Installing floor insulation contributes to the better overall energy- and thermo-efficiency of a building. In this blog, we look at the main benefit of using expanded polystyrene (EPS) as floor insulation – thermal efficiency.
Insulating floors is one of the best ways to reduce heating and cooling costs. Floors, just like walls, take significant space in a building and contribute substantially to the heat and cold exchange, irrespective of season. Uninsulated ground floors, for example, can lose heat by up to 10% compared to insulated flooring.
A properly installed insulation will reduce the amount of heat lost through the ground floor and will retain the desired indoor temperature for longer periods of time. Sealing cracks in the floor or gaps between floors and skirting boards also help to keep the inside temperature constant.
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a great choice for insulating floors, no matter the type of flooring, the number of storeys and the building structure, and is suitable for both domestic and commercial applications.
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) manufactured by the Isowall Group is fast becoming recognized as the insulation material of choice by specifiers of “Bills of Quantities”. This comes largely as a result of our technical knowledge backed up by years of experience in the building and construction industry.
The main advantage of EPS for insulation lies in the low U-values, aside from being lightweight, versatile, and easy to handle. The lower the U-value, the better the thermal efficiency of the material used for insulation purposes.
Heat loss through the floor depends on a variety of factors. U-values may vary according to the floor area, wall perimeter, room depth and wall thickness, as well as the choice of heated and unheated spaces.
U-values in floor insulation need to be calculated accurately for maximum thermal efficiency. For floors, the insulation must provide a U-value of 0.21W/m2K or 0.15W/m2K when used in conjunction with an underfloor heating system.
In conclusion, installing EPS floor insulation provides the same thermal insulation benefits as with many other EPS insulation products, which in turn saves money on heating and cooling.
The Isowall Group has been manufacturing and distributing Isolite EPS since 1985. Isolite EPS products are used primarily for insulation, lightweight fillers and semi-rigid cushioning.
