Overlay floor insulation

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Dear all,
Is there an overlay floor insulation for draughty, suspended timber, ground floor. The floor has breathing bricks.
I understand getting the floorboards out and putting nets and celotex/PIR/PUR boards in between the joists is probably the best solution but getting the floor boards out will be a project in itself which I am trying to avoid.
Please advise.

Added later: Carpet is not an option due to allergies.
 
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If it's draughty then stopping the draughts will have massively bigger effect than insulation. If you really want exposed floor boards at low material cost then lift them and put poly sheet on the joists sealed to the walls behind the skirting if possible (we spent about a tenner on eBay) and then relay the boards.
If you really don't want to lift them then poly sheet on top and then hardboard over the top of that. However hardboard is only any good if you're putting a floor finish on top, as it's ugly. And most floor finishes would stop the draughts anyway.
 
If it's draughty then stopping the draughts will have massively bigger effect than insulation. If you really want exposed floor boards at low material cost then lift them and put poly sheet on the joists sealed to the walls behind the skirting if possible (we spent about a tenner on eBay) and then relay the boards.
If you really don't want to lift them then poly sheet on top and then hardboard over the top of that. However hardboard is only any good if you're putting a floor finish on top, as it's ugly. And most floor finishes would stop the draughts anyway.
Thanks.
 
Don't understimate the work required to adjust doors, skirtings, radiators, maybe sockets etc. for the higher floor level, and the trip hazard when floor level changes between rooms.
 
Don't understimate the work required to adjust doors, skirtings, radiators, maybe sockets etc. for the higher floor level, and the trip hazard when floor level changes between rooms.
Very true. Thank you for the well timed advice.
 
Sorry the hardboard I meant was just about 3mm, it's not structural just a way to cover the draught! I wouldn't recommend making up floor level, it's not actually that hard levering up floor boards, we did the whole lounge and only damaged one or two in the process which were already damaged anyway! John
 
Sorry the hardboard I meant was just about 3mm, it's not structural just a way to cover the draught! I wouldn't recommend making up floor level, it's not actually that hard levering up floor boards, we did the whole lounge and only damaged one or two in the process which were already damaged anyway! John
Yes, we had 3mm above the floorboards earlier and it seemed fine with door levels. Anything more than that may pose a problem.
 
Id be surprised tbh as 3mm is nothing, even laminate flooring is 6mm plus about 3mm underlay. And a decent carpet could be double that.
It's common to adjust door for new carpet, but never heard of adjusting anything else.
 
Bite the bullet. Lift the existing floor, fit 100mm of Celotex with foam, and aluminium tape, and then refit 18mm ply, then your chosen floor covering.

Me and a reasonably skilled DIY'er friend did this over a weekend. It's certainly the best way, insulation and draught proofing will see you well for many years.
 

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