Improving a hard to heat room

[HughF]

This downstairs, front, room faces north. Both Heat Engineer and the Freedom Heatpumps toolkit give the heat loss at around 1200w.

 

We're looking at changing the window for 3g, removing the thermally bridged sill, insulating the suspended timber floor and lining the north and east (against the alleyway) wall with insulated PB.

 

Apart from that, I guess there isn't much else we can do to get the heat loss down to something more manageable? The walls are already blown with chopped glass/mineral fibre.

[TonyT]

Add a porch to act as a buffer stopping external air coming into the house?

 

 

[Big Jimbo]

I also think that a porch would make a huge difference.

[saveasteading]

Agreed. this makes an enormous difference, and is easy and cost-effective.

If it is big enough for a couple of people to get into, shut the door, and put on or off outdoor clothing, then it will work as a dock.

 

Even cheaper would be just a door fixed outside, to operate like shutters.

Perhaps a pair, that could be tucked against the wall when not needed.

[HughF]

Porch footings were poured a few weeks ago. We’re up to FFL for the porch now. That will give us the air lock for the hallway/main access door.

 

We always planned to move the front door out to be flush with the front of the house. I’ll get a new/better door and fit it properly.

 

As for the front lounge, I guess we can just do what we can.

 

The heat loss is a toss up between ashp flow temp and rad sizing for this room. Wife wants the wall space, I want to put two 600x1500 type 22s on the wall. I think it’s able argument I won’t win.

[HughF]

These photos show the single skin blockwork above the front door, the leaks through the letter flap, and the cast in situ boot lintel above that front window. These were taken in January.