Cold Bathroom (small)

[AnthonyK]

I have a small bathroom, it has 3 exterior walls, a flat roof, and tiled floor, it's cold, really cold.
Im looking for insolation solutions.
The house itself is 1900 but this is a more recent addition, i think its 2 layers of breeze blocks with rendered outside.
The room itself is quite small, lengthwise it has only just enough length for the bath, and then the door swinging just past the corner almost touching. width it has sink, toilet and then bath with small amounts of space inbetween each (definatly not enough to fit a draw or cupboard.

I think there is no insolation under the tiles, I cracked one by dropping a medicine bottle on it and where a peice came away I can see a cavity beneith.
The walls are about 25% tiled the rest is painted plaster where the plaster isn't smooth and the pain has bubbled in places.

The two ideas I have is:
A) remove the floor tiles, install some foam insolation sheets and relay tiles.

this means the floor will rise slightly


B) use thin foil backed plaster board across the walls followed by tiling

this will mean i will loose some width and length and all teh fixtures will need removing and reaplying.


Can B be done with the plasterboard straight onto the plaster that is there? will it be effected or would i need to use battons to add a space, and how much space would i need?


Any comments/suggestions?

 

[^woody^]

Insulating the floor has little effect on keeping the room warm

Foil backed plasterboard is not for insulation

For the expense and amount of disruption, and considering the time normally spent in a bathroom, then you would be better off just sorting out a decent heater

 

[tangowaggon]

You'd be better off lowering the ceiling with insulation rather than raising the floor, fix 25 or 50mm celotex type insulation to the existing plasterboard (two or three screws, just enough to hold it) then use long plasterboard screws to fix another layer of plasterboard, finding the joists can be tricky.
If the walls are recent they should be cavity and could be insulated.

A 2 kw wall mounted fan heater will quickly warm the room and does not cost that much to run for the time you are in the shower/bath

 

[hillw]

I have had a similar problem before, if you are going to decorate anyway then changing the tiles for plastic panelling will help.
The panels are hollow so they provide a bit of insulation, and as they aren't cold to touch like tiles this seems to make the room feel a bit warmer too.

 

[IJWS15]

If it is a rendered wall how about external insulation.

 

[JohnD]

start by insulating the ceiling. That's the most important.

Then add plastic sheet to the window, to make a budget form of double-glaszing. that's cheap and easy.

Walls will be hard and expensive to improve. Spend your money on a heater instead.

Is it a concrete floor?

You will get condensation unless you add an extractor fan, wired to come onb every time the light is switched on and to run-on for 20 minutes on a timer afterwards.