6 surprising reasons to retrofit floor insulation

Traditional wooden 'suspended' floors are often overlooked as a source of discomfort and heat loss — but that’s where retrofitting floor insulation can make a surprising difference.

With energy prices high and the UK striving to reach its net-zero targets, owners of traditional Victorian and Edwardian homes are looking for practical ways to improve their comfort, reduce bills, and cut their carbon footprint. Installing insulation under your floors is one of the most effective ways to do exactly that.

Here’s why retrofitting floor insulation is a surprisingly smart investment for any period home:

1. It's not just the cold air - draughts make a big difference

Whereas cold air makes the whole room colder, draughts even at normal temperature make you feel cold. That's why you feel warmer with the doors closed, even without the heating on.

Older suspended timber floors can be draughty due to gaps between boards or around skirting. Adding insulation and draught-proofing seals up these troublesome gaps, stopping cold air sneaking in.

The result is a noticeably less draughty and much more pleasant living environment, especially for those with young children or pets spending time at floor level.

2. Improve comfort - all year round

No-one enjoys cold floors underfoot, especially in rooms you use most often like the living room.

By preventing heat loss, properly installed floor insulation keeps your floors warmer, making your home feel cosier, more stable in temperature and more enjoyable during the colder months.

Homeowners often don't appreciate how uncomfortable their uninsulated room was until they insulate their floors, feeling the difference instantly.

3. Your floor can make your room quieter

Insulation under suspended timber floors can also absorb sound, helping to dampen noise transfer between rooms or floors.

Whether it’s footsteps or everyday household noise, this can make your home feel more peaceful and private.

4. Lower your carbon footprint - twice over

Reducing your energy use doesn’t just help your bills, it also benefits the environment. With less heat escaping through your floors, you’ll burn less fuel, which directly translates into lower CO₂ emissions.

But not only this: natureplus®-certified cellulose fibre insulation is actually carbon-negative as it holds more carbon than is produced in its manufacture. Using this under suspended wooden floorboards makes a positive contribution to the planet.

By retrofitting floor insulation, you’re doing your bit for sustainability and supporting the UK’s journey to net-zero.

5. Enjoy reduced energy bills - forever more

A surprising amount of heat disappears through your ground floors if they’re uninsulated - particularly with traditional British homes with wooden floorboards above a ventilation void.

When considering different common insulation methods it is important to bear in mind the area of each. While replacing old windows with modern double-glazed alternatives will provide a benefit, the area of the windows is far smaller than the area of the floor.

To retrofit insulation beneath these floors can significantly improve your home’s heat retention. The result?

✅ Lower heating costs

✅ Greater energy efficiency

✅ Greater control over your bills, year after year

With a typical suspended timber floor losing up to 10%–15% of household heat, this upgrade saves a lot of money over time.

6. It's quicker and easier than you might think to retrofit floor insulation

With Retrovive’s unique solution, it is straightforward to retrofit floor insulation.

Throughout our years of experience with industry and homeowners we have developed the Retrovive system that achieves all this by lifting just a few boards. Unlike other approaches we don’t need to take up the whole floor, meaning we can often insulate a whole floor in a day - without even removing the skirting.

Plus, our blown-in insulation method leaves no gaps, unlike alternative methods where sheet or roll material is cut to an approximate fit.

Our eco-friendly insulation solutions — including Natureplus-certified cellulose — are designed to breathe with your home, ensuring you get all the thermal performance without compromising on air quality or moisture control.

If you have suspended timber floors above a ventilation space, we can help you find the right approach and materials to suit your home and retrofit floor insulation with minimal disruption to your day-to-day life.

Find out more by speaking with our knowledgeable team today.