Floor Insulation: The Different Types and How It Works

The insulation of a building can be carried out in a large number of different ways. A handful of these methods include roof, loft, cavity wall and external wall. One of the most common and indeed effective forms of home insulation is carried out on a floor... or more to the point, beneath it.

There are many distinct forms of floor isolation including (but not limited to) foil, fiber and polystyrene sorts. Each offers different advantages and disadvantages in performance, installation and cost. The article that follows will provide a brief overview of each insulation system in the context of floor insulation.

Foil Floor Insulation Foil floor insulation can in some ways be a very tricky system to install in a home. Acting as a direct barrier by reflecting heat back into a building (e.g. from an underfloor heating system), foil insulation will also restrict airflow and the passage of moisture due to its tight fit to floorboards etc. Nevertheless, despite its inherent benefits and recent progressions in technology, foil floor insulation does not offer particularly spectacular U-value performance.

Fiber Based Floor Insulation Fiber insulation (such as polyester, rock wool and steel wool) is pretty straightforward in its use within a home. Imagine a huge blanket being cast over a building's floor and you're halfway there. Unlike foil floor insulation, the fit isn't tight and therefore moisture can seep through into a building. As this is a side advantage of floor insulation however, it's not a deal breaker.

Polystyrene Floor Insulation Polystyrene insulation has been rapidly gaining in popularity in recent years and one of its key applications is underfloor. As with a takeaway coffee cup, polystyrene works due to trapped air bubbles within the material that restricts the loss of heat within a building. Sold in beads and foam, it's most commonly available as sheets which are easy to cut and install. Other advantages include it being lightweight, resistant to moisture, having a very long lifespan and offering sound proofing qualities which make it very attractive in certain builds.

There's little doubt that insulating a building can be an expensive project, and it's a good idea to investigate the various schemes in your region for potential financial assistance. For instance, the UK's Green Deal aims to provide low interest loans that will enable homeowners to make improvements to their building's energy efficiency and therefore lower the country's carbon footprint.

Choosing the right method of insulation and getting it professionally installed could make the difference between a warm home and a cold one... and indeed a healthy bank balance. You could even contribute towards our planet's survival. What are you waiting for? Insulate your home today.

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Home Repainting on the Cheap: Where to Begin

If you're preparing to repaint your home, the good news is that you don't have to spend a large chunk of your home improvement budget to get an impressive final product. All it takes is some creative and strategic planning in advance to reduce unnecessary painting costs, without compromising quality.

5 Tips for an Inexpensive Home Paint Job

1. Do-It-Yourself: If you have the time and know-how to paint your home yourself, it will cut down on expenses significantly. If you feel intimidated by the task at hand, consider consulting a professional painting company and doing some of the grunt work yourself in advance to save on labor costs, including prepping and cleanup.

2. Paint an Accent Wall: If you can't afford to repaint each room in your home, you can cut down on expenses when hiring a professional company by only painting an accent wall in each room. One well-painted accent wall will change the look and feel of a room completely when the right complementary color is chosen. This quick paint job will require significantly less effort while still providing an attractive finished product.

3. Spend Wisely: If you're painting your home yourself, it's important to spend your money where it counts - on high-quality tools, like brushes and rollers. When it comes to all other supplies, you can go as cheap as possible by purchasing inexpensive paint bins, tape, and plastic to use for a drop cloth. Splurging on the proper tools will make it easier and more efficient to paint and will ensure a smooth application.

4. Buy Premium Paint: If you're going to do a job, then you want it done right, don't you? Whether you're working with a professional painting company or painting your home yourself, make sure that top-notch paint products are used. This is one way to stretch your dollar and make a paint job last longer to reduce the risk of chipping and peeling, which may require touchups.

5. Consider Your Color Scheme: For the exterior of your home, using traditional colors like gray, beige, maroon, and light green will improve its value and stand the test of time. When you paint your exterior with a popular paint color, you can count on its longevity for multiple years without the need to repaint completely as color trends change.

To make a wise investment in a home painting project, most homeowners prefer to work with a professional painting company.

The reason? A professional painter will best understand how to prepare surfaces for a long-lasting, attractive paint job to give you the most bang for your buck. Even better, a professional painter will come equipped with their own tools so that you won't have to spend money buying your own supplies.

If you're pressed for time, it's worthwhile to shop competitively for a professional painting company to get the job done. Many companies will be happy to provide you with a free quote to determine if a professional painter will fit within your home renovation budget.

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