How do I Insulate a Sunroom With a Raised Floor?

Add a layer of rolled insulation between the floor joists to help retain heat in a sunroom.

Having a sunroom as part of your home means your family can enjoy a bug-free outdoors for a longer period of time than normal for your climate. By insulating under the raised floor, you can extend the amount of time you can spend in the room even more. Be careful to follow local building requirements when improving the quality of the sunroom space, because it may not be able to be included in the overall square footage of the home at resale time, unless the materials used are equivalent to those used in the remainder of the home.

Things You'll Need

• Staple gun and staples
• Polyethelene vapor barrier
• Rolled fiberglass insulation
• Protective gear
• 2-inch-thick Styrofoam insulation
• Furring strips
• Nails
• Wire mesh
• Optional lattice

Instructions

1. Staple a layer of vapor barrier between the floor joists.

2. Add rolled insulation between the joists, pushing it into place. Wear a mask and gloves to protect yourself.

3. Cut 2-inch Styrofoam insulation to the proper width, and push into position between the joists. Nail furring strips from joist to joist to hold the insulation layers in place.

4. Cover the entire area with wire mesh with 1/4-inch holes. Staple or nail into place.

5. Consider enclosing the area between the floor and the ground with lattice for extra protection against the wind.

References

• Bob Vila: Insulation for Porch Floors
• Envision Window: Design Your Sunroom