Help with open plan living area and my gas bill!

samfhayth

I hope someone out there can help me. We moved into this 3 bed house 2 years ago with open plan layout (stairs open in the living room). i am having difficulty working out how to keep the downstaris warm cos all the heat rises (obviously) to the bedrooms! the thermostat is in the living room. should I keep the bedroom doors shut or should I let the heat circulate back down? Help!

Mrs_Thrify

It is the same with people who buy houses with tall ceilings.

Could you put a door curtain across the stairs if you do not want the heat to go upstairs?

JasX

shut the doors, you don't get convection currents forming in enclosed upstairs rooms

KimYeovil

Move the beds downstairs and live upstairs.

samfhayth

thanks for that Jasx Ive closed them all now - see if it makes a difference tonight.

JennyR68

We have same layout and the draughts coming down stairs on a night used to drive me crazy. Sorted it out by making sure the doors are shut and well draughtproofed and by installing a heater on the landing. No more draughts, it's great. We are now warm and it doesn't cost any more to run the extra heater as the downstairs heater doesn't have to try so hard anymore.

markharding557

KimYeovil wrote: »

Move the beds downstairs and live upstairs.

I'm not sure that is very practical for many people

dannymccann

This is the problem with open plan living on 2 levels, in an apartment it works because upstairs is closed off so you dont feel the cold convection currents come tumbling down the stairs but in a house it feels terrible. Our old terrace had an enclosed stair case and a door at the bottom meaning you could close the whole upstairs off. Could this be an option? Its only £20 for a door and hinges

spiro

dannymccann wrote: »

This is the problem with open plan living on 2 levels, in an apartment it works because upstairs is closed off so you dont feel the cold convection currents come tumbling down the stairs but in a house it feels terrible. Our old terrace had an enclosed stair case and a door at the bottom meaning you could close the whole upstairs off. Could this be an option? Its only £20 for a door and hinges

Or a door at the top of the stairs. This also adds safety in the even of a dowstairs fire at night because there is a door between the fire and the bedrooms.

Mrs_Thrify

Sam, get the walls and roof insulated to keep the heat in the total house space. Buy thermal lined curtains.

Fire_Fox

markharding557 wrote: »

I'm not sure that is very practical for many people

What is so impractical about an upside down house? You might have to walk up and down the stairs a little more frequently but, since the average person doesn't meet the government recommended minimum of 10,000 steps per day, this could be a positive outcome.