Smallest bedroom in house is the coldest.

[gogsboy]

Having moved into a relatively new build (just over a year) as the second owners, I'm finding that a lot of the workmanship is quite poor, not that I'm an expert but it's plain to see.

If they have been so slap dash about things I can see, I'm wondering what they have done or not be the case elsewhere.

Now winter is upon us, I'm noticing the two back bedrooms are noticably colder than the front.

The outer walls are colder to the touch and my son has the small bedroom at the back but it just never seems to get very hot.

Would there be any obvious reason for this, perhaps the never insulated the back of the house properly, is that a possibility.

Lived in a similar house before but over 20yrs old knocked up in 5 mins by Wimpey yet my sons bedroom was roasting, again that was the smallest bedroom.

The only rooms in the house where you don't need the rads flat out seem to be the living room which is at the front and front bedroom which is above it, both these rooms have you reaching to turn the rad down where the rears have you looking to see if they can go round twice.

 

[Nige F]

Could be the rads arent properly sized ...might get away with system balancing. ..Truth is there are no Skilled Conciencious trades on New Build ...because the developers screw the prices to the floor . And us Good Guys were happy to work in maintenance /repair for £ess...but I slept @ night .Don`t pay the bills tho` .It`s the result of a Free Market Economy.

 

[mater]

could it be the sun is on the front of the house ?

 

[mointainwalker]

If, after considering the rad-balacing and sun issues already mentioned, you are still unhappy, in your position, I would ascertain either from house-plans if you have any, or literature relating the new-build house if they make any specific claims about insulation i.e. more than regs require.

If they don't then I would find out what the regs require for your house - don't know if you can contact local planning dept/BCO to find out what was agreed. This may be necessary as I believe that a trade-off is now allowable i.e. a total heat-loss figure is needed, but it can be reached by , for example, better wall-insulation combined with lower-performance windows.

Can anybody else say whether you have a right to talk to planners/BCO about your build and maybe see reports about site-visits ?

Once you know what was agreed, and should have been installed, I'd remove a brick or two or drill a hole in the mortar if you can hire a flexible boroscope to check what you actually have.

If it turns out you have less than agreed, then you have impeccable grounds for a claim against the house-builders or their house-building warranty since the house is only a year or so old.

Must confess I find this interesting as my UK house is also colder than I would expect and I am anticipating doing the same but house is outside the 10 yr warranty. I also know that the builders were really careless and cut corners wherever possible, so I'm expecting bad news.

 

[jm2000]

If as you say the house is a year old..then yes i would of thought there was insulation in the cavity as it is now standard and in regulations.

It should still be under warranty. but its very hard to get the builders to do any work unless you can prove that the insulation has been missed.

It could simply be that the rads are under sized...a problem i had when i moved into my house...it was build in the 20's, and when i moved in the gas fires had been taken out of use and the house was very cold. i had a new boiler put in and it still didnt do the trick...and the plumber told me about the rads not being big enough so i had them all renewed. what a difference.

 

[mointainwalker]

It should still be under warranty. but its very hard to get the builders to do any work unless you can prove that the insulation has been missed

Maybe that's why the suggestion was made to remove bricks/look inside the cavity, do you think ?

 

[jm2000]

Maybe that's why the suggestion was made to remove bricks/look inside the cavity, do you think ?

That is what you implied and that is what i was affirming....dont you think...?

 

[mointainwalker]

@jn2000

No, I would have to disagree. I would say that by putting prove you are implicitly saying that until that point, there has been nothing that could be considered as proof

 

[jm2000]

@jn2000

No, I would have to disagree. I would say that by putting prove you are implicitly saying that until that point, there has been nothing that could be considered as proof

OK this is just a little silly now...you had replied about removing bricks or drilling to look for insulation....i was in agreement with you .. and emphasizing the point that they would need proof or need to prove that it was missing.

 

[gogsboy]

could it be the sun is on the front of the house ?

It's been -7 and -11 last two nights, I forget when I last seen the sun

 

[gogsboy]

Thanks for all the replies, the rad in the small bedroom is only marginally smaller than the other two.

So the two larger bedrooms both have same rads, however the rear bedroom just does not get so hot as the front, again the front you would never dream or hitting 4 unless you want cooked but the rear you would want flat out to keep it half warm.