Kitchen Draught - Insulation Question

[kopite1592]

Hi.

We moved into a 1930’s semi that has been renovated by the previous owner. Part of this was a rear extension and opening up the back room and kitchen into this extension to provide an open plan living space - which was one of the main reasons for buying the house.

However, I’m noticing a bit of a draught/ heat loss, which I think is caused primarily by the rerouting of services in the kitchen when it was remodelled.
The sink has been moved and therefore the pipe work and water meter are in different places now.
This has resulted in draught behind the kitchen units that come out underneath and via the gaps in the kick boards.

i can’t get to the gaps easily under the units and so I was contemplating putting a small layer of loft insulation under there and then immediately behind where the kickboard would be putting expanding foam to fit between the floor and the underside of the unit.

Do you think this would work in reducing the draught and would also be a suitable work around?
Cheers.

 

[KenGMac]

kopite1592, good evening.

Short answer, yes pop off the kick boards, and primarily locate the re-sited water and meter feed, pack that area with Glass wool.

Check to ensure that there is no gap between flooring and walls all around, sometimes there is a gap left under the base units between wall and flooring not good practice but it happens

If indeed there is a floor / wall gap pack that with glass wool

I am considering a similar move in a part of my kitchen.

Ken.

 

[jacko555]

I also had an awful breeze from under the kitchen units and large gaps in the floor with services.

Barefoot in the kitchen in winter demonstrated the breeze.

I have fireplaces in every room and assume this contributes to the draft / pressure differential (host air up, cold air from under floor). Even with flue dampers/plates (or whatever they're called) closing the chimneys when not in use, its still a draft.

I ended up using low expansion foam adhesive, piped through flexible tube (as you can't fit the can upside down under the units) and filled the gaps between the floorboards and such.

Worked a treat

 

[kopite1592]

@jacko555 Nice work. You got an example of the tubing you used on the can to assist?

 

[JohnD]

i can’t get to the gaps easily under the units and so I was contemplating putting a small layer of loft insulation under there

depending how your floorboards run, you might be able to take up a section in front of the units, and push fibre quilt between the joists. Otherwise in the gap under the units and behind the plinth. It is very good for bloccking draughts if packed into the gaps. IME the draughts are worst round the edges of the room. It will compress and slowly expand afterwards. I'd only use the brands treated with Ecose as they do not shed irritant dust and fibres.

next time you refit the kitchen, you can do a more though job, and probably new better fitted floor too.

 

[kopite1592]

@JohnD the flooring throughout is Karndean on top of a plywood sub floor that had to go down (apparently) and so the floor doesn’t allow for much draught - either throughout or towards the edges where it meets the walls. That all seems to have been done well and sealed around the room edges. The kitchen fitting is the issue as far as I can tell.

 

[jacko555]

You got an example of the tubing you used on the can to assist

One end on the output tube. Taped it to some bamboo. Kitchen has an oak floor over original pine flooring. The oak only goes under the units where there's original pine flooring.
My biggest gaps were round the edge of the room and holes for services. These holes I cut hardboard and glued it it.
Hoover lots as the foam doesn't adhere to dust.

 

[KenGMac]

Do not try to Syphon off any beer from fermenter to bottles once you have used that tube for foam.