Thermal insulation of the floor: important points

Hello.

What causes drafts and dampness from under the floor? What linoleum and what thickness is better to choose?

Anipa

Expert Answer

Good afternoon, Anipa.
Dampness from under the floor appears due to poor insulation. Concrete floors do not have good thermal insulation properties, so warm air condenses on its surface. Because of this, moisture appears, and, as a result, dampness, mold and other negative aspects.

In order to correct the situation, it is not enough to change linoleum to a thicker one. It will not give anything. It is necessary to take drastic measures to insulate the floor in your apartment in order to shift the dew point from the surface of the concrete base inland. About how to perform high-quality insulation, many articles have been written on the Internet. For this reason, we will not describe in detail all the nuances and subtleties, but allow ourselves only to recall the most important points:

Getting started, it is necessary to repair and impregnate the old screed with a deep penetration primer.
Contrary to popular belief about the need for waterproofing the base, we recommend that you do without it - when flooding, the waterproof floor will have to be completely shifted. If water can escape through the pores, then the situation will not be so deplorable and will be able to fully normalize in the summer heat.
As a heater in your case, plates from extruded polystyrene foam are best suited. They have a high density and even with a thickness of only 2-3 cm are able to provide high-quality thermal insulation.
Roughing can be done using a concrete screed, but if you do not want to get involved in dirty work, then you can use sheets of gypsum fiberboard.

Of course, you can use other methods of thermal insulation. For example, use a dry screed or perform insulation with mineral wool, and lay the rough floor in lags. If it is impossible to make thermal insulation due to an increase in the floor level, then the only way out is to install an infrared floor heating system. In this case, thin film heaters will be used, which not only do not affect the floor height, but are also well suited for laying under finishing coatings such as laminate, linoleum or carpet. We hope our recommendations will help you eliminate the dampness of the floor and establish a comfortable, cozy and healthy microclimate in your home.

Rate this article:

(1 vote, average: 5 out of 5)