Insulating a basement for ground floor warmth

[Mercutio]

Got a fairly typical semi-detached in Sheffield. The ground floor is a suspended floor over a well ventilated basement.

As far as I'm aware, conventional wisdom is that you'd need to either add insulation under the flooring in the basement ceiling space OR heat the basement.

Would adding a radiator in the basement and a good weather proof door (it's got external access as the house is on a hill, the basement door is currently barely more than a strong shed door) allow me to seal it a little more to keep the heat in or is the circulation/ventilation still needed to avoid mould? The basement area is under the back half of the ground floor with a honeycombed support wall between it and the bit that's earth/rubble/bare foundations towards the front where it meets the hill.

As always, not going to take anyone's suggestions completely to heart, just to get an idea if my basic mindset is correct or not.

 

[the_r_sole]

just watch out you don't hurt it's feelings

...but if you want to heat it, you would insulate it, otherwise you're just heating up the ground/outside air, the idea is that the subfloor is well ventilated to avoid any dampness, if you want to keep heat in the house you need to insulate your ground floor, not heat the basement.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

You very naughty basement, you smell of pee.

 

[Mercutio]

lol, took me a moment.... (it was "insulting basement". ******* autocorrect )

I'll see what else is suggested but maybe scratch my idea then. I was under the impression you could heat to avoid needing quite so much ventilation for combating damp and I could seal it up a little more as that would be rather less work than getting the floor/etc done as it's a maze of pipes and wires tucked into the suspended floor's joists (so would probably be a rockwool effort rather than something easier/simpler/tidier like the sheet insulation stuff and I'd loose a good bit of head space. The basements almost a usable workshop kinda space and there were some thought's about turning an understairs cupboard into stairs down, turn the basement door into the back door and a few other tweaks.

The combi is already down there so adding a radiator would take no real effort, replacing the door the same and then being able to cover some vents to keep the heat in that way...

 

[eviled]

Easiest, cheapest and most effective way will be to insulate between the basement ceiling and first floor.

A major loss will be through draughts too, a draughty basement outside door (if I’ve understood correctly) might actually be keeping the basement from getting to humid and damp.

I’d go with a thick underlay or draught-ex if floor boards

HTH

 

[a1ex2001]

Heating a draughty old cellar will be a wast of money rock wool and some betting are your friends if the pipe work and caballing really are to bad to use board between the joists.

I wouldn’t really consider most cellars great for workshops mine (also in Sheffield) feels reasonably dry but anything left down there for a long time will go rusty or mouldy.

 

[bayo000]

Can't really help but you might be able to get some money towards it

https://www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk/pages/green-homes-grant