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Housing - Renovation: draft and dust where skirting board meets floorboard

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthork.summer
    • CommentTimeNov 26th 2012
     
    I'd like to stop the draft and dust coming through the area where the skirting board meets the floorboards on the ground floor of my house. In some areas this gap is quite large.

    I'm torn between keeping a breathable building to avoid having mould/fungi etc and wanting to stop the dust & draft.

    Has anyone got any ideas/advice please.
  2.  
    The simplest solution is some expanding foam or silicone sealant between the floor & the skirting boards. Whether this is the best thing to do depends upon the answers to some questions:

    Is it a timber floor? Is the wall solid masonry? Is the underfloor void ventilated? Is the floor insulated? Do you think you may want to insulate it in the future?

    The best solution probably involves removing the floor/skirting boards, suspending insulation between the joists on breather membrane, fitting polyethylene vapour/air barrier sealed to the wall behind the skirting board & re-fitting floor/skirting boards.

    David
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeNov 26th 2012
     
    Agree with David,

    but a breathing building DOES NOT MEAN DRAUGHTS!
  4.  
    I had same problem, got some good advice here:
    http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=9578&page=1#Item_0

    The expanding foam sealant that I used has already been shredded by mice (another recent thread) ... this may be less of a problem where you live!
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeNov 26th 2012
     
    Is it not best to deal with the draughts/breath ability and the humidity as two separate things.

    So make it airtight and then control the ventilation.
    • CommentAuthorGaryB
    • CommentTimeNov 28th 2012
     
    I had a combination of what appeared to be the world's most effective chimney and draughts not just at the skirting but between the floor boards as well, resulting in a 'flying carpet' effect on windy nights!

    Tube after tube of silicone was used, including along the line of each floor board, to eventually sort it out. Chimney stuffed with newspaper in a bin bag when not in use.
    • CommentAuthork.summer
    • CommentTimeDec 1st 2012
     
    Thank you all very much for taking the time to reply. I’ve had computer problems & couldn’t get to read the replies until now.

    I think I’ll go for David’s simplest solution for draft coming from the skirting boards.

    It’s (1) a timber floor, (2) solid walls (3) underfloor void is well vented.

    Re: David’s question about insulation of the floor. Although I’d rather not collect mites etc, I decided to use carpet in that room – it seems the simplest & cheapest non-slip surface.

    I’ve just noticed that there must be gaps between the floor boards too – they are allowing very fine dust to come through, so that’ll mean draft too. I thought of laying plywood on the floorboards before the carpet underlay goes down.

    The timber yard has told me that the use of formaldehyde used in the glues in plywood is very controlled now. They say a phenolic resin is used now and the timber is far eastern. I was also told it is both internal & external grade plywood. Is it possible to get formaldehyde-free plywood?

    Does anyone know if phenolic resin has off-gassing which would affect indoor air quality? Or perhaps if there is something else/better product to lay over the floor boards before the carpet goes down?

    It took me ages before finding a wool carpet manufacturer that does not use pyrethroids (moth killer affects nervous system) and found an underlay that is 100% untreated wool. Although I may use the company that I’m getting the carpet from for underlay – they one with wool felt on top of rubber crumb – which may not flatten as much as the 100% wool underlay would do.

    I’m coming from the angle of indoor air quality & toxins in the home.
    • CommentAuthorSeret
    • CommentTimeDec 1st 2012 edited
     
    To be honest lifting your floorboards to insulate under them and lay an air tight barrier is not that difficult, and will solve the problem completely. You can do it a room at a time.

    I've also got suspended wooden floors with a ventilated void underneath and I did a room recently. Tbh, once I pulled up the carpet and floorboards and did the insulation and air tightness I found I liked the look of the floorboards so much I never put the carpet back down, and now we have a nice wood floor that's warm and draughtproof. Getting the boards up and back down took me less time that I thought, so I had time to get in a floor sander and stain the floorboards.
    • CommentAuthork.summer
    • CommentTimeDec 2nd 2012
     
    Thank you for that encouragement Seret. I may well have a go at that - sanded and stained floors would be great. It'll have to wait until next year though. What type of insulation is used between the joists?

    Right now though, I just need one room I can keep warm in. I think I'll leave out using plywood under the underlay if I'm going to be lifting the floorboards to insulated under them. Whilst I was thinking about using plywood, I wondered if I would be creating a "sweaty sandwich". I'll go for just underlay & carpet for now - after I've sealed the skirting board gap.

    Thank you all!
  10.  
    Posted By: k.summer What type of insulation is used between the joists?
    It depends how deep they are & whether you're going to insulate below them as well. If they are 200mm deep then just use mineral wool. If they are less then consider insulating below them as well &/or using polyisocyanurate or phenolic rigid insulation (e.g. Celotex or Kingspan). If using rigid insulation then take care to seal between the insulation & the joist.

    David
    • CommentAuthorSeret
    • CommentTimeDec 2nd 2012
     
    Assuming you've got plenty of room just use whatever is cheapest to achieve your target u-value. Rockwool or other soft insulation can be sat on netting slung between the joists (I used strawberry netting). Dead easy, the only tools you need are a saw and a stapler, and you can cover a large area quite quickly.

    If you want to be clever you can arrange it so you've got a layer below the joists too, but simply laid between is good enough IMO. I like the idea of a soft insulation material instead of a rigid one as it's quick to cut to the right size, easy handle and expands and contracts with the floor.
    • CommentAuthorEd Davies
    • CommentTimeDec 2nd 2012
     
    Posted By: Seret(I used strawberry netting)

    The use of breather membrane, as suggested here by davidfreeborough, seems like an improvement to me as it'll tend to stop air movement through the rockwool.
    • CommentAuthorGaryB
    • CommentTimeDec 2nd 2012 edited
     
    I have and am using breather membrane (ongoing project) - better than netting for the reasons stated above but more expensive per m2 than the subsidised insulation!
    • CommentAuthordocmartin
    • CommentTimeDec 2nd 2012
     
    I used 2nd hand scaffold net; the first batch was free for the asking. The condition was as new, the mesh is far smaller than strawberry netting and it is far stronger.
  15.  
    GaryB said: ''I have and am using breather membrane (ongoing project) - better than netting for the reasons stated above but more expensive per m2 than the subsidised insulation!''

    See if your local specialist roofing merchant stocks seconds. Mine (in Sheffield) does, so I get about 50m2 for £10-£15. I imgine the internet might also have some merchants selling seconds.
    • CommentAuthorGaryB
    • CommentTimeDec 2nd 2012
     
    Thanks Nick, i have enough for the present phase, but will make enquiries when the next phase starts!
    • CommentAuthorSeret
    • CommentTimeDec 2nd 2012
     
    Posted By: Ed Davies
    The use of breather membrane, as suggested here by davidfreeborough, seems like an improvement to me as it'll tend to stop air movement through the rockwool.


    Good shout, I'll see if I can pick some up cheap when I do the next round.

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