just wondering what peoples thoughts are, somebody told me that about 16% of your household heat is lost through your basement floor.
do you think that putting rigid insulation and vapor barrier below the slab, will be beneficial, or will this just be a waste of money, and more of a piece of mind issue?
The electrical hookup is only one part of the equation; when installing a hot tub, there are a number of key requirements to keep in mind.
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Replies
No it would not be a waste of money. About 2" is typical. I think more would be a waste of money in the sense that the benefit drops off and you would get more bang for your buck putting the additional money somwhere else.
It is becoming quite common in Colorado to put 2" foam and hot water heating in basement floors in the new construction houses. Theory has it providing a warm floor and radiant heat, but it seems if it is carpeted, it defeats the purpose.
You have to appreciate that it requires a calculated amount of energy to heat a basement in winter and a lesser calculated amount of energy to cool a basement in summer.
The ground temperature is pretty constant in both cases but our needs differ because of the outside general temperature.
Insulating your basement slab only brings the slab into the envelope. What it does do is make it warmer to the touch and cuts back on the thermal drafts.
Thermal resistance is exactly what it is. Resistance to thermal change. It can't stop it, only slow it down. The higher the thermal resistance, the more it slows it down.
Gabe
Insulation is required here under slabs in heated buildings. The minimum is a thermal break at the edge, plus a two-foot-wide strip of 2" XPS around the perimeter. I put 2" under the whole thing.