Insulating a small brick area.

November 10, 2011 10:04 PM

How can I insulate under my front door?

I tore up the floor in the entryway to my house, and I'm building a new one. In the process, I exposed the brick directly under the door, which will soon be covered up again. (The area is about 5' by 8").

I'm guessing since the floor is usually not missing, I should insulate this spot while I have the chance. What's an appropriate material to put in this area? Bonus: I'm pretty sure moisture sometimes makes its way in here.

posted by zvs to Home & Garden (3 answers total)

I'd be inclined to put some kind of waterproof membrane down. I'm not really sure that insulating this area would be terribly effective though, as the air is probalbly quite still, and the insulative property of the brick is quite good.
posted by singingfish at 11:48 PM on November 10, 2011

Seconding. Any time you spend on this is worth more than the incredibly small amount of savings you'll see on your energy bill.
posted by pjaust at 5:35 AM on November 11, 2011

You want some kind of flashing on the outside to keep the water out, and then some expanding foam on the inside. I would probably use minimally expanding foam so you don't accidentally push anything out of whack.
posted by gjc at 9:16 AM on November 11, 2011