HOW TO INSULATE A CABIN FLOOR AND KEEP IT RODENT FREE

Sharing my technique how I insulate my cabin floors and keep them rodent free.


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On my channel you will find videos pertaining to homesteading, gardening and living off the grid with fun DIY projects for self-reliance and SHTF emergency preparedness situations, with some campfire cooking and good old backwoods humor thrown in. Sharing knowledge and stories from over 30 years of living in the woods.

MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: How do you have internet at your cabins? A: I have cell service at both cabins but it is spotty due to foliage and cloud cover. I can access the internet from my cabins but have to drive to a local wifi location to upload videos.
Q: How old is Frankie? A: Frankie will be 10 in April of 2018
Q: What video editing software do I use? A: Presently, all I use is Windows Live Movie maker but I’m considering trying imovie, Adobe Elements or SONY VEGAS PRO.
Q: How do you get your water? Did you dig a well? A: Presently, I haul water to the NY cabin but at the NH cabin, I drop a kettle into an old well that was dug by hand by the settlers in the 1700’s.
Q:What is your favorite brand of cast iron cookware? A: I prefer using vintage cast iron. My favorites are BSR and Griswold. If I had to buy new I would buy a Lodge Brand. I plan to purchase this dutch oven in the future:

Q: What do you use for refrigeration? A: We have a small gas refrigerator that we salvaged from an old Shasta camper and a custom icebox that I built into the cabin wall. We make ice on site with a propane freezer.
Video of icebox:
Video of Gas Refrigerator:
Propane Freezer:

Q: What do you use for cooking and heating? A: We use a Kitchen Queen 380 for cooking and heating during the winter months but we also have an antique gas stove in the cabin for when we don't need the heat from the KQ.

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[jessehuff]

I have been in pest control for years now. I can not tell you how many thousands of dollars I have made from removing soiled insulation. I have done $20k cleanouts. This does make perfect sense. You are the only guy that has made the perfect video on this subject. I will be sharing this many times. Thank you.

[srf]

A lot of people that want to move from an urban environment to a more rural location have no idea what a problem field mice, rats and the like can and will be. Very nice and helpful video.

[dwarden]

I use this in 36" x 20' roll when I'm hiking for a bed roll/pillow. Light, easy to use & easy to clean. Rolls up in seconds and if I have to I can use as a signal. Also great for reflecting radiant fire pit heat.

[NeverTakeNoCut-offs]

Did this to my old hunting cabin. I made a huge difference. I added two layers, one with a 1 inch air gap under the floor boards, the other layer over the floor joists. Highly recommended

[HalsPals]

I completely wrapped my well house with bubble foil including the roof, sealed the seams with foil tape and made it airtight. The well house is in the 50s even when the outside temperature is well below freezing. Great stuff! It may even shield from an EMP or solar flare.

[Benmelech]

I’m 81 years old and in the process of building a 15 x 30 shed for my daughter up here in Idaho mountain country. I saw this video years ago when the boss first produced it.
I just remembered the bubble wrap segment and decided to revisit it. So so glad I did it. I almost was going to Home Depot and get CLEAR bubble wrap. Had I not visited my dear old friend the boss, I would not have thought to use “FOIL Bubble wrap”. Thanks again boss for all your amazing videos. You and your dear wife are one of a kind.❤
Footnote: Boss, as you know, the Lord said he’s building us a home in Heaven. I believe he’s going to use you as one of his lead foreman…. Might even ask for your advice, along with your missus, especially in the garden ❤❤♥️.

[arthurschuler]

In 1990 I did put it between the central heating radiator and the single window glass. In heavy freezing weather the glass frooze behind the hot radiator which stood a few centimeters away from the window! This insulation works perfect! Greetings from the Netherlands.

[rexmundi]

I renovated a Spartan travel trailer and mice had stripped every bit of insulation out of the inside and balled it up in the floor. I spray foamed the floor, walls, and roof then went back with this foil insulation as extra insulation in the roof. The thing was an oven before, now it’s comfortable most summer days with only natural ventilation. A single electric radiator heater keeps it warm in the Kentucky winter.

