Is there special concrete that insulates floors?

Question

We have just had our conservatory floor laid with "special concrete" that will give us extra insulation. But it just looks like normal concrete to me. Is there such a thing? I've looked on the internet but can't find any answers.

Answer 1

I OWN CONCRETE COMPANY.

We have 3 trucks and yes there are many mixtures that can insulate floors, I also lay them.
As for being able to tell if there are accelerating admixtures, super plastersizer,air entraining admixtures just by looking at it then no you cant tell. The only time you can tell is by the feel of the concrete, again you wouldn’t no if you don’t use concrete regularly.
I can’t give my website out but you can type in aaa concrete in a search engine, we are in Nottingham.
Fibre concrete is also known as insulation concrete, there’s like feathers added to the mix.
Hope this helps.
foamed concrete is a admixture added,you use less meters per cubic meters.

Answer 2

There is such a thing but i can't see a conservatory company using it, if you have been charged extra ask the company if they can supply you with information on the product or on the company that supplied the "special concrete". It sounds a little sus to me. The floor (assuming its not special) should have been constructed of first

100mm Type 1 Compacted Hardcore
soft sand blinding over hardcore
Layer of Damp Proof Membrane
100mm Concrete
50mm Kingspan insulation
65mm Sharp Sand/Cement Screed.

Answer 3

Not really, the thing about insulating is creating a space where conduction and convection occur slower. Concrete is very dense, thusly conduction can occur quite easily. To insulate a concrete floor anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of foam is laid between two slabs. I.E. There is a 4 to 6 inch slab of concrete on the ground, 3 to 6 inches of insulating foam, and another 4 to 6 inches of concrete to create the finshed floor you walk on. You got what you paid for. Special concrete, no. Special process, yes.

Answer 4

It's most probably cement not concrete. In short the blend is of a finer aggregate (sand vs stone). You might google gunite or shotcrete. There are a few companies which utilize such additives as periolite or vermiculite which adds to the insulative value of the cemetious mass.

These processes are used with reinforcement which requires 'less thickness' of the mixture applied and is lighter in weight. Finishes can be done in various forms.

Answer 5

i have a conservatory, which has underfloor heating that hardly takes the chill off the floor. we heat the the conservatory with a 3kw oil filled radiator. which is very effective.. concrete is always cold, I'm not a builder, but i have never heard of insulating concrete. i don't think you can lose heat through a solid floor. in a conservatory, most of the heat goes through the windows and roof. if you haven't laid a floor covering. maybe you could consider underfloor heating, I'm sure most floorlayers/tilers will be able to advise you on this. as long as you didn't pay extra for the "special concrete" i wouldn't worry about it.

Answer 6

Yes, there is such a thing and yes it does look like regular concrete.
Contact your concrete supplier and ask them what the R value is for the concrete they supplied. They should be able to provide the full specs on all their products.

Answer 7

It won't look all that attractive. If you don't have a lot of cash and want to go with the concrete, you could pour a light slab of white concrete. It'll get dirty, but it's easier to paint if you wanted to. If I were you I'd spring even for cheap flooring rather than the concrete.

Answer 8

no you have been had ..to put a floor in properly first ..excavate to a depth of 400mm ..then lay 150mm hardcore .then 125mm of polystyrene ..next a polythene membrane ..then 100mm of concrete..finish it off with 50mm of sand and cement screed ..this is the standard procedure for a floor to comply with building regs

Answer 9

ever been had ???????????