How to insulate a floor with cabling?

[dnlbignami]

  

Hi there - I am hoping to insulate the floor of my Queenslander similar to the video (https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/home-improvement/heating-and-cooling/how-to-install-underfloo...). It seems overall easy however there are some areas of the floor with cables which might make the job a bit harder.

Do you have any tips on how to insulate these areas with cables? I have attached a couple of pictures. I am planning to use a 9cm high underfloor batt. 

[JacobZ]

Hi @dnlbignami,

Thank you for your question about how to insulate around cables on your floors subframe.

It shouldn't be too difficult to insulate around the cables, but your safety is a priority, so you should start by turning off the power to these cables.

My suggestion is to test fit the insulation before fixing in place to ensure you aren't covering the power point. If you need to trim the insulation around the power point, this can be done with some scissors or a utility knife.

Then fix your Insulation Strapping to the side of the joist as high above the cable and plumbing as possible. Once the insulation batt is in place, pull the strap tight over the joist and fix it to the other joist. This will keep the insulation free from the cable and pipes while still ensuring the whole space is filled with insulation.

The other tip I have is to get a good quality mask or respirator and wear gloves, eye protection and some disposable coveralls. Insulating is a sweaty job, and any airborne particles will stick to you and make you horrendously itchy. As someone who has made this mistake before, trust me it is not worth it.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Jacob

[dnlbignami]

Hi Jacob - Thanks. This helps already but I am still not 100% clear. Noted your point about the PowerPoint - ie to trimmer around so that the earth wool does not touch it, can the earth wool touch the wires or is best to trim so that it’s a few cm away? Thanks

[JacobZ]

Hi @dnlbignami,

There is no issue with fibreglass insulation being in close proximity to the cabling as the cable is insulated and fibreglass is nonconductive and not combustible. 

As long as you cut around the PowerPoint, it's going to be easiest to just install the strapping along the bottom of the joists following the instructions from the video.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob