It seems like just another inevitable part of getting through a long Illinois winter — you wake up, crawl out of your warm bed and brace yourself before putting your bare feet on the cold floor. Or maybe you’re fine until you get downstairs where that hallway or kitchen floor makes you run for a rug. If you don’t take a step in your house during the winter without wool socks and fur-lined footwear, it may be time to look at solutions to your cold floor problems.
What Causes Cold Floors?
A cold floor is usually caused by whatever is going on beneath it. Here are some examples:
Uninsulated Spaces with Air Leaks
If your bedroom is over an uninsulated basement, crawl space or garage, then your bedroom floor is probably going to be cold. Even if you’ve got a rug on the floor, there’s not much there to stop the cold, which is essentially the same temperature as the outdoors, from coming through your floor, or your heated air from going out. This effect will also be that much more pronounced if there is little to no attic insulation and air sealing.
Poor Insulation
If the floor does have insulation beneath it but it’s still cold, the insulation may be old or poorly installed. Batt insulation can fall down over time, due to shifting timbers and gravity. If the insulation was stuffed in too tightly in the first place, it quickly lost its R-factor, or its ability to insulate.
What’s the Solution? Put a Stop Stack Effect
There are a few ways to reduce the impact of cold floors. Thick carpets are better than bare floors, but they’re a thin barrier in the long run. Radiant heat in floors is effective, but can be expensive to install as well as to fix should anything go wrong. You can swap cold tile flooring for wood, but most of us would prefer not to rip out and replace our floors.
The simplest and most cost-effective solution is usually to install insulation and air seal. While the insulation itself will slow the transfer of heat energy between your fist floor and what is beneath it, the greatest benefit may be seen through the suppression of stack effect that basement and crawlspace insulation and air sealing produces. A win win, if you will!
Basement and Crawl Space Insulation
Insulating your basement or crawl space will keep the outside cold from entering and cooling off not only your floors but also the rest of your house. It will also help keep moisture from entering and creating conditions for mold and mildew growth. How you insulate your basement or crawl space depends on your particular situation, so there is not one right way to do it, but once it is properly insulated, you will notice a significant difference in your floors and overall comfort as well as a reduction in your heating costs. The same would be true for a garage.
Basement & Crawl Space Encapsulation
Encapsulating your basement or crawl space will not only keep your floors from getting cold by slowing the stack effect, and keep your Illinois home more comfortable all year round, it may also make marked improvements to moisture and indoor air quality issues. If your basement or crawl has moisture or water issues or, well, smells a bit funky, give us a call to a get a free assessment of the best solutions.
The Frankfort & Chicago Southland Experts For the Best Insulation Results
Every situation is unique, so the best insulation solution for your Frankfort or Illinois neighbor’s home may not be the best for yours. The certified experts at Assured Insulation Solutions will inspect your home, review your needs and recommend insulation or other options to help you choose the most effective solution for your energy problems. We’ll ensure your investment makes a positive and lasting difference in your comfort and the energy efficiency of your home.
Financing Options With The Electric & Gas Industries Association (EGIA)! Assured offers financing options through The Electric & Gas Industries Association (EGIA). You can apply for the GEOSmart 18 Months Same-As-Cash Loan Program, which provides 100% unsecured loan amounts up to $45,000*.
Make way for warm floors and happy feet! Contact us or call 708.570.3260 to talk about an insulation solution for your home.
*With approved credit. Speak with an Assured rep for details.