A few questions

[lacey]

Hi, last summer I asked about cold flooring in winter in my MH. I had mentioned my underbelly was sealed well and I had vented vinyl skirting.

DH and I are discussing ways to make it a little warmer in here in the winter months and thought about adding a reflective foil insulation on the underbelly. As it is already sealed up, we would just attach it to what is already there. Does anyone think we would benefit from this at all?

We are also contemplating ripping up the carpet and adding laminate throughout most of the mh. Can reflective foil insulation be installed under the laminate? Would that benefit us at all?

One more question: Does insulated skirting help all that much at all?

Thanks in advance
lacey

[Greg]

Adding more of any type of insulation can't hurt. If the underbelly is in good shape I would not want to disturb it by opening it up, but I have mixed feelings about going over it also since that could take the breathe ability out of it. I think I may opt for insulating the skirting. Greg

[flcruising]

Here's what I replied to an earlier post (viewtopic.php?t=3277):

I'm in Florida, and recently added R-19 (could have gone to R-30, but not necessary here) between my 2X8 joists on half my home so far.

Basically it was a matter of slitting the belly fabric down the middle. Cutting the existing R-11 blanket insulation into strips at the joists to double it out over the outrigger areas. Then stappled paper backed R-19 to the middle. Took the time while I had it open to spray foam any electric/plumbing holes in the floor.

Doesn't get really cold here (teens at night), but the floor doesn't sound nearly as hollow. I do hope there's a difference in floor temperature once winter hits again.

R-foil needs an air space between it and the room it's facing to be effective. To achieve that in a floor situation, you would install it stapled between the floor joists, held off at least an inch from the bottom of the floor decking, then have your R-# fiberglass insulation tight against the underside of it.

Like this:



Insulated crawl spaces are a much more expensive task to acheive in a non-stem wall foundation like a MH. But here's some reading if you want: http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/you ... opic=11480

[lacey]

Thanks for the replies! Definately something to think about!

Has anyone ever put the foil insulation under laminate ?

[flcruising]

http://www.barrett-inc.com/barrier.html

This was the first result from google.

Mind you, it says it blocks conductive heat (one object touching another), not radiant heat like foil insulation.

[lacey]

Thanks Aaron. That is interesting but not the application I am thinking of.

I want to put in laminate in my hall, kitchen and possibly living room and want to add this foil insulation under the laminate. And I was wondering if anyone had done this and what their results were.

Thanks again

[flcruising]

I don't think you understand the purpose of radiant barriers, so let me clarify.

Heat travels from warmer areas to cool areas.

Radiant barriers provide zero R-value when sandwhiched between two materials. In your case the floor deck and the laminate.

Foil insulation is not like fiberglass/wool/cellulose, in that is does nothing for conductive/convective heat flow. It simply reflects radiant heat waves that are emitted from objects that are warm.

When installed under a roof deck (with an air space between), it reflects the heat back toward the roof deck that has heated from the radiant waves of the sun, since that heat is trying to move toward the cooler attic.
When installed under a floor (with an air space between), it reflects the heat back toward the floor that has been absorbed from the room, since that heat is trying to move toward the cooler crawl space.

When the radiant barrier is installed tight against an object, it pretty much becomes part of that object, emitting the same radiant waves that it could have reflected were is seperated from it.

Therefore, my point is, if you use the foil insulation between your laminate and subfloor, you pretty much just have an expensive vapor barrier with NO insulative properties.

[lacey]

I do understand the purpose of this particular type of reflective foil insulation I would be using. I have been looking and now I find that there are several types of reflective insulation out there.

It is a layer of foil with a layer of bubbles sandwiched in between the foil and then a white backing on one side. So it is foil, bubbles and a white solid layer. Maybe I should have clarified that from the beginning.

I was essentially thinking that under the laminate and between the subfloor the layer of bubbles would be the air space. As per my understanding the warm air would be reflected through the bubbles back to the white layer which would be against the laminate.

Maybe this is totally out to lunch but my husband has been in contact with the manufacturer of this product and he was told that this is an excellent application for this PARTICULAR product.

I am sorry I even asked as I didn't think I would be belittled here. I was just wondering if anyone else had tried this and what their feedback was.

Thanks

[Yanita]

Hi Lacey,

As site moderator I just wanted to jump in and say I don't think anyone is trying to belittle you. I have reread this thread a couple times and must say it was starting to get confusing.

First off I think the posters answering your question thought you wanted to add more insulation under your home, but as the conversation continues I am thinking you want to put the foil between the subfloor and the laminate. Is this correct?

If so, regardless of any insulating qualities that you may get I doubt that the laminate would hold up with it underneath. Laminate snaps together. If you were to use something that thick underneath the laminate the snap together pieces would surely break.

There is a specific foam underlayment that is designed to go underneath laminate.

Now, if I have this wrong please feel free to let me know.

Please try to remember, that internet conversations lack, voice tones and volumes as well as facial and body language. Flcruising has done a great job of explaining the insulating qualities and procedures.

Myself as well as other mods and members are very good at reporting someone that may be getting disrespectful, rude or otherwise unbecoming. We always act as quickly as possible.

I hope that we can continue to help you, and hopefully get your question here answered to your satisfaction.

Yanita

[lacey]

I am sorry if I offended anyone thanks Yanita for commenting. You are right it is hard to express tone with online conversations. Sorry if I misunderstood.

I originally asked about both applications. Both under the trailer on the underbelly and under the laminate.

Flcruising did a good job explaining underbelly application which I appreciate. My husband and I have decided that underbelly application would not benefit us.

So I continued to ask about it going underneath laminate inside the home. My husband was in contact with the manufacturer of the particular product we would use and was told by the manufacturer that as long as we used the thinner version (there are two types, one with two layers of bubbles and one with one layer) that it would be fine. I may contact the laminate manufacturer too and see what they have to say about this.

Sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused. Feel free to delete this topic if you as moderators find it appropriate.

Thanks again.

[Yanita]

Hi Lacey,

No need for the topic to be deleted, it is very informative. And I must say not one that I recall being asked...insulation being installed under laminate. Personally I think it is a great thought and not one I had thought of myself!

Please call the laminate manufacturer about using the thinner insulation. Please if you would post the results of the conversation with us. This could be what I need to hear to convince me to use laminate flooring. I too want wood but I don't want cold floors in the winter.

All is fine and wish you well.

Yanita

[flcruising]

I'm sorry lacey if you felt belittled, that wasn't my intention at all! I apologize if I came across harsh.

The bubble foil insulation you speak of is a little different than a straight foil insulation as it tries to address radiant AND conductive heat. That's all the bubbles are for.

I think that you would be spending more money than would return, and find that it doesn't quite perform as expected in your situation.
I'm not even sure that it would hold up with furniture/appliances sitting on top of it? I mean, it's the same thing as packaging bubbles, the stuff everyone loves to pop!

[Yanita]

Hmmm, good thought there Aaron, again not something I would of thought of!

Hopefully we will get some feed back on what the laminate manufacturer has to say.

Yanita

[Greg]

The only possible problem that I could see by insulating under the laminate could be a freeze up possibility of the pipes if you do not heat with the furnace. The pipes rely on the warmth from the ducts to stay thawed. Greg