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smythe888
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2017 04:19pm
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Just bought a 12x32 prefab building that will be placed on a gravel pad.....do I have to insulate the floor or can i skip that and just do the walls and ceiling?
I plan on using vinyl flooring directly on the sub floor but wonder will this work....trying to save money and cut corners as much as possible...
This cabin will mostly be used as a weekend getaway mostly in the summer months
Thanks in advance
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ICC
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2017 06:33pm
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Depends a lot on the climate zone as well as your comfort zone.
I am very happy that I followed code requirements as we can go in socks or bare feet any time of the year anywhere in our house or cabin.
[url=https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_sealing.hm_improvement_insulation_ta ble]
Recommended Home Insulation R– Values[/url]
Some people will say heat rises and so you don't need to bother. But no insulation in the floor does mean the floor is cold in winter and may allow exterior heat to enter in hot summer months.
Vinyl directly over the subfloor will eventually show all the flaws, voids, knots, maybe edges of the panels after a while.
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snobdds
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2017 07:02pm
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Well, if done properly, it will not only keep the place warmer...it will also prevent the hollow sound while walking on the floor. Plus it will keep all the rodents out if you have a lot of mice. By doing it properly I mean buying a closed cell spray foam kit and sealing it up. That is a $600 investment, but it will pay off in the long run on the overall comfort of the place.
If your going to try and just lay some fiberglass bats or rock wool, I wouldn't even bother. All your doing is building a home for mice and moisture to collect. At that point it's better to just leave as it.
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2017 07:38pm
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Refer to your previous post on Critter Control
http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/2_7817_0.html
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2017 08:24pm
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The guy that did our spray foam told us it made the floor stronger.
He gave me the specs but I don't remember them.
I can tell a big difference in the sound while walking on the floor. It's a lot quieter.
Yep, than there is the critter control aspect, lol.
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2017 09:24pm
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An interesting factoid: Plywood subfloors are too soft for vinyl flooring. You risk gouging the vinyl if you slide some furniture across it or a high heel might poke a hole in it (do you wear high heels)?
I was reading in a book called "The Journal of Light Construction" that you should add a layer of Masonite (about 1/4" thick and very dense) on top of your subfloor to prevent tears in the vinyl (fill the seams and screw heads so they don't telegraph through the finished surface).
SO! The order of layers should be: 2" rigid foam attached to subfloor, tape the seams between foam panels, 5/8" T&G subfloor screwed through the foam, 1/4" Masonite, fill the seams and screw heads, then vinyl. Warm floor and properly built.
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smythe888
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# Posted: 8 Sep 2017 09:28am
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Thanks! And for the record no I do not wear heels!?!
I mean yea am I completely new at this whole cabin construction, yes! But wow heels!?! That was a bit of a dig I thought
Thanks for the advice though note taken
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MntGoat
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# Posted: 8 Sep 2017 10:36am - Edited by: MntGoat
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No, it is not a must. I am in Maine and see plenty of cold weather. I have 2 properties on posts, one is a year round home, neither have floor insulation and are very comfortable in the winter.
Heat rises, you will see minimal gain by insulating the floor.
The better thing to worry about, is to stop drafts in the floor assembly from getting into the building. The year round home I referenced above has skirting around the perimeter. Once snow is on the ground no air goes under the building.
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NorthRick
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# Posted: 8 Sep 2017 01:03pm
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Quoting: MntGoat No, it is not a must. I am in Maine and see plenty of cold weather. I have 2 properties on posts, one is a year round home, neither have floor insulation and are very comfortable in the winter.
That was not our experience. We're in Alaska and, at first, the floor had no insulation. When winter set in the bottom foot of air in the cabin would stay below freezing - even when the temperature at your head was 70F. Snow that fell off your boots when you came in would still be sitting on the floor unmelted the next day.
I put 2" of foam board underneath the floor and it made a world of difference.
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MntGoat
Member
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# Posted: 8 Sep 2017 03:27pm
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It sounds like you are in an extreme environment then. We average upper 20's as highs in winter.
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 8 Sep 2017 06:16pm
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The danger with an un-insulated floor is that warm moist air from inside the cabin can also migrate through the floor assembly and freeze on the cold surface of the floor sheathing. A layer of insulation won't cost too much and will increase your comfort level.
And no, the high heels comment wasn't a dig.
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xtolekbananx
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# Posted: 8 Sep 2017 07:00pm
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I have that set up. I have a prefab cabin on skids that sits on 8 inch gravel pad. My floor is not insulated and I have no complaints. The walls have r13 and the roof is insulated as well. In the summer it is just like in my house and in the winter it is comfortable. I put come carpet to make the floor more warm and soft. I'm located in catskills mountains where it does get cold in the winter.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 8 Sep 2017 08:27pm
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I would say great to have, but how would you get it in the floor if its a prefab, set in place unless it was done prior to setting up and of course, mesh in place for critter control too.
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KinAlberta
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2017 10:20am - Edited by: KinAlberta
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Quoting: NorthRick That was not our experience. We're in Alaska and, at first, the floor had no insulation. When winter set in the bottom foot of air in the cabin would stay below freezing - even when the temperature at your head was 70F. Snow that fell off your boots when you came in would still be sitting on the floor unmelted the next day.
We're in central Alberta (where -40 happens but we wouldn't go to the cabin on weekends like that so it was likely closer to -10 - -20 C on our trips for snowmobiling and ice fishing etc. We always did quite ok with the two wood stoves in the main cabin* (24'x30') but a couple ceilings fans made a huge difference.
The ceiling fans came after we got power brought into the property. Running a generator all night made no sense. Before that it was just my father adding coal to the fire before bedtime.
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Bushwhacked
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# Posted: 11 Sep 2017 03:55am
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Quoting: rockies I was reading in a book called "The Journal of Light Construction"
JLC is a good resource.
Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech I would say great to have, but how would you get it in the floor if its a prefab, set in place unless it was done prior to setting up and of course, mesh in place for critter control too.
I second that.
Quoting: NorthRick That was not our experience. We're in Alaska and, at first, the floor had no insulation. When winter set in the bottom foot of air in the cabin would stay below freezing - even when the temperature at your head was 70F. Snow that fell off your boots when you came in would still be sitting on the floor unmelted the next day.
I have seen this same thing in a couple areas of WA. For example, my moms house in western wa has no insulation in the floor, 1.5" of T&G "car decking" for the sub floor, then tile/or carpet on top of that. Maybe I'm a Wus, but her house is freezing to the feet  . Her place can get to 20 degrees in winter. This is with a wood stove heated home though. I have been in places that are close to hers and heated with a forced air furnace and its not the same story.
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