Draughty house help

luosymnisiAZIBI

Hi all,
it's my first time posting in Home and Garden, so I hope I'm in the right place, please move me if not. :-)


I'm renting a tiny town house, it is actually a converted coach house. It is COLD. The landlord just got a new boiler fitted, so the heating runs quite efficiently, (gas central heating).

My problem is draughts and condensation. Why do the windows condense up?? They are single glazing so not too good. If i didn't have the draughts i could air the house but it is impossible to keep a window open it is so cold.

How can i start? Does such a thing exist like a window covering (like contact paper) that you can cover the windows with to keep in heat? Items come out of the presses REALLY cold, like bananas feel like they are out of the fridge, and i have deodorant in a drawer in my room, and the can is severely cold to the touch in the mornings!

The walls are freezing, i doubt they have insulation as were built c. 1836!

I'm worried about the condensation and damp/mould.

Please could ye give me some pointers? I've never done DIY but i'd love to start and this seems perfect.

I hope the above made sense,

thanks xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

martinn123

Hi, welcome to the Forum,
can I ask a few questions, you are renting, so are you going to do the work yourself, or get the landlord to help you.
Reason I ask, it sounds as if some serious cash needs to be invested here.

Anyway lets start with a BER Cert, thats a document your landlord has to provide you as you are renting. It measures the energy efficiency of the house, like the energy rating you see on a fridge, etc in the shop.
What does that tell you,

Glazing, you say its single glazed, not good, you are loosing lots of heat through the glass. So the new boiler while working efficiently will be costing you to run,
I am not aware of any contact paper, which would help, you could look at Secondary Glazing, which is another window, fitted on the inside, to reduce the heat loss.

Condensation, this is the moisture/steam you are generating by Cooking, Bath, Shower etc which is in the air, meeting the cold glass and turning back to water.
So is there a mechanical vent in the kitchen, bathroom.

With regard to drafts, probably the old windows,

This is a start, but you need to think who will pay for what is really needed. A sticking plaster solution will not help, if major spending is required.

luosymnisiAZIBI

Hi Martin,
Thanks for replying. I will ask for the BER cert. There are no mechanical vents fitted anywhere except for what's on the gas boiler.

i found some of that film i was talking about here.

And yes, i hope that the landlord will help me, as you say it is a major job, and i am looking for any tips i can do myself such as fitting the draught excluders.

Thanks again xx

BostonB

If the house is that cold could just not move to somewhere better?

luosymnisiAZIBI

BostonB wrote: »

If the house is that cold could just not move to somewhere better?

I can't afford to.

martinn123

luosymnisiAZIBI wrote: »

Hi Martin,
Thanks for replying. I will ask for the BER cert. There are no mechanical vents fitted anywhere except for what's on the gas boiler.

i found some of that film i was talking about here.

And yes, i hope that the landlord will help me, as you say it is a major job, and i am looking for any tips i can do myself such as fitting the draught excluders.

Thanks again xx

haven't seen that film before, another question, are there vents through the wall, in any room
You have a gas boiler, and there should be sufficient ventilation in the event of Carbon Monoxide build up.
So if there are no vents, be careful, take advice regarding the Gas Boiler, before you use the film, as the drafty windows maybe the only ventilation you have.

BostonB

Ok well then I'd look at double curtains over windows, those draught cushion thingies at the bottom of doors, keep all doors closed, another heavy curtain over the back of the front and back door. Things like that can make a difference. Then you can look at more permanent changes, and what the LL is prepared to do.

BostonB

That film is popular in some other countries. I'm not convinced of how good it is, and its not cheap. Also if I was a LL I wouldn't let you fit it, as how well it would come off in 6 months is a complete unknown. Could be a lot of work.

Gareth2011

Sounds like the house has no insulation in at all. If he wont give you or doesnt have a BER cert you can assume he isnt doing stuff by the book. All accomadation sold and rented should have one if im not mistaken. If the house is to be brought up to scratch it will prob cost small fortune so id strongly advise you to look to live else where. i know you say you cant afford too but is renting a room in someone warm house an option?

cnocbui

Sorry, that house is not fit for habitation in a cold climate. The walls will not have any insulation whatsoever and may well be quite thick. I very much doubt the roof has any either. The heating will be trying to heat the air while the literally stone cold walls will be chilling it just as fast or faster. There will be so much cold mass in the walls they will likely never heat up unless the heating is on continuously 24/7 for a good while. Sounds like the house needs a good sized wood burning stove going all the time.

In the past, people used to live in buildings like that but they kept fires going continually day and night if they could afford the fuel. They also dressed warmly indoors.

You or the LL could get sheets of multi wall clear polycarboante sheeting cut to tightly fit the window recesses. It would serve to insulate the room air from the windows while still letting light through. Would probably solve the condensation problem if well fitted. The sheets could be easily removed and stored in warmer weather.

Trouble is, if the rents are as low as you imply, the LL is very unlikely to want to spend money on the place.

I have lived in such a building - or worse for shortish periods of time. Your best bet is to get several fan heaters and get the LL to do a deal on the electricity needed to run them. They will heat the air in a space much faster and more efficiently than anything else I know. There is the noise, but if you want to warm the air...

They will heat the air quickly while on, but nothing short of a long running stove or continuosly on CH is going to heat the building.