Hello. I want to insulate a porch and make it into a year round room - have just installed really good windows. Presently the porch is open underneath. I am thinking of putting 2" foam insulation (styrofoam). Do you cover that foam insulation with something to ward off critters? I have had problems with carpenter ants in the past - taken care of - but don't want to encourage a return event and don't want cats or small wild animals nesting in whatever insulation I use. Was thinking of putting some kind of sheeting over the foam, if that's the best material to use, but wonder about creating a moisture problem.

All suggestions greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Ginny

vapor barrier goes on the warm in winter side. up against the floor. so any plastic under the insulation will encourage moisture.
you could put batts too.
but put some mesh type metal around the porch bottom to keep out the big animals. smaller mesh to stop mice. and bury the mesh 8 inches below the ground to stop animals digging under.
metal like quarter inch fabric mesh. cheap enough for the keeping out of animals or put it on the bottom of the joists if you cannot close up the skirting area of the porch.

I have to say that I dissagree with the vapor barrier going against the warm floor. I think what this person is trying to do is stop the ground moisture from coming out of the ground and wetting the insulation. I think I would put the insulation on the ground, then put insulation. Just my thought.

The porch is about 3 feet above the ground and open so I just want to block cold air and keep the room warm. I'm thinking of using the pink styrofoam hard insulation but wondering if I need to put something to cover it - or is it enough just to have the foam insulation? I don't want to creat a vapor or moisture problem by covering the styrofoam insulation.

I'm not going to use regular insulation because I don't want cats, squirrels or skunks using it for nesting.

Thanks!

Hi, I think I am living in a colder climate (no carpenter ants here) but am trying to figure out the best way to do a similar problem. I like your idea of the styrofaom under the joists but have you thought about putting and batts above the styro to increase your R value? Its a cheap way to get your floor even warmer.'For your application it may be better to use an aluminum soffit under the styro to keep out critters. Mine will be new construction on an addition but it is basically the same thing. Because of the cold climate I want to insulate the floor to about an R35 with blown in cellulose and stryrofoam around the edges. I also want to leave about a 6 inch space directly under the floor to allow a heating duct to pump some warm air into this space. My thoughts are plywood on the bottom of 2 by 12 joists full of cellulose. On top of the joists I thought about a sheet of 6 mil poly for a vapour barrier that will tie into the vapor barrier on the walls of the room above. On top of this vapor barrier (on the warm side) I am thinking of building a false floor from blocking and 2 by 4s (with the plywood floor on top) to allow free flow of the warm air under the entire floor. Does anyone out there think this makes sense or is there a simpler way to accomplish the same thing? Thanks for any input.

Here is my dilemma. I just built a new deck which is now perfectly level with my interior floor. I made it like this so I would literally step right out onto my new deck instead of about 8 inches down to the concrete floor. Since then, I have contemplated on a couple of ideas to include a screened in porch to an enclosed heated and cooled sunroom. I have now decided on the heated and cooled room that I will be starting the construction here in the next couple of weeks.

However, it already has an existing roof and 4x4 posts and a 2x6 deck that is about 8 inches off the ground. Since I have now decided on the enclosed room, I now need to figure out how to insulate the floor so I will not lose so much heat and cool air. Keep in mind that I live in San Antonio, Texas and it gets pretty hot here.

So, my question is this... What is the simplest and most efficient way to insulate the floor at this point without having to rip up all of the 2x6 decking and insulated underneath. I have read that most people put some type of insulated foam board, then concrete backer board, then some other type of flooring on top of that. I cannot do this, since my floor is now level with my interior floor and if I put a layer of ANYTHING on top of the wood decking, my French doors will no longer clear the floor and will drag or maybe not even open at all.

I know that this was a long post, but I felt it was necessary to explain and describe everything that is going on with this project.

If you have any information that can help me out, please let me know...

Mike Joyner
San Antonio, Texas

I have almost the exact same situation. My joists are 6 - 8" above concrete. Currently I'm considering putting a vapour barrier on the concrete, laying a layer of pink foam and then covering that with batts, leaving the space against the floor open. On the one hand I'm worried that then the vapour barrier is on the 'cold' side, but putting the vapour barrier above the batts will potentially allow moisture to wick up, and putting it on both sides seems like a bad idea. I'm a little stuck and would love to have some input!

USE the BARRIER insulation