| Sorry, but I don't understand the situation.
I'm guessing that you have a forced air heating system. But is it the basement that stays cold? Or is it the first floor?
If you have normal ductwork and all the registers are at the top of the wall, you will have difficulty getting the heat down to the floor. With a crawl space, you may have to insulate under the floor for starters. But that raises several problems, depending upon the condition of the crawl space.
Please put your location in your profile as I have done; it is an essential part of the problem. |
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| Insulating the floor should make an appreciable difference. |
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| For you crawlspace there are several schools of thought for insulating it. One is to insulate the floor and have the crawlspace vent to the outdoors to get rid of any moisture that comes in (mainly through the ground). The other is to seal the crawlspace, insulate the walls and first 3 or 4 feet of the ground and condition the crawlspace by adding HVAC. In both cases any bare earth should be covered with plastic. Do a web search on "conditioned crawlspaces" for more details. If you go the insulated floor route make sure you put the vapor barrier towards the conditioned space and make sure it is up against the bottom of the floor. The problem with insulating the floor is the insulation sags and becomes ineffective. A spray foam insulation on the floor would be much more effective than batts. However, it does make access to plumbing and electrical a bit more of a challenge. Valves and junction boxes can't be covered and must remain accessible. Personally, I like the conditioned crawlspace method best.
General Disclaimer
Any advice given here is general in nature and is not necessarily valid for your given area. If in doubt check with your local codes enforcement department for what is required when doing electrical, plumbing or structural work on your house. Permits may or may not be required in your area and home owners may not be able to DIY some tasks. I have no way of knowing if you have the skills needed to complete the tasks you are asking about, when in doubt seek professional assistance.
My advice may be worth exactly what you pay me for it. :-) For the record I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
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| | | Posts: 6660 | Location: Cary, North Carolina | Registered: Sep 18, 2002 |  
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