[mama-cant-dance]

I just put in a brand new raised floor in my barn's tack room. We put in this bubble foil before the plywood subfloor just like you said and it went in like a dream. Cut perfectly as well. I'm probably going to use this stuff in some of the walls as well before I close them up. I'm really looking forward to trying it out this winter. Thank you so much for your tips!

[demitaylor]

I have the same issue with cold and rodents. Also am in the woods. So this video is timely bit of advice since my finished shed will be delivered in 2 weeks. THANKS and know you have and are a blessing to me on this journey God has me on since retirement..

[greenfield]

I agree with you. R value calculations don't take into account the transfer of air mass. You can have a high R value but if the building is not "tight" it won't do any good. You proved that with the skirting. I'm an Engineer BTW, and I've built a few camps myself, and a few few houses and some barns. I'm 69 and still building stuff.

[peterl]

THERMAL BREAK - LOL, I watched you video yesterday and awoke this morning thinking about it (mamma mia!), and it dawned on me !! Thermal Break! The reason why it works better sandwiched between the floor joists and the decking material is because it creates what is called a "thermal break" - or - you broke the "thermal bridge" isolating the cold floor joists, which is basically the same temperature as under the cabin, from traveling through the floor joists to the decking material, making it as cold as the joists. By installing spacers, as you pointed out, you gained dead air space creating another thermal break, but you also picked up another benefit. The tin foil material has a tremendous reflective quality, reflecting the heat back into the cabin... how cool! Love your videos!

[baileydillion]

As always excellent video. The bubble wrap here in Texas is called reflective. I live in an extended cargo van. My floor ceiling, doors and walls are all insulated with reflectics. Of course I have board insulation on the walls and ceiling. It definitely makes a big difference.My first winter in my van was miserably cold. This is my third winter now and it’s so much nicer. Still living in a can but with a little propane stove going every hour or so 10 minutes it’s heated up nice and cozy. I’m looking to buy a small bus and reflectics will be in there too. Thanks for the excellent information

[zippydo]

Another hint about rodents. I put 8” metal flashing along the bottom edge of my mobile home skirting and it worked wonders for keeping the pack rats out. They did not seem to figure out that they could chew through just above the flashing. Believe me, we had endless packrats where I lived and this did work.

[HyPex-]

You could use aluminum flashing to keep critters out and stick eps foam in between the flashing and floor to give you good insulation. People who build tiny homes do this to keep critters out as well

[kellyinfanger]

Good suggestion. I am happy to see other commentors bring up the radiant barrier property of the foil. This probably is the most effective part of that product - especially when used with a dead air zone (1 inch or less) next to it. More heat can be lost through radiant heat loss than convection and conduction.
I like using a radiant barrier along with fiberglass. Of course that requires a mouse proof installation.
It is hard to State the R value of a radiant barrier product, because it provides an altogether different mode of heat retention. Consequently, I know one internet provider who radically overstates their R value. They lie, but the tremendous benefits are true - NASA has known this for decades.

[armyguy]

I don't know if I told you this before but my Grandfather use to grow mint herbs around the house and barn. He said rodents hate the smell. Now I never tried it but it just an old pioneer trick and with the extra, in the fall, he'd sprinkle the leftovers in the basement and root cellar to repel rodents. Love the video

[johnhutchinson]

I was about to insulate my yurt cabin floor with fiberglass batten and all I could see was a mouse hotel. I went online and found your video. What a great discovery. Your presentation is terrific. The only incorrect statement you made was that the ground inside your cabin is not frozen because of the heat from the freezer above. Not true. Your ground is not frozen because you have insulated the walls and floor above. The earth gives off about 40 degrees and your insulated area helps keep it from freezing. Also heat rises. The warm area above helps but does not through heat down.

[kathynj]

I just found your channel! I was wondering what to do about this in my little cabin and here you are! Thank you!! This makes so much more sense!

[wandahelmer]

We built our floor in two sections, our cabin is 20ftx20ft we sheated the bottom with treated 1/2 inch plywood 2x6 joists with fiberglass insulation we flipped the floor over onto to foundation sheated it again with 1/2 inch plywood then laid 3/4 inch sub floor over that and built the cabin, that was 2001, no rodents in 22 years. What a warm building it will stay warm with the smallest fire. And very quiet inside. Love our little cabin.