Freezing bathroom - is it the wall?

[Glug]

I very much appreciate previous advice, so I'd like to ask opinions on this. I have just discovered when removing the bath panel the mess the outside wall has been left in behind the bath. I know that walls are often left "rough" behind kitchen cabinets, etc. but is this acceptable (see pix)? Old tiles were removed from the wall and the plaster with them back to the breeze block internal wall.

Where the new waste pipe exits there is a very a large area around where even the breeze block has been left gouged out, although there is no actual hole where you can see daylight.

The bathroom is small and used to be very warm, even in winter. Now it's a trial to go in there because it's always cold even when the radiator is on 24/7.

Part of the reason may be the installation of an extractor fan on the weather wall which lets in the prevailing wind, but between the top of the bath panel and the bath rim there is always a fierce draught coming through.

Is the reason the bashing away of so much of the internal wall without replastering? Should it be replastered, which would mean temporarily removing the bath to get at the wall?

Thanks.
PS Sorry the pictures aren't that good. The gap between the bath and toilet is only about 45cm.

 

[wavetrain]

I cannot understand your post as it is rambling, incoherent and has poor grammer. Make more effort next time.

Also, there are no pics, is this an April fool?

 

[Richard C]

I cannot understand your post as it is rambling, incoherent and has poor grammer. Make more effort next time.

Also, there are no pics, is this an April fool?

It makes perfect sense to me; for the pics look in Glugs profile album.

The hole for the soil pipe is pretty untidy but I’ve seen a lot worse than that. Assuming it goes through an external wall, that’s almost certainly where the draught is coming from; even if it’s not coming directly from the outside you can get a down draught from an open cavity in the loft which will exit through the hole in the internal wall. Also what’s that open white pipe with an elbow on it in pic 2, does that go through the wall externally? That will cause considerable draught also. If you seal these gaps/holes up it should cure it. Who fitted the new bathroom, is it possible to call them back for remedial work? If access is very difficult expanding foam is probably your best bet.

You could also replace the draughty fan for a shutter type; I love these & fit them all the time;
http://www.bargainplumbing.co.uk/ranges/icon-fans/15/
I’ve got 4 in my own home.

Regarding the rough/bare state of the walls behind the bath, it will make little difference to heat loss in the bathroom & will not be causing the draughts, it looks untidy but it’s not unusual to see walls left like that or worse behind the bath where they won’t be seen; re-rendering/plastering will make a negligible difference for the effort involved.

 

[Glug]

First of all, apologies if it seemed rambling. Thanks for the response.
Yes, I uploaded pix on to an album but don't know how to include them in the text. I hit the "show images" at the bottom of the text box and thought they would appear with the text. Obviously not.

Richard, your reply is much appreciated. The pipe on the right-hand of pic 2 is the old toilet pipe which goes into the airing cupboard, so not through an external wall.

I can feel the down-draught from the extractor when it's not on, so I know that's part of the reason the bathroom is cold. I'll be looking at the link you gave. Thanks for that.

However, there is a secondary draught whistling between the top of the bath panel and the bath rim, so that has to be coming from/through the wall in the pix. Where the hacking off is deepest, it would perhaps only leave the outer skin of bricks and the render. Expanding foam may be the way to go.

Cheers.

 

[ajrobb]

Use the image's 'DIYnot BBCode' to insert into forum posts.

Bathroom

• Glug
• 1 Apr 2011
• 1

Waste pipe

Bathroom

• Glug
• 1 Apr 2011
• 1

Wall above waste pipe

Bathroom

• Glug
• 1 Apr 2011
• 1

Wall at tap end of bath

Another source of draughts can come from under the floor. Even a first floor can be draughty if the joists have not been sealed into the inner leaf.

 

[Nige F]

Sensible answers from Sussex and Norfolk I rest my case PS if you`re in E. Sx and want a "hands on" opinion I`ll drop in for a small fee