Floor to plaster board gap causing draft

chuck eastwood

I couldnt find this covered anywhere but i have a gap of about 3 inches between our tiled floor and plaster board behind our kitchen units. Im re tiling and just noticed the gap when i pulled off the unit kickboards. Normally this should have skirting on it but obviously not behind units. The draft coming out from under the unit kick boards is cruel. Ill attach a photo but should i just fill the gap with expanding foam or ???

newbie2

We had the exact same issue.

Made our cupboards really cold too.

To solve the issue, we bought a roll of earthwool insulation from woodies (€20), removed the kicker board, jammed in the insulation all the way to the back - even into the small gap and replaced the kicker. Immediate change of temp in the room.

https://www.woodies.ie/200mm-earthwool-loft-roll-3-88-sq-mtr-1130506

chuck eastwood

newbie2 wrote: »

We had the exact same issue.

Made our cupboards really cold too.

To solve the issue, we bought a roll of earthwool insulation from woodies (€20), removed the kicker board, jammed in the insulation all the way to the back - even into the small gap and replaced the kicker. Immediate change of temp in the room.

https://www.woodies.ie/200mm-earthwool-loft-roll-3-88-sq-mtr-1130506

Yeah seems like the cleanest option. Plenty of other gaps about the house. Wouldnt be long going through a roll of that. Thanks

newbie2

using the field wool means, if needed, it can be removed for access to pipework/cabling. then just put back. expanding foam is very permanent.

chuck eastwood

newbie2 wrote: »

using the field wool means, if needed, it can be removed for access to pipework/cabling. then just put back. expanding foam is very permanent.

True. Ill pick up a roll today

Gumbo

Get some duct tape/ air tightness tape too.
When the wool is packed in, you could seal it with the tape.

If it needs to be removed for future works, it’s juat tape then and the sticky join is hidden anyway.

Wartburg

If you want to do it right, cover the plain block with scratchcoat or air tight paint first. Than you can fill the void with suitable insulation. I would rather use more water-resistant insulation in this particular area.

Gumbo

Wartburg wrote: »

If you want to do it right, cover the plain block with scratchcoat or air tight paint first. Than you can fill the void with suitable insulation. I would rather use more water-resistant insulation in this particular area.

I’d normally afree that this would be the right way to do it, but let’s be realistic. You won’t have the space to get it done properly like that trying to squeeze in under kitchen presses.

RobbieMD

chuck eastwood wrote: »

I couldnt find this covered anywhere but i have a gap of about 3 inches between our tiled floor and plaster board behind our kitchen units. Im re tiling and just noticed the gap when i pulled off the unit kickboards. Normally this should have skirting on it but obviously not behind units. The draft coming out from under the unit kick boards is cruel. Ill attach a photo but should i just fill the gap with expanding foam or ???

Had this problem too, but with suspended wooden floors. Was a source for mice getting into the kitchen. I ended up filling it in with sand and cement. I was afraid mice would eat through the expanding foam

RobbieMD

chuck eastwood wrote: »

I couldnt find this covered anywhere but i have a gap of about 3 inches between our tiled floor and plaster board behind our kitchen units. Im re tiling and just noticed the gap when i pulled off the unit kickboards. Normally this should have skirting on it but obviously not behind units. The draft coming out from under the unit kick boards is cruel. Ill attach a photo but should i just fill the gap with expanding foam or ???

Had this problem too, but with suspended wooden floors. Was a source for mice getting into the kitchen. I ended up filling it in with sand and cement. I was afraid mice would eat through the expanding foam

MicktheMan

chuck eastwood wrote: »

I couldnt find this covered anywhere but i have a gap of about 3 inches between our tiled floor and plaster board behind our kitchen units. Im re tiling and just noticed the gap when i pulled off the unit kickboards. Normally this should have skirting on it but obviously not behind units. The draft coming out from under the unit kick boards is cruel. Ill attach a photo but should i just fill the gap with expanding foam or ???

Expanding foam will not be airtight

newbie2 wrote: »

We had the exact same issue.

Made our cupboards really cold too.

To solve the issue, we bought a roll of earthwool insulation from woodies (€20), removed the kicker board, jammed in the insulation all the way to the back - even into the small gap and replaced the kicker. Immediate change of temp in the room.

https://www.woodies.ie/200mm-earthwool-loft-roll-3-88-sq-mtr-1130506

^^^^^This is the only practical solution short of removing the units and tackling the issue with proper air tightness materials.

chuck eastwood

MicktheMan wrote: »

Expanding foam will not be airtight


^^^^^This is the only practical solution short of removing the units and tackling the issue with proper air tightness materials.

No intention of removing the units but air tight materials??? Ill be at my reach limit getting into the back of the units do i might just pack it with a dry ish mixed bag of bonding i have. Doesn't matter what it looks like. Never going to be seen