Materials for basement ceiling/floor slab insulation

For insulation below the basement ceiling, insulation panels are used; they can be bonded, anchored or suspended. For this application a variety of materials are available. Care should always be taken to use materials that are as resistant as possible to increased air humidity.

A basement ceiling insulated from below. Here the pipes are laid in the insulation layer, i.e. within the insulated building envelope (source: Schulze Darup)

In general, a thickness of 15 to 20 cm is recommended for basement ceiling insulation. In some cases the basement ceiling may not be high enough. Then a solution would be to combine insulation below the basement ceiling and insulation below the screed on the ground floor.

Insulation above and below the basement ceiling (source: Schulze Darup, adapted)

Many materials are suitable both for insulation above the basement ceiling and for insulation above the floor slab in buildings without a basement. First of all waterproofing must be applied on the floor slab. Any insulation material commonly used under screed can be chosen, such as foam panels, rock wool, wood fiber panels and other biogenic insulation materials.