Stop heat from leaking out through and between your floorboards

Hot air rises, so it’s wise to jump straight to ceilings when thinking about insulating your home. But depending on your home and floor coverings, you could also be losing a surprising amount of heat from right under your feet.

Just like ceiling and wall insulation, installing floor insulation can save you money on your home energy bills and make your home far more comfortable. In summer, you’ll stay cooler for longer, and in winter your home will require less heating to stay snug and warm.

Wood and warm

Timber floors are a popular choice in homes today, but warmth can be lost the tiny gaps and cracks that occur between them as well as through the floorboards themselves. In winter, up to 20 per cent of a home’s heat loss can occur through uninsulated timber floorboards, plus more from draughts between the floor and walls (often gaps are hidden, but not sealed, by skirting boards).

Using rugs and carpets can help add an insulating barrier, but the best solution is to add underfloor insulation. Use underfloor insulation batts with a minimum rating of R1.5, but if you're going to the effort you may as well go for R2.0; they cost only a little more and give better results.

It is a fairly simple (although usually cramped and spider-webby) DIY job provided there's enough gap under the floor that you can access. The only trick is holding the batts in place so they don't slump. Stapling straps between floor joists on the underside is one method that works well in most situations.

Professionals installers can do a quick and neat job.