Pine Floor & Insulation
I have wide plank pine flooring attached directly to the floor supports. The previous owners had plywood and carpeting covering the pine. The basement has a moisture problem and has a french drain with a sump pump. During a heavy rain, a river of water feeds into the pump, so moisture is a problem. I…
I have wide plank pine flooring attached directly to the floor supports. The previous owners had plywood and carpeting covering the pine. The basement has a moisture problem and has a french drain with a sump pump. During a heavy rain, a river of water feeds into the pump, so moisture is a problem. I would like to remove the plywood and refinish the wide plank pine floors, but will need to insulate from underneath to keep out the moisture and musty odor. Would I be able to attach foam board such as Dow Tuff to the underside of the floor between the floor supports?
After re-reading your question, I think the best idea would be to put a ceiling in your basement, not insulation on the floor.
I haven’t used rigid insulation between the joists, but I did spend a backbreaking 2 weeks flat on my back in a crawlspace putting rolls of paper-backed (one side only, facing the ground) fiberglas under my old floor. This was a very dry situation, though, so I’m not sure about using it in your situation. At any rate, the way I did it was to stuff the insulation between the joists and then staple chicken wire to them to keep the insulation in place. If I were you, I’d do many searches on the web about insulating damp spaces. I don’t know that I’d want to glue anything directly to the floor, however, cause if there’s a problem it’ll be a pain to remove.
The plan is to keep the beautiful pine, but not have to take it all up and put down a new sub floor underneath. It is in good shape with a solid installation and I would rather not disturb it or the moulding. So my first option is to insulate from underneath. I’m just not sure what insulation material and method of installing it is best. I’m hoping someone here knows.
scrap the old pine in the basement and install a harder wood or lay down some nice tile or finished concrete….ill buy your pine from you to make it easy. email me if you change your mind….chinaspice25@yahoo.com
Air Seal (718)821-6800 just spray-foamed most of our townhouse. Good company.
Not sure who to contact in NYC for this but spray foam insulation is the way to go. I’ve used it in my country house in Bucks County that has a wet basement. If you have a hot water heating system and you can afford it I would highly recommend that you have subfloor heating installed first. Its the most effiecient form and you will love it.