polystyrene veneer wall covering

frankenstein

My daughter has moved into a rented flat, council so she can decorate, and it is not all that warm.

All the walls just have paint and feel cold, especially the exterior walls and the bathroom especially, has condensation problems.

Would polystyrene veneer wall covering, then blown vinyl wallpaper in the bathroom, be a good solution to keep her heating bills down and make the walls feel warmer or would the savings in heat loss be miniscule?

If she uses the extractor fan in the bathroom it just sucks all the heat out, would she be better getting a de-humdifier and using that instead of the extractor fan?

iamcornholio

Polystyrene veneer is a waste of time

A fan is not sucking heat out (and it is wrong to think of it in that way), it is sucking moist air out, and at source too - something a dehumidifier will not do.

Use the fan, keep the door shut and keep any window on the catch to provide some constant background ventilation to minimise condensation issues

Errata

I think you will find that polystyrene on ceilings and walls is now forbidden in council properties. Does the property have sufficient loft and cavity wall insulation ?

wallbash

Disagree. The polystyrene veneer wall covering will make the wall feel warmer.
It won't make the ambient air temp warmer, but if you lent/touched the wall it would insulate the skin from the cold, bit like a glove!

I applied it many years ago , it was cheap and very easily to put up.

iamcornholio

Who goes around feeling walls? So what is the point?

wallbash

So you have never lent on a wall ?
If you ever had you would have got the point ,

rrf494g

of course it does - it sucks out the heat associated with the warm moist air. I agree that ventilation is important but that does not mean that the heat loss through extraction can be ignored. Most people like a bathromm that is warmer than the rest of the house, so cooler drier air is drawn into the room from the house, as the extractor blows warm moist air out.

De-humidifiers can have part to play, even heat exchange units to save the heat from extracted air can be useful in some circumstances.

frankenstein

Who goes around feeling walls?

Can you stand in a bath having a shower without touching the wall?

iamcornholio

frankenstein wrote: »

Can you stand in a bath having a shower without touching the wall?

Yes I can, but if cold walls around the bath are the problem surely you are not going the wallpaper the shower area? :eek:

dander

I had a bathroom with the polystyrene in once, there was a problem in there with just about any wall covering, even paint, peeling and flaking. The polystyrene did solve the problem and the bathroom was fine after that. Didn't ever notice any heat difference though.

GillM

In my previous (semi) house my mum had the small bedroom with the 2 outside walls. We used polystyrene on the walls and it was a lot warmer. Also had cavity wall insulation and double glazing so very toasty!