Floating floor insulation

Joined
27 Dec 2011
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
Ayrshire
Country
United Kingdom
I want to instal a 14mm engineered oak floating floor in my lounge with electric UFH below. The existing floor (concrete, and reasonably flat) is approx 55mm below the adjoining room so would like to bring it up, close to that level, with Insulation. Can I simply use 25/30mm of high density insulation, followed by a membrane, UFH and 14mm engineered oak, or will I need to use less insulation (10mm) with 18mm floorboard, followed by membrane, 5mm sound insulation, UFH, 14mm engineered oak?
 
Sponsored Links
Don't think your electric UFH system can cope with all the insulation between it and the top floor.
 
This really does not sound like a good idea for various reasons.

1) The floor-surface should usually be bonded to heating element/sub-floor to promote efficient heat-transfer.

2) Unless you have an unusual type of element, the heat will be very concentrated where the wires are and this will lead to hot-spots in the floor above and be uncomfortable. Also likely to distort the wood in my opinion.

If you haven't already done so, I would check on the net to see if engineered wood is suitable for electric UFH at all.

All queies I have seen on here relate to use with tiles.
 
Hi guys, thanks for replies.

Mointainwalker,
The UFH mat I'm intending to use is specifically designed for Laminates/Engineered board. It will be either a carbon film or Aluminium backed, and the engineered board is OK for UFH. You have to keep the temp to below 28 deg, so the amount of heat is limited (140 watts /m2).

Wouldyoulike,
Sorry I didn't make it clear, the UFH mat will sit on top of the insulation. The insulation is there to stop wasted heat transfer into the sub floor below and is always recommended by UFH suppliers. The difference here is the insulation I am proposing is much thicker.

My main concern is whether 14mm board is strong enough to be laid over the Insulation. i.e will it deflect, or will I need additional thickness of wood. (The object isn't to cut back on installation costs, but to minimise heat losses through the concrete floor.)
 
Sponsored Links
Depends on the sturdiness of the insulation. Can you place this between battens (battens not further apart than 35 - 40cm)
 
My main concern is whether 14mm board is strong enough to be laid over the Insulation. i.e will it deflect, or will

In order to support the flooring the insulation will have to extremely accurately fill the space between. It will follow the floor so that will need to be completely flat or it will push up the wood.

Frankly I can't see how you can achieve that.

The insulation you are putting down is really still inadequate but I see you can't do better. Forget the stuff that is sold as insulation for under laminate, that is just a pathetic sales argument to persuade people there is no down-side.
 
hi there neveragain, if your question is really about the thickness and i assume the strength of the insulation itself maybe this will help, i have laid several floating floors in the past and in my present house i have an uninsulated floor covered in old bitumen adhesive that once had hard marley tiles bonded to it (early 1960s construction) , i desperately wanted better insulation as i could feel the cold in winter through slippers and carpet, i could find no one that had laid flooring on anything else except the usual thin types, i was extremely anxious about my idea of laying a quick step laminate floor on 30mm cellotex/kingspan worried that it may collapse or dissintegrate in time, i took the plunge and 5 years on no problems what so ever. my flooring is much thinner than yours and it feels as solid as any i have laid, i did not lay heat matts due to money factors at the time but am amazed that even in winter the floor feels room temperature it seems the heat just cant get past the cellotex or the cold cant come up, laying the floor was a bit tricky as you need to lay boards over cellotex so as not to dent it too much. to get an idea click together a few boards lay them on cellotex and then get the fattest pie eater you can to jump on it. a whole floor stuck together would have masses more spread than this ps i laid a membrane under the cellotex i hope this helps
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Back
Top