Insulate on top of concrete floor before carpeting

[Tingly]

Good morning

I live in a house built around 1949.
I have a room that faces north which I use as an office which is blinking freezing.
It has a concrete floor and Its ready to have the carpet changed.
I’ve heard you could put insulation under the carpet, although it cant be too high because i need to miss the pipe under the radiator.

Does anyone know of such a material, and is it a good idea? Any pitfalls?

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

Floors don't lose much heat. If the room is cold, tell us what construction and what insulation are in the external walls and roof.

You can certainly have a carpet underlay.

Is the floor damp?

 

[Tingly]

Hi there. No the floor is not damp at all. Its just cold despite a big rad. We are having double glazing put in in march and thought while i was at it i would look at this option. Theres a teeny weeny room next to it where i basically store ‘stuff’ and where the actual outside wall is on the side elevation, and that is like a fridge in the winter, but not too worried about that as I just shove things in there!

 

[Tingly]

Ooh yes, no insulation as they didnt have cavity walls in those days , its a downstairs room but the house has a normal tile roof on.

 

[JohnD]

The small room will be more prone to condensation if it is cold. Trickle vents will help. Solid walls are naturally cold. I thought 1949 would be cavity.

 

[Tingly]

Oh, the new windows have those in, thats good. I just imagined some kind of insulation might be good under the carpet cos concrete floors are freezing.

 

[robinbanks]

Floors don't lose much heat

Not the first time I've heard you claim this; uninsulated floors do account for an appreciable (double figure percentages) of the heat loss in a home but the feel factor is important; cooling your feet by habing them close to a large block of cold concrete will do little to convince the attached brain that it's a warm room

I’ve heard you could put insulation under the carpet, although it cant be too high

The bigger concern would be things like altering the height of the door and walking under the resulting lintel height. If you have the depth you can have any amount of insulation under a carpet; I've got 150mm under mine. Thin insulation will not have considerable heat retaining effect

 

[JohnD]

Not the first time I've heard you claim this; uninsulated floors do account for an appreciable (double figure percentages) of the heat loss in a home but the feel factor is important; cooling your feet by habing them close to a large block of cold concrete will do little to convince the attached brain that it's a warm room

Save up for some socks

 

[robinbanks]

Save up for some socks

Thin insulation will not have considerable heat retaining effect

Uninsulated walls lose far more.

I don't disagree, but that's not being discussed. "Floors don't lose much heat" is vague to the point of inaccuracy

 

[JohnD]

Uninsulated walls lose far more.

 

[Tingly]

Ooh. Ok, So not much i could do or even want to do, or even have the budget to do re the walls.
Point taken about the doors though, plus i dont want to feel like i am ‘stepping up’ from the hall into another room.
It looks like thin insulation may br the way forward then, even if it doesnt do much!

 

[JohnD]

Measure the walls at a doorway or window opening. Are they about 9" thick?

Long curtains over the windows will help.

 

[Tingly]

I will measure tomoz and let you know. I reckon they are about 9 though. I understand although am not certain, they did two layers of bricks one facing one way, one another, right next to each other.

Good idea re curtains. Thanks

 

[robinbanks]

not much i could do .. re the walls

External or internal wall insulation is entirely possible and would have a good effect, even more so if the ceiling were done too. 100mm of PIR would make a night and day difference

 

[Tingly]

Hi Robin. Thanks for your help. We cant do external as its a really really large property and the costs are too prohibitive. Re the Pir , couple of questions if i may. ? Does it just adhere to the walls or need batons ? Also if i put it on the external wall of the ‘junk room’, which IS an external wall , and all round that room, do you think that would help with the office? The reason I ask we have sockets galore in the office, its quite a big room so 5m x 6, and had stuff everywhere to cut round.?