
- Cellulose fibre sprayed into place with or without added water
A3A Is it part of external envelop (includes suspended ground floor)
- vapour open or vapour closed?
Q4 sprayable;
- Cellulose fibre (Newspaper/magazine) flake, wet or dry application
- Not Sprayed foaming plastic (but not plastic)
- Plant based resin polyurethane (no longer made or sold in UK market)
- Hemp-lime sprayed
Q5 adhesive enough to stick to horizontal surface (Should be Q1B) in this process)
- Is this ground floor suspended or upper floor suspended?
- Access for spray equipment?
- Access to manual application?
- Can the boards be lifted off, work carried out and boards relayed?
A5A (e.g. underside of floor boards on suspended timber floors). (Should be Q1A in this process)
- Sprayed polyurethane (but not plastic)
- Cellulose fibre (Newspaper/magazine) flake, wet application like papier mache
- Hemp-lime sprayed
A5B Squeezy for compression between framing expansion and self-supporting between framing
- Medium density cellulose fibre batts (poorer conductivity)
- Medium density wood fibre batts (poorer conductivity)
A5C Supported by battens on sides of floor framing
- High density wood fibre board (poorer conductivity)
- High density cellulose fibre board (poorer conductivity)
A5D Supported by insulation support system stapled to sides of floor framing
- Insumate 600 Tray G#1762 N#1658
- Robust Specification G#1762 N#1658 scroll down to end
- Insumate Ltd G#1761 N#1657
I have been talking to Diasen (that manufacture’s Diathonite Evolution) and their product seems to meet almost all the above criteria, however, it is a bit too expensive.
- Diasen
- Diathonite Evolution G#1796 N#1683
- You don’t get what you don’t pay for
- Save some money somewhere else: taps, ironmongery, kitchen, bathroom, etc.
- It’s the right price for a 4/5 multi-functional insulation
- It may be the only product that is right for all 5 of your requirements
- Anything less than 5/5 may be incompetent
- Check with your client before choosing 4/5 or less at the wrong lower price
I wondered if you happen to know any other materials that meets these requirement (for example I came across with “ThermoPor”)
- ThermoPor
Do you know how expensive they are compared to Diathonite?
- No, that’s your job, ask the manufacturer.
Their lambda value is worse though.
- You get what you pay for.
I am fully aware that both Diathonite and ThermoPor are originally for external wall cladding, whilst I am interested in floor insulation,
- So is it competent in a floor situation?
but I am specifically looking for a sprayable adhesive material (due to access issues),
- have you checked if the spray equipment can access your floor?
- See my notes above interspersed with your 5 criteria
- Is spray the only answer?
whilst I also try to stay away from Spray Polyurethane Foam SPF (to avoid off-gassing issues).
- The plant based spray foam that was available was withdrawn because they could not be confident the resin was ethically sourced.
- Find a SPF that does not off-gas?
© GBE NGS ASWS BrianSpecMan aka Brian Murphy
23rd October 2015 – 25th January 2017
Suspended timber floor retrofit insulation (Q+A)
See Also:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/graduateschooloftheenvironment/permalink/10153728643389173/
Ramshackle responses, some not very helpful.
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© GBE NGS ASWS BrianSpecMan aka Brian Murphy
23rd October 2015 – 25th January 2017