Conditioned Vs Unconditioned Pine Floors

Ducts in conditioned space details figure 1 vented and unconditioned attic.

Conditioned vs unconditioned pine floors. Some woodworkers claim that brush on pre stain conditioners are necessary whenever using brush on or rub on stains with certain woods but that gel stains are much less prone to splotching and can be used without the pre stain conditioning. Unconditioned and semi conditioned spaces are outside the living space. Air seal the floor above an unconditioned basement or crawlspace and make sure floor insulation is in full contact with this subfloor air barrier. There is some debate about this but many experienced woodworkers believe that standard liquid stains will produce the best results on pine fir alder.

Low efficiency gas appliances that are prone to spillage or backdrafting are not recommended in this type of application. Unvented conditioned attics the preference for a large segment of the u s. In the bers building elements report the number in the brackets see sample below of the conditioned unconditioned and total area is the drawn area minus the thickness of the internal walls. The air handling unit is located in a conditioned basement.

This means bringing the crawl space into the house into the thermal envelope more like a half height basement so it is kept warm and therefore dry and therefore clean. Air seal rim joists. Humidity will most likely cause moisture problems which often come from leaks from the plumbing pipes which usually run through crawl spaces. Install insulation in floor joist bays without misalignments compressions gaps or voids.

If the ducts are in an unconditioned attic you can put spray foam insulation on the roof deck. Pine rarely has problems with shrinking or swelling although in a humid climate it will benefit from a. A word on new homes vs. Seal all seams gaps and holes in the subfloor air barrier with caulk or foam.

Building america research has demonstrated unvented conditioned attics can substantially improve energy performance while allowing home builders. A semi conditioned space is not conditioned to the same degree as indoor air but it s not as cold or hot as outdoor air. The initial internal wall thickness is halved and the covered area deducted accordingly from the floor area of each adjoining zone. Heat pumps heat pump water heaters or sealed combustion furnaces and water heaters should be used.

Housing industry has been to locate hvac systems in unconditioned attics but this is highly inefficient. An unconditioned space is not heated or cooled so it s the same temperature roughly as outdoor air. Pine flooring is highly durable and around the country pine floors of 100 years old or even older are still in use today. Once the house is built and the ducts are installed your options are greatly reduced.

A pine floor will serve you well for the full life of your home unlike a temporary floor covering such as linoleum.