Roof
roof pitch
Drempel
Flat roof
Upper floor slab
Solid ceiling
timber-beamed ceiling
Nail binder
Attic conversion
External wall
Façade
Partition joint in a house
cellar wall
Ground floor
cellar ceiling
Stairway to the cellar
Solid ceiling
Cap ceiling
Timber joist floor/cavity
Special components
The cellar ceiling is often made of solid concrete or reinforced concrete and is usually left exposed and untreated. There is no additional insulation layer, which means the ceiling has very poor thermal insulation. The uninsulated cellar ceiling results in high energy losses. Added to this is reduced living comfort due to cold floors (= cold feet).
Important: Safety and quality standards must be adhered to throughout the entire process.
Specially trained and certified specialist contractors spray polyurethane foam beneath the cellar ceiling
The following instructions are intended as a guide for specialist contractors!
Step 1: Preparation and safety
- Wear personal protective equipment, including safety goggles, gloves and a respirator, to protect yourself from vapours and chemicals in the polyurethane foam.
Step 2: Cleaning and Preparation
- Thoroughly clean the underside of the cellar ceiling to remove dust, dirt and loose particles. Remove any existing damage or cracks and repair them if necessary.
Step 3: Masking and Covering
- Cover the floor and adjacent areas in the cellar with protective sheeting (plastic sheeting or masking tape) to prevent polyurethane foam from getting onto surfaces that are not to be insulated.
Step 4: Preparing the polyurethane foam
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to prepare the polyurethane foam spray kit. Ensure that the sprayer is working properly.
Step 5: Spraying the polyurethane foam
- Apply the polyurethane foam evenly to the underside of the cellar ceiling. Start at one end and work your way across systematically.
- Take care to create an even layer, whilst adhering to the recommended layer thickness. Bear in mind that the foam expands as it cures, so precision is important.
Step 6: Fitting protective covers
- Protect light fittings and electrical sockets with special covers to prevent the foam from entering these areas.
Step 7: Curing
- Allow the applied polyurethane foam to cure in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. This can take anywhere from a few hours to a day, depending on the specific type of foam.
Step 8: Finishing touches
- Carefully remove the covering material and the protective covers from light fittings and electrical sockets.
- Check the insulated area for any irregularities and ensure that the insulation is even and complete.
Step 9: Cleaning and disposal
- Clean the work area thoroughly and dispose of waste materials in accordance with local regulations and environmental requirements.
Step 10: Inspection and Quality Control
- Carry out a final quality control check to ensure that the insulation has been applied correctly and meets the desired thermal and acoustic insulation targets.
It is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the foam material used exactly and to observe safety precautions throughout the entire process.
The insulation thickness should be at least 100 mm.
All the benefits at a glance
Improved thermal insulation: Whilst the U-value of the cellar ceiling was previously around 1.6 W/(m²K), it can be reduced to around 0.25 W/(m²K) as a result of the insulation work. This represents a thermal improvement of around 85 per cent for the cellar ceiling.
Lower heating costs: As a rule, savings of up to 10 per cent can be achieved if the cellar ceiling is properly insulated.
Further benefits:
- Comfort is improved due to higher temperatures on the ground floor floor (“warm feet”)
- CO₂ emissions are reduced.
- Heating energy consumption and heating costs are reduced
- Insulating the heating pipes, if this has not already been done, can be carried out at the same time. (This has been a legal requirement for many years.)
Can I insulate it myself? No!
Insulation materials: spray polyurethane foam