Keeping in heat - any ideas

[mase001]

Hi all,

Our bedroom simply will not get hotter than 16 degrees! We’ve got a baby on the way and his cot is in our bedroom so we’re trying to work out how to make it warmer for him.

I’ve re-sealed the windows, which are double glazing. I’ve put the heat reflective foil behind the radiator. I’ve sealed any tiny gaps or holes I can spot.

It’s made things slightly better but the temp still won’t go above 16 when other rooms are much hotter (20+ish degrees)

One issue I think it could be is as we are on the top floor on the block of flats - we are basically right in the pitched roof; I’m wondering if there is little to no insulation in the roof space but from what I’ve previously been told by the managing agent there is no access to this part of the loft as it’s sealed off.

Does anyone have any ideas for what else we could try? Or can spot from the pictures anything glaringly draughty? Or even is there such a magic solution I’m not aware of like stick on insulation to go on the ceiling?

The only other option I can think of is cranking the heating temperature up and leaving it on all night, baby is warm but pockets will be empty haha!

Any help is much appreciated!

 

[cwhaley]

It's got to be due to the level of insulation in the roof space. When I bought our place, there was lots of insulation in the attic but it had been chucked about to lay the boarding onto the joists. As a result, there were areas where there was little-to-no insulation. Once it was properly fitted, it made a big difference to heat retention. Sealing gaps helps, but I think the area that needs to be checked is the roof space.

You could keep turn down the rads in other rooms and turn up the heating as a short-term solution.

You may already know this so please excuse me if so, but in your efforts to make the room warmer, make sure those windows are opened throughout the day to exchange the air as much as possible. Our little lad is 10 months old now, and when he was in our room I noticed that there was a noticeable increase in condensation on the windows. We have them ajar in the day and this ensures that condensation is taken away and any stagnant air is replaced.

 

[cdbe]

Replace that (single?) radiator with a double. It was probably just sized on similar sized rooms in the block with lower heat losses.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Do you own your flat?
If yes you could put a false ceiling in that room (if you have the headroom) and fill it full of rockwool

Are you friendly with other people on your floor? There is probably access into the roof void somewhere (but if it's an older block there may be asbestos up there so access will be controlled).

 

[martygturner]

That looks like the late 1990's barrett's finish all that hand dobed wall adhesive on the ceilings doubling as plaster...I would suspect the dormer window being completely uninsulated and a single skin to the outside side walls again uninsulated. If you look across to your neighbour the dormer has a tiled finish which with a barret build will just be to some osb with nothing behind it bar some membrane, Basically that void is a fridge.

You could check the dormer ceiling by making a small hole in it and popping a finger through, not going to be hard to cover that up with the wavy davy ceiling finish.

If it was me I would be screaming at the agent if your renting...if its yours I would be getting a hole up there and insulate the bejesus out of it.

If you are on Octopus they do a free thermal camera loan..

Check the rad is heating up properly, any cold spots etc, check the trv is not jammed half shut.

Check for draughts with a candle.

 

[DiyNutJob]

Get a covid style infrared thermometer (not camera) and point it at things to see which bits are cold, then work out why.

The window will be the coldest part of the room. Maybe relocate the cot?

 

[RandomGrinch]

I'm not an expert, but would agree with what @martygturner stated above, I was writing something similar!
Excluding any insulation issues in the loft space, it looks from your image (and that of the other houses in the estate), that you may not have much insulation in your sloped ceiling:

...and as your room is in a hipped edge, any heat loss will be exacerbated.
As above, some exploratory holes (cheap endoscopy cameras are available), or borrowing a thermal camera, may be required, to determine what you are up against.

 

[DiyNutJob]

Screwfix does a 500w electric radiator. You could use a couple of that to create localised heating. I have one under my chair with no other heating and that works fine unless the outside temperature is below zero. Can't tell you if it's cheaper than gas. But gas would have to heat all the pipe works in the house.

 

[Old Salt]

Curtains will help in the evening to retain heat.

 

[mase001]

Wow thanks for all your help and suggestions everyone.
I do own the flat so am tempted to explore the making a hole and insulating within that void option - my only reservation is what will greet me as last summer there was a hench wasps nest in there that the pest guys sprayed..I’m surprised the wasp graveyard isn't enough insulation itself! Lol.

 

[Alec_t]

Even though there's a window blind, as Old Salt says, curtains (especially heavy thermal ones) should help a bit.

 

[Brigadier]

I'd personally be less concerned about the temperature affecting your newborn (don't allow them to overheat), and more insulate the room to minimise the cost of keeping it "warm enough".

In other words, insulate away, but not with the goal of baking your progeny

 

[foxhole]

Check online for radiator calculator yours looks way under size for that room.

 

[big-all]

general comments
with washing on radiators as you have you will have about 10% off heat output not in the room you will also have the moisture in the room needing further energy to remove now how much i dont know but even at say 2.5% means you radiator with wasting 12.5 or 1/8th off its energy not heating the room

as an experiment as heat rises try leaving several doors open in other rooms and down stairs without any washing on radiators and see what happens ??
my thoughts you will probably get more condensation on upper windows [migrating from downstairs ] but overall the room will be very comfortable with rising heat --- now iff your energy consumption rises a bit then suspect a bit off tinkering to sort the problem
if it rises more than say 5-7% then suspect an insulation problem

 

[Odds]

Have you bled the radiator recently?