this is pretty old forum, so perhaps all have moved on. But useful to read; thanks. Reducing air movement, especially through wall, floor etc. gaps critical to having a energy conserving house. Rugs and carpet are a good idea in general, but 1st thing we did was to rip up the carpet in our 1970's house here in Orange. Have done the same in previous houses. I'm an asthmatic and so are some of our kids and carpets are often a problem; improves breathing, and love the wood look, but notice the cold drafts even more in Orange v previous lowland climates. Can get under the house (and can maintain 400 mm gap at most cramped end and can stand up at other) and so in the process of installing foilboard underneath. Definitely noticed the improvement, but very fiddly doing this retro with ducts, and lines for power and phone all through. Talking to others the installation of batts with packing tape is probably quicker; recent edition of ReNew compounded my suspicions around dust potentially arising from Fibreglass/ Mineral batts which probably affected our choice of insulation, but perception of ease of installation (overestimated the 'ease') and green values (CO2, grazing impacts from wool etc.) also affected the decision.
Questions/conversation points:
1.what are the DIY risks here with hiding where the insulated wiring (to powerpoints etc.) goes? Wondering what standards apply.
2. Regarding Fibreglass/ Mineral batts - what evidence is there of the impacts (or not) on respiration for installers (ReNew talked about how workers get 'the cough') and also where the insulation is not in an entirely enclosed space is there a long term impact on household residents;
3. The 2nd last edition of ReNew that talked about insulation was about the roof space not underfloor but essentially the same principles apply. Conclusion as I read it was that foilboard over joists then covered with recycled polyester batts was one of the better options (using a mix of ethical and practical considerations), but gravity and working space makes this a problematic solution under the house. Especially at the 'just above the 400 mm' end. Any ideas appreciated.
btw - I went to buy some doors from the local supplier and it was largely 'Malaysian Cedar'. Looked it up on the web and it could have come from anywhere across Asia, including PNG, but chances are doesn't meet the ethical standard.
cheers
Posted Sunday 25 Sep 2011 @ 5:26:21 am from IP
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This is to allow enough airflow and spacing from the ground to avoid rotting the sub-floor.