Suspended floors - no insulation experience in winter

[gurgleenglish]

Hello
I bought a period house recently.
It had suspended floors with no insulation. The floorboards look great. I lifted one up and can see the ground directly below.
There are slight gaps between the floorboards, and I'm sure it's draughty.

I haven't lived in a house like this before, so just wondering how others who have suspended floors with no insulation cope over winter?

I want to try different things to keep the warmth in before I have enough money to do something from Spring.

thanks for your advice

Lots of rugs and when you can afford it, a good thick carpet with thick underlay.

thanks @LizzieSiddal
do the thick rugs help a lot? or just a little?

Robert the air between the floorboards and the ground are insulation

The layer of air between the floorboards and the ground is insulation.

So, it won’t be unbearable but it will definitely be colder than if you had insulation. Luckily for you, insulating under the floorboards is definitely within the realms of possibility for anyone with a bit of energy and minimal DIY experience. I did it last winter in our Victorian terrace and it made a huge difference to the room temperature. Loads of YouTube videos that talk you through the process.

Yeah sure it is 🤣

How old is the property? You need your be careful as old buildings were designed to breathe. Insulation in the wrong places can lead to damp issues.

Airbricks are there underneath suspended floors for a reason.

So you can get some types of insulation that basically hang off the joists or maybe the floorboards, I am afraid I didn’t pay enough attention to say exactly how, but it still allows airflow so this minimizes the risk of causing problems. Have a look on our old house uk, repair and conservation on facebook where they are really good at advice on creating warmth without damaging the fabric of the building.

This space was designed to be ventilated with a cross flow of outside air via the air bricks or vents. So the opposite of insulated.

Rockwool insulation is breathable, push it down tightly between the joists of the floor - just make sure you leave a minimum 150mm between the underside of the insulation and the ground for ventilation via the air bricks.
Use the greatest thickness you can (remember the 150mm rule). It can be supported on netting stapled to the joists if it’s likely to overhang the bottom of the joists.

I rented a house like this. It was absolutely bloody freezing, like having air con around your legs.

Yeah its going to be cold…..like opening the freezer door cold.

mice love to come in through the air bricks and make a nice,cosy winter bed in the rockwool you put under the floor.🐭🐭🐭🐭