Remodeling/insulating porch

SpartanEpoxies
shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
House Repair Talk

Help Support House Repair Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
J

JaneHouse

Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2016
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
We are going to insulate our porch and combine it with the kitchen. The flooring in the porch is currently concrete, and I am wondering if it will be OK leaving the floor uninsulated - just underlayment and hardwood is what we plan to do for a finish. I live in Minnesota so it does get cold... Do you think we need to insulate the floor? We are planning to also instal a woodburning stove in that room... if that helps. Thanks!
 
A wood burning heating appliance has specific fire prevention requirements, one of which is what it is sitting on.

Is the height of the kitchen floor the same as the porch floor?
 
The hight of the porch is slightly lower than the kitchen. It might be that there will be a step if we do insulate it... not sure. I don't know if radiant flooring is a good idea, or if we even need it in that room... Or just some underlayment alternative?
For the wood burning corner, I was thinking brick - just under it...
 
Thanks.

Let's go a bit further.

Will the access to the porch be through a doorway, or were you planning on removing the separating wall, and is the total area of the porch to be included in the integration to the houses square footage?

Not knowing the structure of the slab, before I installed the flooring I would treat it with a paint-on moisture barrier.

Are the walls in the porch primarily windows?

Do you know if there is any insulation in the ceiling of the porch.

You can find out on line the requirement for the particular model of heating appliance you are interested in, as well as the building code requirements.
 
The access to the porch will be through the kitchen (we are busting the wall and a sliding door between the two). Nothing in that porch is insulated, we will be doing the ceiling for sure. And, it will mostly be large sliding windows in there.
I think the porch is raised up on 4 "support beams" or poles, not sure how to call it. The porch is about 14x14.
Do you think the floor insulation *should* be done? Would it be too cold without it?
 
Thanks again.

There are several "typical" methods of creating a light weight concrete floor systems and keeping the area beneath it enclosed, will go a lot further than a specific insulation.

Did you have the porch constructed, and do you know if there were permits pulled for it?

If it was fairly resent, there may be plans still available giving you some incite to the method of construction.

Are the windows single, dual or triple glazed?

Are you intending to do this work yourself?

Can you provide a couple photos, 1 from directly away and 1 from the left side. Panoramic gives a better Idea of the house structure.
 
Thanks,
We are hiring to do wall and ceiling insulation, and getting new 2 pane windows... At least that's the plan for now.
The porch was build not that long ago - maybe 10-15 years. We have a floor plan of the house that includes this porch, but nothing really detailed that shows the construction. Not sure about permits for it! Basically I think it's a slab of concrete on 4 poles raised up. I'll try to take some photos!
 
Thanks; Before you order the new windows, be sure that the wall surfaces around your planned heating appliance, will not only allow glazing, but the distance the appliances is required to be away from.

Plans for a dwelling can contain both habitable and non-habitable sq. ftg., however they should be identified as such.

Generally a porch, open or enclosed is not included in the habitable sq. ftg. of the dwelling, and as such does not need to meet the requirements of elec., plmb. and building.

By removing the wall you are including the porch in the habitable sq. ftg. of the dwelling and weather or not this is an improvement in contemplation of a sale, you'd be well advised to permit this project, because I know of only two conditions that it will not eventually come up.

At some expense.
 
Thanks, but a couple panoramic will be of assistance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top