An energy audit is an assessment or an evaluation of a home's energy efficiency. An audit will identify specific areas of a home that can be improved in order to increase energy efficiency.
An energy audit will often prioritize cost effective measures that will provide the greatest energy savings. In addition, an audit will often identify specific behaviors that the home's occupants may perform in order to increase and maintain efficiency and conserve energy (such as thermostat settings, filter changes, etc.).
The floor may feel cold because the floor or foundation is not insulated, vents in the crawl space are left open during the winter, the heating system is not working properly, or the floor/foundation is not sealed properly for air leaks. Generally, air sealing should take place before insulating.
Insulating your floor because it feels cold may seem like a wise decision; however, there are several factors that should be considered:
- if the floor is over a usable and heated basement, it is best to insulate the the walls of the basement rather than the floor;
- for floors over unheated crawl spaces and basements, if the floor is insulated, are there water pipes and duct work that will be left exposed to freezing temperatures (that could cause pipes to freeze and lower the temperature of the air in the ductwork);
- for concrete slab floors, using extruded polystyrene around the perimeter of the slab will likely be your best option.
Before insulating a floor, do you homework and if possible, obtain an energy audit to determine the most effective method of insulating your cold floor.
