Should you insulate an upper floor above a heated room?
Thermally, hardly: heat does not leak between two heated rooms. Upstairs, acoustic insulation against impact noise is what matters, except above an unheated space.
Thermally, hardly: heat does not leak between two heated rooms. Upstairs, acoustic insulation against impact noise is what matters, except above an unheated space.
Many quotes specify the same insulation for every level. However, an upper-floor slab does not serve the same purpose as a ground-floor slab, and the required insulation is not the same.
Thermal insulation slows down heat moving from a warm space to a cold one. Between two heated rooms in the same home, there is almost no temperature difference, so there is almost nothing to slow down. The requirements PEB actually target walls that separate the heated volume from the outside, the ground, or unheated spaces.
What causes disturbance between two levels is the sound of footsteps and impacts transmitted through the slab. These are addressed with a resilient underlay beneath a floating screed, the principle behind a floating floor. Our article on acoustic insulation under screeds details the solutions.
Thermal insulation becomes necessary again if the upper floor is located above an unheated or outdoor space, such as a garage, covered passageway, porch, or building overhang. Between two separate dwellings, specific requirements may also apply: the project's EPB coordinator will confirm these. See our acoustic solutions.
Start from the finished floor level set by thresholds and adjoining rooms, measure down to the highest point of the slab, then subtract the floor finish and the screed: what is left is the space for insulation.
Your expert in screeds, thermal insulation, and acoustic floor insulation.
