We have a 3 season house in PA that sits on pier and beams. It is around 18 years old.
There is about 2 to 4 ft space on from the dirt before the house begins.
There is no insulation and we would like to know how to insulate the underneath.
We don't have heat so we can't turn the termostate down. All we have is baseboards and a wood stove.
We don't want the pipes freeze and we would like to extend our stay.
This would be a temporary fix. We just bought the place last year and we had to winterize it and close it down for the winter. Help! Any suggestions? Best type of underneath insulation.
It seems from what you are describing that fiberglass batts may be the easiest to get under there. You could probably also help out some by putting skirting around and insulating it. With no heat over the winter all you have to rely on is the heat from the earth below. If you have power there and insulated it well, a number of incandescent lights properly installed could provide some heat to prevent pipe freezing but how well that would work would still depend on actual conditions.
Insulation only slows change - it doesn't stop it so if the ground heat isn't enough to keep things from freezing in the insulated area, it will still freeze. It could prolong your stay though.
If you don't have reliable power to put some warmth into the pipes and keep the kitchen and bath above freezing when you are not there, then a seasonal drainage strategy is what you need. Be sure to clear the toilet and sink traps.
You should still insulate the floor because it will hold the heat better when you are there. But, as Glenn mentions, it will not hold it over the winter!
Thanks. Were actually thinking about using Corbond insulation found at http://www.corbond.com/main.htm or Icynene's insulation found at http://www.marchandmartin.com/whatsnew/
or Lowes has this reflective (roll out insulation)
whats your thoughts ?
Okie Bob has nothing but praise for Icynene. You can search this site for it to see his comments - don't forget to set the search date to all posts.