Platform Insulation

Hey, folks. This is Jeremy with a continuing conversation about Yome insulation options. You can find my comments on the roof and sidewall insulation systems elsewhere in Ponderings. Bottom line, insulating the roof is the most effective step in improving heating efficiency in a Yome.

Depending on what a Yome is sitting on, how high off the ground the deck is, etc., the next most effective area to insulate is the floor or platform. There are a lot of options for floor insulation. Personally, I had access to a lot of fiber-fill scraps that we use for our side wall insulation, so I improvised a simple way of sealing off the space between the joists of my deck and just stuffing it with fiber-fill. I am not getting a great R-value, I’m sure, but nonetheless it has made a big difference.

The space below the deck can be sealed off into a sort of root cellar or storage space, and warmer floors can be the result but so can greater moisture. However, the most common way of insulating the floor is the conventional way of filling in between the joists and sealing that in with plywood, etc. There are a lot of options, but the environmental impact of each varies quite a bit. Rigid foam panels are one option. Fiberglass is a fairly cheap and very effective option. There is also a product made of wool that is used exactly like fiberglass rolls, but it is more costly. With these fiber type insulation options, it is important to create a way to keep rodents out.

I hope this is helpful! My next entry will be about our Side Wall Insulation and my experience with it. Spoiler: I like it a lot. It’s the finishing touch.