Handbook: A Floating Insulated Subfloor For Slab On Grade Construction

Five videos about how to install a subfloor over thick insulation without sleepers.

Typically, a subfloor is installed over floor joists, but for slab-on-grade construction, sometimes a subfloor is installed atop the slab—such as when installing wood flooring. In such a case, it is wise to insulate between the slab and the subflooring.

The insulation can be rigid foam board or rockwool and usually involves sleepers. In the case of this project, the slab is a slabless slab: compacted gravel and there are no sleepers.

Two layers of subfloor are offset and glued together, forming a floating subfloor over a floating layer of insulation.

Jobsite Footage

A solid flat surface for building begins with a LOT of aggregate and many passes with a compactor
Nov. 26, 2018
Water and thermal barriers make a warm, dry base for the subfloor to float on
Nov. 30, 2018
The first layer of subflooring sits atop thick foam insulation and a plastic vapor barrier
Dec. 1, 2018
Glue and screw the second subfloor layer to make a rock-solid insulated floor in a slab on grade home
Dec. 3, 2018

About the Author

Jake Bruton

Jake Bruton owns and operates AAROW BUILDING in Columbia, Missouri. You should probably like and subscribe to his YouTube channel.

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