single brick room - always freezing

abbas5001

hi all,

we have one room in our house, which happens to be the family room, which was built by the previous owners as an extension and it is always cold unless the heating is on. Now we are in winter it is often cold even when the heating is on!

I've been told it is a single brick wall and that is why it is so cold. The rest of the house has been insulated and cavity wall insulation but i was told this isn't possible with this room.

Is there anything we can do to improve the situation and how cost effective are the solutions?

MisterBaxter

You could batten the wall out and add insulation along with thermal boards and get close to modern thermal standards. Things to watch out for are heating pipes, radiators, sockets and switches will have to be extended out.

Alternatively use an external wall insulation system. Possibly easier but can be more costly and may not be in keeping with the property.

Investigate both and see which suits your property and your budget.

stator

Well, you have many options, all expensive I'm afraid.
External solid wall insulation goes on the outside but will cost thousands.
Internal solid wall insulation goes on the inside but you lose about 10cm of living space on each wall. Also somewhat expensive

You could hire a builder and get a proper cavity wall built, likely to be very expensive.

There are lots of other cheap products that will have virtually no effect. Don't bother with stuff you can buy in B&Q and don't hire a general builder/handy man, they will charge you for something that is worthless.

If you're going to do something get internal solid wall insulation from a properly qualified expert fully compliant with building regulations. It is a specialist field and if the products aren't installed correctly it can seriously affect their effectiveness, or cause damp problems. Someone full qualified will take care of the waterproof layer and make sure it's done properly.

27col

You say that you've been told that its a single wall. You don't need to take anyone's word for it.
If there is a window or a door in it, then just measure it yourself. If it's more than about 110-115mm, then it is not a single wall. A cavity wall will be upwards of 250mm from inside to outside. It is easy enough to batten the inside surface and insulate between the battens. Obviously it will reduce the room size a bit, but is quite doable by a competent DIYer.
You take your pick, a bigger colder room or a smaller warmer room.

SailorSam

I'd go for external insulation if it was possible

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OloldpTF-g

MisterBaxter

27col wrote: »

You say that you've been told that its a single wall. You don't need to take anyone's word for it.
If there is a window or a door in it, then just measure it yourself. If it's more than about 110-115mm, then it is not a single wall. A cavity wall will be upwards of 250mm from inside to outside. It is easy enough to batten the inside surface and insulate between the battens. Obviously it will reduce the room size a bit, but is quite doable by a competent DIYer.
You take your pick, a bigger colder room or a smaller warmer room.

Half brick would be 112.5mm plus plaster, single brick would be 225mm plus plaster. Cavity around 260 plus plaster. I would be a little worried if it was half brick but single brick isn't that uncommon.

dominoman

There are other cheaper options for insulating a cold wall that can be surprisingly effective.

A bookshelf full of books, or a cupboard up against the wall, can both make a real difference. Curtains on the window trap cold air and stop it warm air circulating onto the cold pane.

I am talking from experience. We installed wall to wall wardrobes in our bedroom (single brick wall, Edwardian house, no insulation). It has made a massive difference.

In our kitchen we have cupboards and bookshelves against the outside wall. Again works well!

Alternatively, even hanging something large on the wall will make a difference. It creates a thin air pocket (and air is a great insulator).

Of course these won't compete with proper insulation (internal or external), or with bigger heaters, but you can make a noticeable difference without spending much money or losing space.

Furts

dominoman wrote: »

There are other cheaper options for insulating a cold wall that can be surprisingly effective.

A bookshelf full of books, or a cupboard up against the wall, can both make a real difference. Curtains on the window trap cold air and stop it warm air circulating onto the cold pane.

I am talking from experience. We installed wall to wall wardrobes in our bedroom (single brick wall, Edwardian house, no insulation). It has made a massive difference.

In our kitchen we have cupboards and bookshelves against the outside wall. Again works well!

Alternatively, even hanging something large on the wall will make a difference. It creates a thin air pocket (and air is a great insulator).

Of course these won't compete with proper insulation (internal or external), or with bigger heaters, but you can make a noticeable difference without spending much money or losing space.

Be cautious when following this logic. It will work but the problem is the inside face of the wall will be cooler than it would be if the heating from the room was in direct contact. The issue then becomes condensation and damp - which in the case of a wardrobe full of clothes could be a mouldy expensive mistake.

Doozergirl

Furts wrote: »

Be cautious when following this logic. It will work but the problem is the inside face of the wall will be cooler than it would be if the heating from the room was in direct contact. The issue then becomes condensation and damp - which in the case of a wardrobe full of clothes could be a mouldy expensive mistake.

Definitely this ^^

MisterBaxter

dominoman wrote: »

There are other cheaper options for insulating a cold wall that can be surprisingly effective.

A bookshelf full of books, or a cupboard up against the wall, can both make a real difference. Curtains on the window trap cold air and stop it warm air circulating onto the cold pane.

I am talking from experience. We installed wall to wall wardrobes in our bedroom (single brick wall, Edwardian house, no insulation). It has made a massive difference.

In our kitchen we have cupboards and bookshelves against the outside wall. Again works well!

Alternatively, even hanging something large on the wall will make a difference. It creates a thin air pocket (and air is a great insulator).

Of course these won't compete with proper insulation (internal or external), or with bigger heaters, but you can make a noticeable difference without spending much money or losing space.

Whilst I don't doubt that having a wardrobe full of clothes would provide some insulation I don't think it is a sensible solution and to reinforce what has already been said this is just creating another issue without solving the real issue.

Similarly just throwing more heat in to the room by adding larger heaters isn't really an answer either, yes it will warm the room up but you are still losing significant amounts of heat through the wall. The only thing I would agree with is that having curtains at the window can provide some insulation when they are closed.

If you are looking to sidestep the real issue then you may as well just put a thick jumper and your thermal underwear on, you'll be warm, it's cheap and you won't be worsening the situation any.

docmatt

No one has mentioned the roof, heat goes up and out as well as though walls. What's above the room, flat or pitched? Or is it simply a downstairs room with a room above it?