Floor insulation for CircoFloor
In the CircoFloor system, different types of loose insulation granules can be used as floor insulation. Below is a brief overview of some insulation materials and their technical advantages.
Important distinction: lambda value of the filling material versus Rd value of the floor build-up
The lambda values below relate only to the loose insulating filling materials themselves, such as EPS beads and cork granules. These values therefore do not describe the full thermal performance of the complete CircoFloor floor build-up.
For the complete CircoFloor build-up, see the Rd values of the floor build-up further down this page.
Recycled cork granules from wine bottles.
Easy to install yourself - Continuous insulation due to fine granules (no remaining joints or gaps) - High heat storage capacity - Very good sound insulation - Moisture-regulating properties - No emission of harmful volatile substances (wine smell disappears after a short time) - Not eaten by rodents
115 kg/m³
Lambda value of the filling material: 0.047 W/mK
Graphite recycled EPS bead.
Superior thermal insulation thanks to graphite - Energy-saving - Lightweight and easy to process - Moisture-resistant - Durable and long lifespan - Recyclable material
14 kg/m³
Lambda value of the filling material: 0.034 W/mK
EPB calculation tool: CircoFloor with EPS beads
Enter the CircoFloor height and the lambda value of the EPS beads as the filling material. The tool automatically calculates the EPB input parameters as a composite layer for the EPB software and shows the corresponding Rd values for CircoFloor and the complete floor build-up.
What is the difference between lambda and Rd?
- Lambda expresses the thermal conductivity of a material, for example EPS beads or cork granules.
- Rd expresses the thermal resistance of a complete layer or floor build-up, for example CircoFloor with filling, structure, legs and 18 mm OSB.
Less heat loss through the walls
Where should PE foil or a vapour control layer be placed with CircoFloor?
With CircoFloor there are two possible moisture loads: moisture from below and condensation caused by vapour transport from inside.
A foil on the concrete slab protects against moisture from below, but does not prevent condensation in the insulating layer. A vapour control layer on the warm side of the insulation reduces condensation risk, but does not stop rising moisture from the concrete slab.
Anyone who wants to make their own dew point or condensation calculation can simulate the floor build-up via Ubakus.
Upper floor or warm room below
Above a warm room, no vapour control layer is normally needed for condensation risk, both with OSB and with Fermacell or gypsum fibreboard.
A foil is then usually only needed if the floor finish itself requires it, for example with certain parquet, laminate or PVC systems.
Build-up with OSB
- floor finish
- optional underlay
- OSB board
- CircoFloor + EPS/cork
- existing structural floor
Build-up with Fermacell
- floor finish
- Fermacell / gypsum fibreboard
- CircoFloor + EPS/cork
- existing structural floor
Photo: PE foil on the substrate, below CircoFloor.
Moisture from below: foil on the concrete slab
With a damp concrete slab, new concrete slab or floor on the ground without a reliable moisture barrier, a PE foil is placed on the concrete slab, below CircoFloor.
This foil protects against rising moisture or residual moisture from the substrate. It is not intended to resolve dew point or condensation risk caused by warm indoor air.
Let the strips overlap sufficiently, tape the seams and turn the foil up at the edges to the level of the finished floor.
With OSB
- floor finish
- optional underlay
- OSB board
- CircoFloor + EPS/cork
- PE foil against rising moisture
- betonplaat
With Fermacell
- floor finish
- Fermacell / gypsum fibreboard
- CircoFloor + EPS/cork
- PE foil against rising moisture
- betonplaat
Cold space: vapour control layer on the warm side
Above a cellar, garage, crawl space or outdoor air, warm indoor air can diffuse downward and condense in or below the EPS or cork fill.
With OSB, place the vapour control layer practically on top of the OSB. The OSB must first be screwed into CircoFloor; a foil between CircoFloor and OSB makes screwing difficult and is perforated.
With Fermacell or gypsum fibreboard, preferably place the vapour control layer below the Fermacell, directly on top of CircoFloor and the insulating fill. Fermacell is loose-laid, so the vapour control layer does not have to be perforated.
OSB: vapour control layer on top of OSB
- floor finish
- vapour control layer / vapour-control underlay / suitable membrane
- OSB board
- CircoFloor + EPS/cork
- betonplaat
- cold space
Fermacell: vapour control layer below Fermacell
- floor finish
- Fermacell / gypsum fibreboard
- vapour control layer / PE foil / vapour-control layer
- CircoFloor + EPS/cork
- betonplaat
- cold space
Cold and damp substrate
If the concrete slab is both cold and damp, two layers may be needed: a PE foil below against moisture from below and a vapour control layer above against condensation caused by indoor air.
With OSB, the lower foil is on the concrete slab and the upper vapour control layer is on top of the OSB.
With Fermacell, the lower foil is on the concrete slab and the upper vapour control layer is between CircoFloor and Fermacell.
Note: with two foils you seal the build-up more. Install everything dry and, if in doubt, have the substrate and floor build-up checked from a building physics perspective.
