Cold old house

[pyounger]

I’m writing this on behalf of an old friend who doesn’t have internet.
Jeff is retired and no lives in a house he used to rent out in the south midlands. It’s an end Terrance built 1920 and solid brick construction. It was re-roofed 5 years ago and damp course re-done 4 years ago. External brickwork is largely good but some areas seem to have some of their facing worn, pointing all looks good, was re-pointed 10 or 12 years ago.

the problem is that the house is cold, it’s even colder if it rains. I have already told him to look at putting insulation under the floorboards and look at external cladding on at least the two most exposed external walls. He says he could do the floors himself but was told that he needed a firm to do external cladding. He go two quotes, the cheapest for front and gable end was an incredible £14K! Which he can’t afford.

it’s a small house, he can’t clad the internal walls because of space and awkward internals.

is there anything anyone can suggest. He doesn’t have a great deal of money

 

[jacko555]

Drafts? No point in insulating if its drafty.
My 20's house had awful breezes coming up from every skirting board, under kitchen units, poorly fitting front and back doors and loft hatch. And fireplaces in every room...

The well ventilated suspended floor was a killer.

Got new windows and back door. Still freezing. Spent an age with a joss stick tracing breezes. Stuffed endless amounts of insulation and caulk round/undee the skirts. Ages under kitchen units filling service holes in floor and edges with expanding foam. Weather strip round front door and loft hatch. Closing flue plate in fireplaces.

Now the house stays warm.

 

[^woody^]

You talk about all those upgrades, but don't actually say if Jeff puts the heating on to warm up this cold house?

 

[pyounger]

Yes, Jeff does have central heating with insulated foil behind each radiator and can get some Warmth from that if it is set higher than most people would normally set their thermostats 24) If he switches it off, it all goes cold very quickly, especially if it is/has been raining heavy.

Also, Double glazing and guttering replaced when the roof was done. No noticeable drafts, I got him to walk around with a candle, the only draft was from the air vents on one wall in the living room, which he removed filling in using one course of brick on the outside and polystyrene blocks on the inside. He then put a sheet of 32mm insulating plasterboard up on that wall - which was easy as there was no radiator on the outside wall. That wall is noticeably warmer to touch than other outside walls.

all his flooring is wall-to-wall carpeted with a thick underlay, no drafts from skirting except in the kitchen, which was foam filled.

I didn’t want to prompt any of you guys, but my thought was that maybe some of his bricks might be porous. It’s those horrible ones that have a herringbone pattern. My reasoning is, as mentioned, some have crumbled facing, especially on the gable end and under the front window (very wide bay).

I wondered if next summer after a period of hot dry weather, if he would gain benefit by spraying the outside wall with that clear water inhibiting spray for walls I’ve seen in B&Q?

 

[sxturbo]

You havnt mentioned damp so it would be a waste of time.

It's concerning he's blocked up the vent, the house likely needs that to stop mould and damp.

My dad has successfully used insulated wall paper, https://www.toolstation.com/graphit...8ToztHcaTeyC2sitNbRoCEU8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

That does make quite a difference

 

[JP_]

Internal insulation is a DIY job, and cheaper than external.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Loft insulation? Should have been done alongside the reroof, should be 300mm.
Draughts- walking around with a candle won't pick up the skirting board and window reveal draughts. As @jacko555 , joss stick (or many cigarettes if he smokes) down at floor level for the skirtings, all around the doors and windows.

 

[^woody^]

Jeff, or yourself can contact Age Concern who have information on options and grants www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/care/housing-options/ . Follow the various links.

Or there will be a sustainability officer at your local council who can advise on options, grants and council or private sector assistance. If Jeff has a disability of some sort, mention that as that invokes other aid streams.

Loft insulation and draught sealing are quick, cheap wins. Windows/ glazing, followed by better boiler, radiator and controls.

After those, things get expensive with longer payback times. So before considering other major works, consider if it would merely be cheaper to just turn the heating up for many years rather than shell out £000's.

I would not concentrate too much on the masonry walls being a significant cause of a cold house. It may be a theoretical factor, but not an overriding one unless there is penetrating dampness. But if there are repairs needed, yes they should be done but may not be a priority, unless the "stitch in time" principle applies.

 

[Notch7]

check the loft insulation is up to spec and make sure hatch is insulated and sealed well

fully dust back of radiators to maximise airflow -consider adding radiator fans

consider internal insulation on walls of lounge and bedroom -especially on gable end

make sure curtains dont channel radiator heating up into window reveal

consider radiator shelves -which direct heat into room

if treating external brickwork use professional silane / soloxane type waterproofer not Thompsons from B&Q

look at efficacy of central heating -does it have an accurate thermostat and modern timer

 

[mrrusty]

spraying the outside wall with that clear water inhibiting spray for walls I’ve seen in B&Q

I wouldn't do this, because it can keep damp in the brick as well as keeping it out.

IMHO (and it is just an opinion) internally insulating a solid wall is only possible if there is a ventilated cavity between the wall and the insulation. Inevitably, once insulated, the wall becomes colder, and also inevitably condensation could form in that wall fabric because it is colder. The ventilation is essential to allow this to evaporate. Internal insulation with a vapour control layer and a cavity inside a brick skin is a similar construction to a modern timber framed house, albeit the insulated timber frame is then structural and the brick skin facing isn't.

I have very successfully internally insulated a 1902 house, although ours is an original cavity wall with a 50mm cavity. It makes a massive difference. yes you lose a little room space, but not that much.

 

[pyounger]

You havnt mentioned damp so it would be a waste of time.
It's concerning he's blocked up the vent

in my original post I do state that a new damp course was put in.
The vents were blocked up after taking advice, it seems that old houses needed vents to keep coal fires lit. The chimney has been blocked up with a small vent .

 

[pyounger]

Loft insulation? Should have been done alongside the reroof, should be 300mm.
Draughts- walking around with a candle won't pick up the skirting board and window reveal draughts. As @jacko555 , joss stick (or many cigarettes if he smokes) down at floor level for the skirtings, all around the doors and windows.

yeah, it was done with the roof and I would say it’s thicker than that

 

[pyounger]

Thanks for all your replies, which I have passed on, I’m still curious as to why it is so noticeably colder when it’s wet.
It looks like a surveyor is necessary

 

[mrrusty]

I’m still curious as to why it is so noticeably colder when it’s wet

For the same reason we sweat - the process of drying (evaporation) removes heat energy.

 

[^woody^]

Thanks for all your replies, which I have passed on, I’m still curious as to why it is so noticeably colder when it’s wet.
It looks like a surveyor is necessary

Is that a subjective opinion or have you taken regular measurements throughout the house.

Generally when it rains the ambient air is cooler anyway, so it tends to be either that or just misperception. There is unlikely to be any actual cooling effect that can be felt from wet walls unless the walls are soaked through and have been for hours.