Hello i need urgent advice/opinions from people who know about underfloor insulation please? We had builders in to take up floorboards today and insulate underneath with wool. they stapled it to the beams. It was only afterwards when we investigated by pulling up a corner because of a fish smell we thought was the glue that we saw they had put the 'breathable membrane' on top of the floorboards under the carpet and its underlay? My husband was expecting the membrane to be stapled underneath the wool itself. Paul says the moisture could be trapped between the membrane and the wooden floorboards causing them to rot? Is this true? The fitter said the crawl space is deep and well ventilated so it doesnt matter and the membrane is 'breathable'. I think they used a spray glue to stick it down to the boards and it has a weird fishy smell. Please let me have your opinions on how this job was done? Will we need to get them to redo it? Thank you.
Insulating under floorboards -Where does the membrane go?
- Thread starter doggyvonne
- Start date
You don't need a breathable membrane in this situation anyway.
So the membrane wont do any harm or yet any good? The glue used was Beach Bros Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive and is nasty smell something like ammonia and rotting fish. I have to sleep in this tonight and worried about my asthma. )o:
Well I would question why you would glue a membrane down, as mentioned if you were going to fit one it ought to be applied as you have described, beneath the insulation, applying an adhesive which by it's very nature is impervious to a breathable membrane is just bizarre, your builders are clueless, just where woud he membrane go if no adhesive had been used? I shouldn't think it will do any harm though. I would have thought the smell will dissipate. Who's Paul?
Connection with what? The builders used a flooring adhesive which apparently stinks, presumably any smell will dissipate once the adhesive has gone off.
When I did this, I put a membrane above the insulation, below the floorboard, to stop draughts.
Water condenses when warm air hits a cold surface. The insulation prevents the membrane getting cold, so there shouldn't be condensation on it.
...just don't pee on the floor - it won't drain away like it used to...
Water condenses when warm air hits a cold surface. The insulation prevents the membrane getting cold, so there shouldn't be condensation on it.
...just don't pee on the floor - it won't drain away like it used to...