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Solutions for cold house

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  • Typhoon2000
    Typhoon2000 Posts: 1,171 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Sounds like you may have solid concrete ground floor. They are not great at insulating from the ground below. 
  • ThisIsWeird
    ThisIsWeird Posts: 7,935 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    Sounds like you may have solid concrete ground floor. They are not great at insulating from the ground below. 
    On the plus side, it shouldn't be draughty! 
    It could be a suspended concrete beam floor, of course, and I presumed these may have leaky gaps between them a bit like T&G floorboards?
    It might be possible to find out the type of floor by checking who the builder was, or by speaking to neighbs. But I can't see any way around lifting the floor before any improvement can be made.
    It's worth researching the best form of thin insulation that can be put down beforehand, and also working out the consequences of the added thickness - how much you can actually add.
    If all the downstairs is laminated, then a reasonably effective layer - say up to 15mm or even more - should be doable with little consequence other than trimming the bottoms of doors. That would make a huge difference in insulation value.
  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 18,206 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Sounds like you may have solid concrete ground floor. They are not great at insulating from the ground below. 
    It could be a suspended concrete beam floor, of course, and I presumed these may have leaky gaps between them a bit like T&G floorboards?
    From what I've seen of block & beam floors, a layer of screed is put down before the walls are finished. So it shouldn't be any worse than a solid concrete slab for draughts.

    Her courage will change the world.

    Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.
  • Chickereeeee
    Chickereeeee Posts: 1,286 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 6 January 2024 at 2:34PM
    Hi F1001.
    ....
    Yes, a carpet might 'feel' warmer to the touch, but won't actually be in terms of insulation - draughts will get through it even more easily.
    .....
    If you mean draughts from a suspended wooden floor, then even a layer of the thick, brown paper carpet fitters use under the underlay (or even newspaper!)  stops that. 
    Carpets, and a good underlay, do add a useful level of insulation and increase comfort, as they cut down heat loss, due to conduction, at low level. This is the LAST place a radiator will heat, as their convected heat rises. Hence, for reducing gas bills you are correct, but for comfort, it is worth doing.
  • twopenny
    twopenny Posts: 7,555 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Is there a void under the floor as per older houses?
    Is there any insulation under the laminate?
    What direction n,s,e,w does the room face?

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  • Albermarle
    Albermarle Posts: 27,831 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Seventh Anniversary Name Dropper
    If you mean draughts from a suspended wooden floor, then even a layer of the thick, brown paper carpet fitters use under the underlay (or even newspaper!)  stops that

    I can vouch for that newspapers under the underlay stops draughts from coming up through the floorboards.

    Probably not 100% but certainly makes a difference.

  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 18,206 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    If you mean draughts from a suspended wooden floor, then even a layer of the thick, brown paper carpet fitters use under the underlay (or even newspaper!)  stops that

    I can vouch for that newspapers under the underlay stops draughts from coming up through the floorboards.

    Probably not 100% but certainly makes a difference.

    I covered the floor in my lounge with extra wide Bacofoil followed by a layer of 5mm woodfibre laminate underlay. With an 11mm foam underlay & carpet, no more cold draughts coming up through the floor, and the room stays nice & warm (new windows, stove, and CH system have all helped too).
    Her courage will change the world.

    Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.
  • koalakoala
    koalakoala Posts: 812 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 500 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    You’d be better increasing the thermostat than using an electric heater. I personally would be cold at 20-21
  • twopenny
    twopenny Posts: 7,555 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 6 January 2024 at 8:21PM
    I also filled the cracks  in floorboards with papier mache (now you can use fillers) and around the gap ithat was around the boards +  skirting.
    Then laid newspaper across the floor.
    Add underlay and carpet and big difference.

    The foil goes behind the radiators so your not heating the wall  :)
    And clingfilm over the windows on the coldest days......mse

    I can rise and shine - just not at the same time!

    viral kindness .....kindness is contageous pass it on

    The only normal people you know are the ones you don’t know very well


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