What sort of tradesperson

October 6, 2022 4:33 PM

The addition to our home has really cold floors.

We bought a home in the midatlantic in late 2021. Yay for interest rates! (And we got a deal bc private sale, they had kids and grandparents and didn't want tradespeople and prospective buyers traipsing through during covid, anyway). But it WAS 2021 so we gave them a free rent back, and then had the floors refinshed and walls painted and didn't actually move in until early March. So this crazy cold snap we just had was our first. And the extension some previous owner did that makes up (among other things) a wonderfup huge breakfast area/room off the kitchen, has FREEZING hardwood floors.
What is the kind of tradesperson am I looking for to insulate it (or some other solution so we don't have to wear shoes/slippers)?

posted by atomicstone to Home & Garden (15 answers total)

Is a big rug or rugs not an option? I once rented a place with heated floors (radiant heat) and it was amazing, but I think very expensive.
posted by pinochiette at 5:11 PM on October 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

What’s below that room? Crawlspace or unfinished basement or something? Insulation between the floor joists is probably the way to go, it’s what we did in our crawl space that was missing a lot of floor insulation. There are crawl space specialists that do this sort of thing, otherwise there are insulation contractors focusing on insulation and thermal envelope, sometimes alongside HVAC companies.
posted by supercres at 5:20 PM on October 6, 2022 [7 favorites]

I think a general contractor might be in order. Someone who can evaluate how the extension was built, and how best to proceded.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:22 PM on October 6, 2022

Is it forced air? We have an extension with an insulated crawl space underneath in our house and…they didn’t really put any ducts in the newer area. We use vent covers to direct warm air and things but ultimately our solution has been to wear slippers.
posted by warriorqueen at 5:25 PM on October 6, 2022

Seconding insulation specialists. We had the same problem in our extension and it was because the underneath insulation was basically non-existent/worn away because it was old (probably original/1980s). We had some sprayed in last year and it made a pretty big difference. In our case, it was pretty straightforward, too, they just opened a panel on the side of the extension and sprayed it in.
posted by urbanlenny at 5:30 PM on October 6, 2022

Response by poster: Below it is air and then ground. We have huge basements below the original foodprint of the house, but the extension did not continue the basement.
posted by atomicstone at 5:32 PM on October 6, 2022

Response by poster: The extension is the only part of the house with floor ducts for heating/air. Everywhere else it's in the walls. I've now told you almot everything I know about our HVAC system!
posted by atomicstone at 5:34 PM on October 6, 2022

sounds like a DC house. it will get colder. People here close it up or add some insulation (if you have a little window in the basement). Many local contractors will do the work.
posted by sandmanwv at 5:37 PM on October 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

If there is any access underneath it (crawlspace, panel on the side at all) you can look for either GC or a "spray foam insulation" contractor. They'll get underneath and put insulation in. I would recommend spray foam, slightly pricier but that's all they do and it's more efficient.

If there is absolutely zero access underneath it, you'll have to go from the inside. A spray foam contractor might be able to drill a few unobtrusive holes, or you might have to take up the floors and put them back in - which is a GC, probably.
posted by true at 7:16 PM on October 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

Yeah, you need to put insulation under the subfloor between the joists. This is theoretically possible to DIY but depending on the access and your comfort level you may want to hire a professional.
posted by ananci at 7:37 PM on October 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

Seconding spray foam insulation under the floor between the joists, but seal and insulate the outer walls of the crawl space as well.

Older homes with crawl spaces included vents to allow fresh air into the crawl, thinking that would keep things from getting nasty in the space. Turns out that it only invites more problems by allowing humidity into the area, where it condenses on colder surfaces like your HVAC ducts in the summer time. Seal it all air-tight and keep the outside air from getting in.
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:00 PM on October 6, 2022

Older homes with crawl spaces included vents to allow fresh air into the crawl, thinking that would keep things from getting nasty in the space. Turns out that it only invites more problems by allowing humidity into the area, where it condenses on colder surfaces like your HVAC ducts in the summer time. Seal it all air-tight and keep the outside air from getting in.

This is incorrect. Seal up a sub-floor area and it will rapidly become damp and humid from moisture in the earth, give it no ventilation and your floor will rot.

I have just replaced a floor that rotted from insufficient ventilation, but beyond my own experience the building code I work with mandates a minimum amount of ventilation for this reason.
posted by deadwax at 3:30 AM on October 7, 2022 [4 favorites]

I had this same problem in my DC rowhouse and asked a similar question.

I ended up covering the whole floor with felt rug padding, cut to fit exactly the footprint of the walls, and then bought about 20 cute little throw rugs and covered it all. It kind of looked like a harem but it was very cozy and completely changed my experience of that space. I did price out heated floor mats and blow in insulation, but the air crawlspace under the floor wasn't really accessible so this was a cheapish solution.
posted by kinsey at 4:05 AM on October 7, 2022 [1 favorite]

It sounds like the floor in that area is fully uninsulated. Spray foam insulation is great, but you are subsidizing the company’s ownership of the machines that blow the foam, which aren’t cheap. Depending on your budget, I would recommend finding a basic handyperson and telling them you want rockwool comfortbatt insulation put in between the floor joists in the crawlspace. The labor is basically unskilled and if you are able bodied you can do it yourself, it’s just an annoying task to climb around down there and the insulation is itchy.
posted by Summers at 4:46 AM on October 9, 2022

I'm in Massachusetts, and here, the electric company's Mass Save program rebates a lot of free or 75% discounted weatherproofing for residents. We had a whole lot of insulation work that they recommended done for very little cost, and a year later during Covid, there was a time that they were offering the same work for free. In our case, it included insulating the floors. The work is paid for by an upcharge that's on everybody's electric bills. I don't know whether other states run similar programs, but if so, it could be just what you need.
posted by daisyace at 11:51 AM on October 10, 2022