Burr! Freezing floor alert! Chilly floors and frozen toes are a frequent complaint during the winter season, and it’s no joke. You may have experimented with all kinds of thermal, wool, and cashmere socks and frizzy slippers; however, the quick fix may not be as easy as discovering the perfect pair of slip-on shoes. In fact, the issue just might be your cold floors; specifically, in areas at ground level or in the basement. Ceramic tile, stone, and concrete floors are infamous for being the coldest types of floors during the long winter months. Fortunately for you, there are some actions you can take to fight this chilly dilemma.
Keep Frigid Air Away, Pleasant Air In
Begin with the most natural solution, which administers a pleasant temperature for the entire home, not just the floor. Prevent drafts and heat loss. Plug any gaps, cracks, and holes in the wall or within the walls or your baseboards and floor with caulk. In fact, fix or install new weatherstripping around your doors and windows. It would also be wise to insulate your ceiling. Remember, warm air rises; it would be a shame to waste the heat that you’re paying for.
Insulate Below Cold Floors
When your floor is, overhead, an unheated crawlspace, place insulation in between the floor joists. Remember to occasionally inspect the crawlspace area to make sure that it’s in excellent condition. That’s because pests like to seek out areas that are a source of warmth during the winter, and insulation serves as a source of food. As a result, they often leave a path of destruction. Also, on occasion, insulation may become disturbed by the natural movement of your house settling. Escape these issues altogether by installing spray foam insulation. While spray foam insulation may seem expensive, it’s more efficient than traditional fiberglass insulation. Despite the fact that an unfinished basement is typically hotter than a crawlspace, insulating an unfinished basement will still help to keep the floor above at a more pleasant temperature.
Insulate Above and Beyond
If your house is sitting on a concrete slab and you’re considering installing new flooring, you might want to consider adding a layer of rigid foam insulation. While you may not need new ceramic tile, wood, or laminate flooring at the moment, you could use area rugs as a substitute to combat having to deal with a cold floor this winter. Just remember that wall-to-wall carpeting on top of an uninsulated and unheated concrete surface can be a hassle due to a threat of potential mildew.
