Cabin & Cottage Floor Insulation
Ice-Cold Floors at the Lake?
Most lake cabins around Edmonton were built as summer places — on posts, blocks or a shallow crawl space, with skirting that never kept the wind out and a floor with little or no insulation. Now people want to use them in the shoulder seasons and through the winter, and the floor is the first thing they notice. The wood stove roars, the ceiling is hot, and your feet are freezing. Pipes under the cabin freeze every cold snap.
Why Cabins Lose So Much Heat Through the Floor
Cabins have their own set of problems:
- Little or no floor insulation, or old batts that have fallen out
- Open or gappy skirting letting wind blow straight under the floor
- Plumbing and drains run through an unheated space
- Damp ground near the lake keeping the underside wet
- Mice and squirrels nesting in whatever insulation is there
- Attics that are just as under-insulated as the floor
How We Insulate a Cabin
Look Underneath
We check the structure, posts and blocks, moisture, existing insulation, and how plumbing is run. If the cabin is out of level or the supports are failing, that gets addressed first by our foundation crew.
Pick the Approach
Either insulate the floor system and protect it from below, or close in and insulate the skirting so the whole space under the cabin stays warmer. It depends on the cabin, the ground and how you use it.
Ground Cover
A vapour barrier on the ground where the space is being closed in, to keep lake-side moisture down.
Insulate and Seal
Floor or skirting insulated, rim sealed, and the underside protected against wind and critters.
Don’t Forget the Attic
If the cabin attic is thin, it can be blown in on the same trip — usually the best value per dollar at a cabin.
What to Expect After
Why Choose Homestead Insulation
Frequently Asked Questions
Get a Straight Answer About Your Insulation
Tell us what you're noticing — cold rooms, ice dams, frost in the attic, cold floors. We'll tell you what's actually going on.