With OSB
- floor finish
- upper vapour control layer against condensation
- OSB board
- CircoFloor + EPS/cork
- lower PE foil against rising moisture
- betonplaat
- cold space
With Fermacell
- floor finish
- Fermacell / gypsum fibreboard
- upper vapour control layer against condensation
- CircoFloor + EPS/cork
- lower PE foil against rising moisture
- betonplaat
- cold space
Complete insulation tables per type of floor build-up
This table provides a comprehensive comparison of Rd values for all common floor build-ups and floor insulation:
The Rd tables below show the thermal performance of the complete floor build-up. For CircoFloor, this not only includes the filling material, but also the thermal conductivity of the structure, the legs and the 18 mm OSB board.
Complete CircoFloor build-up with new EPS beads as filling material (lambda value of the filling material: 0.032 W/mK)
These Rd values are calculated for the complete floor build-up, including the thermal conductivity of the CircoFloor structure, the legs and the 18 mm OSB board.
| CircoFloor height (cm) | + OSB height 1.8 cm | Rd value in structure | Rd value under structure | Rd value 18 mm OSB | Total Rd value floor structure | Rd value without heat loss walls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.2 | 11 | 2.1043 | 0.107 | 0.138 | 2.350 | 2.468 |
| 10.2 | 12 | 2.1043 | 0.418 | 0.138 | 2.661 | 2.794 |
| 11.2 | 13 | 2.1043 | 0.730 | 0.138 | 2.973 | 3.121 |
| 12.2 | 14 | 2.1043 | 1.042 | 0.138 | 3.285 | 3.449 |
| 13.2 | 15 | 2.1043 | 1.355 | 0.138 | 3.598 | 3.777 |
| 14.2 | 16 | 2.1043 | 1.667 | 0.138 | 3.910 | 4.106 |
| 15.2 | 17 | 2.1043 | 1.980 | 0.138 | 4.222 | 4.434 |
| 16.2 | 18 | 2.1043 | 2.292 | 0.138 | 4.535 | 4.762 |
| 17.2 | 19 | 2.1043 | 2.605 | 0.138 | 4.847 | 5.090 |
| 18.2 | 20 | 2.1043 | 2.917 | 0.138 | 5.160 | 5.418 |
| 19.2 | 21 | 2.1043 | 3.230 | 0.138 | 5.472 | 5.746 |
| 20.2 | 22 | 2.1043 | 3.542 | 0.138 | 5.785 | 6.074 |
Complete CircoFloor build-up with recycled cork granules as filling material (lambda value of the filling material: 0.049 W/mK)
These Rd values are calculated for the complete floor build-up, including the thermal conductivity of the CircoFloor structure, the legs and the 18 mm OSB board.
| CircoFloor height (cm) | + OSB height 1.8 cm | Rd value in structure | Rd value under structure | Rd value 18 mm OSB | Total Rd value floor structure | Rd value without heat loss walls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.2 | 11 | 1.587 | 0.078 | 0.138 | 1.803 | 1.893 |
| 10.2 | 12 | 1.587 | 0.290 | 0.138 | 2.015 | 2.116 |
| 11.2 | 13 | 1.587 | 0.503 | 0.138 | 2.228 | 2.339 |
| 12.2 | 14 | 1.587 | 0.715 | 0.138 | 2.441 | 2.563 |
| 13.2 | 15 | 1.587 | 0.928 | 0.138 | 2.653 | 2.786 |
| 14.2 | 16 | 1.587 | 1.141 | 0.138 | 2.866 | 3.009 |
| 15.2 | 17 | 1.587 | 1.354 | 0.138 | 3.079 | 3.233 |
| 16.2 | 18 | 1.587 | 1.566 | 0.138 | 3.292 | 3.456 |
| 17.2 | 19 | 1.587 | 1.779 | 0.138 | 3.504 | 3.680 |
| 18.2 | 20 | 1.587 | 1.992 | 0.138 | 3.717 | 3.903 |
| 19.2 | 21 | 1.587 | 2.205 | 0.138 | 3.930 | 4.126 |
| 20.2 | 22 | 1.587 | 2.417 | 0.138 | 4.143 | 4.350 |
With sprayed PUR lambda: 0.023 W/mK
| Floor construction height (cm) | Pure height (cm) | Screed height (cm) | Rd value PUR | Rd value Screed | Total RD value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 3 | 6 | 1.304 | 0.043 | 1.347 |
| 10 | 3 | 7 | 1.304 | 0.050 | 1.354 |
| 11 | 4 | 7 | 1.739 | 0.050 | 1.789 |
| 12 | 4 | 8 | 1.739 | 0.057 | 1.796 |
| 13 | 5 | 8 | 2.174 | 0.057 | 2.231 |
| 14 | 6 | 8 | 2.609 | 0.057 | 2.666 |
| 15 | 7 | 8 | 3.043 | 0.057 | 3.101 |
| 16 | 8 | 8 | 3.478 | 0.057 | 3.535 |
| 17 | 9 | 8 | 3.913 | 0.057 | 3.970 |
| 18 | 10 | 8 | 4.348 | 0.057 | 4.405 |
| 19 | 11 | 8 | 4.783 | 0.057 | 4.840 |
| 20 | 12 | 8 | 5.217 | 0.057 | 5.274 |
| 21 | 13 | 8 | 5.652 | 0.057 | 5.709 |
| 22 | 14 | 8 | 6.087 | 0.057 | 6.144 |
With insulation screed lambda: 0.041 W/mK
