Floorboards

[kevindownie]

What is the best way to insulate the floorboards on the ground floor? I want to simply sand and varnish them but there are some breezes coming through the little gaps!

 

[AnonymousImport]

If you have the time and space to do it, remove the boards in the draughty section and secure a section of underlay beneath the flooring. Otherwise use small slithers of wood to fill the gaps in the boards - sand down well and they should hopefully blend in with the rest of the wood. it will be less likely to show with a darker stain.

 

[AnonymousImport]

I saw a cable TV show which showed an acrylic mix which was spread on the floor before final sanding. It seemed to work beautifully but does not seem to be available in the UK. Any suggestions.

 

[AnonymousImport]

could you not use sillicone sealer(colourd)

 

[amtodd]

Best way to do this is to lift some of the floor and get into the void. Use chicken wire to support underlay - try to leave a 50mm gap between it and your floor boards - or use screws/ nails to support polystyrene sheets (jab floor). The sheets are available for builders merchants as they have to be included in any new build concrete floor. Put the varnish on thick enough, and most of the little gaps will be closed up anyhow.

If your chimney is open, it will be drawing air from the room. If you seal off the floor the air has to come from somewhere, and so will either come from the windows or the doors, and you will only be moving the draft. If this is the case, place floor vents near to the fireplace, so the air the chimney is drawing through is not circulating around the room taking your expensive heated air with it.

Good luck