| Floor construction height (cm) | EPS screed height (cm) | Screed height (cm) | Rd value EPS screed | Rd value Screed | Total RD value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 4 | 5 | 0.976 | 0.036 | 1.011 |
| 10 | 4 | 6 | 0.976 | 0.043 | 1.018 |
| 11 | 5 | 6 | 1.220 | 0.043 | 1.262 |
| 12 | 5 | 7 | 1.220 | 0.050 | 1.270 |
| 13 | 6 | 7 | 1.463 | 0.050 | 1.513 |
| 14 | 7 | 7 | 1.707 | 0.050 | 1.757 |
| 15 | 8 | 7 | 1.951 | 0.050 | 2.001 |
| 16 | 9 | 7 | 2.195 | 0.050 | 2.245 |
| 17 | 10 | 7 | 2.439 | 0.050 | 2.489 |
| 18 | 11 | 7 | 2.683 | 0.050 | 2.733 |
| 19 | 12 | 7 | 2.927 | 0.050 | 2.977 |
| 20 | 13 | 7 | 3.171 | 0.050 | 3.221 |
| 21 | 14 | 7 | 3.415 | 0.050 | 3.465 |
| 22 | 15 | 7 | 3.659 | 0.050 | 3.709 |
With insulation screed lambda: 0.041 W/mK
With insulation boards lambda: 0.022 W/mK
| Floor construction height (cm) | EPS screed height (cm) | PUR plate height (cm) | Screed height (cm) | Rd value EPS screed | Rd value PUR plate | Rd value Screed | Total RD value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1.219 | 0.909 | 0.043 | 2.171 |
| 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 1.219 | 0.909 | 0.050 | 2.180 |
| 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 1.219 | 1.364 | 0.050 | 2.633 |
| 16 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 1.219 | 1.364 | 0.057 | 3.064 |
| 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 1.219 | 1.818 | 0.057 | 3.094 |
| 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 1.463 | 1.818 | 0.057 | 3.338 |
| 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 1.463 | 2.273 | 0.057 | 3.793 |
| 20 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 1.463 | 2.727 | 0.057 | 4.248 |
| 21 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 1.463 | 3.182 | 0.057 | 4.702 |
| 22 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 1.463 | 3.636 | 0.057 | 5.156 |
The lambda values below describe the insulation materials used. The table then compares the Rd values of the complete floor build-ups at equal build-up heights.
New EPS beads as filling material: lambda 0.032 W/mK
Recycled cork granules as filling material: lambda 0.049 W/mK
Sprayed PUR as insulation material: lambda 0.023 W/mK
Insulation screed as insulation material: lambda 0.041 W/mK
Insulation boards as insulation material: lambda 0.022 W/mK
| Floor construction height (cm) | Rd value CircoFloor+eps beads+osb | Rd value CircoFloor+cork granules+osb | Rd value Sprayed PUR+screed | Rd value Insulation screed + screed | Rd value Insulation screed+Pur plates+screed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | / | / | 1.347 | 1.011 | / |
| 10 | / | / | 1.354 | 1.018 | / |
| 11 | 2.468 | 1.893 | 1.789 | 1.262 | / |
| 12 | 2.794 | 2.116 | 1.796 | 1.270 | / |
| 13 | 3.121 | 2.339 | 2.231 | 1.513 | 2.171 |
| 14 | 3.449 | 2.563 | 2.666 | 1.757 | 2.179 |
| 15 | 3.777 | 2.786 | 3.101 | 2.001 | 2.633 |
| 16 | 4.106 | 3.009 | 3.535 | 2.245 | 2.640 |
| 17 | 4.434 | 3.233 | 3.970 | 2.489 | 3.095 |
| 18 | 4.762 | 3.456 | 4.405 | 2.733 | 3.339 |
| 19 | 5.090 | 3.680 | 4.840 | 2.977 | 3.793 |
| 20 | 5.418 | 3.903 | 5.275 | 3.221 | 4.248 |
| 21 | 5.746 | 4.126 | 5.709 | 3.465 | 4.702 |
| 22 | 6.074 | 4.350 | 6.144 | 3.709 | 5.157 |
Why CircoFloor is your best choice
Our CircoFloor system with high-quality EPS beads delivers an Rd-value of 2.47 m²K/W from just 11 cm — significantly higher than traditional alternatives.
With a 15 cm construction, the Rd value increases to 3.78 m²K/W, and with the maximum thickness of 22 cm even to 6.07 m²K/W — almost the highest result in our comparison.
Thanks to the low lambda value of the EPS beads used, just 0.032 W/mK, CircoFloor combines excellent thermal performance with low weight and easy installation, without compromising moisture resistance.
Choose CircoFloor and benefit from maximum energy savings, a sustainable and recyclable solution with a long lifespan for your floor insulation.
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