Miscellaneous
Heat Saving Information
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A lot of the information below
is aimed at reducing draughts and it is vital that rooms remain
properly ventilated, especially when they contain boilers and fires.
If in doubt get professional advice.
Ceilings
Gaps around any cables or pipes going through the ceiling into the loft space can lead to heat loss, these gaps are usually very simple to seal.
Chimneys
If you live in an older property with unused chimneys make sure they are sealed top and bottom, a lot of heat can be lost up an open chimney.
Doors
Doors to the outside can be a big source of heat loss and draughts. Use draught
proofing strips to minimise draughts and don't forget the keyhole. A simple
key hole block can be make from a disc of thin metal (you will be amazed at
the benefits of such a small change) - remember for maximum effect fit a disk
to both sides of the door and don't leave the key in the lock.. Where practical
a good heavy curtain drawn over the door works wonders. If the door has glass
in it make sure it is double glazed ( even if it is only secondary double glazing.
The bottom of the door can be sealed using a screw on 'brush strip' available
from most DIY stores. Fit an insulating flap to the inside of letter boxes
- these flaps can be obtained from most DIY stores and are not expensive. Draught proofing letter box flaps will also help to minimise draughts and heat loss.
Floors
To minimise heat loss through ground floor floors
use good quality thick underlay under carpets and in the case
of wooden floor make sue they are sealed against draughts from
below (it is important there is proper under floor ventilation
so make sure air bricks and vents are not blocked up). Seal
gaps around pipes and cables coming up through the floor. A common
cause of draughts is where electric and gas mains enter the house
through the floor.
Garages
Probably an area with the most draughts and heat loss. The ideas
below can have a big effect if the garage is part of the house.
The door(s) are usually poorly sealed so fit draught proofing
strips to the top and sides and a rubber strip to the bottom
of the doors. The sides of up and over doors can be effectively
sealed below the pivot point using 'brush strips'.
Radiators
Radiators mounted on outside walls can lose
a lot of the heat through the wall, especially if there is no cavity
wall insulation. A simple way to reduce this loss is to fit reflective
foil and insulation behind the radiator. Rolls of combined foil
and insulation can be obtained from most large DIY chains, it is
very simple to fit without removing the radiator. A more effective
solution is to mount radiators on insulating boards (this moves
the radiator further away from the wall) with a reflective foil
surface. Placing a small shelf above the radiator also helps since
it means the heat tends to be forced more into the room rather
than just rising up the wall - leave a gap of around 25mm to 50mm
to allow the heat to get out. Where radiators are situated
beneath windows make sure that curtains are not hanging over them. It is also important to make sure the airflow beneath radiators is not blocked so make sure there is nothing underneath radiators. Painting radiators is not a good idea since every layer of paint acts like an insulation reducing it's efficiency, the proper solution to rusting radiators is to remove them, strip all the paint off and start again with a proper radiator paint which is a big job and not for the faint hearted.
Walls
External cavity walls should be insulated,
it does cost money but the cost will be repaid over a few years
and make the house more comfortable to live in. Often grants are available from local authorities for cavity wall insulation. Deal with
any damp spots on walls, a common cause is soil bridging the damp
course. Make sure all gaps around pipes and cables passing through
external walls are sealed on both sides of the wall. Another source of heat loss is poorly sealed window and door frames, they need to be properly sealed on both inside and outside walls.
Windows
These are often another source of draughts,
use draught proof strips to reduce draughts from poorly fitting opening windows. If there is only single
glazing consider using secondary double glazing if it is not practical
or cost effective to fit proper double glazing. Secondary glazing
works especially well with metal framed windows. Doing this will
also help reduce condensation. The use of heavy curtains
will also help considerably - make sure the curtains are not hanging
over a radiator. Close the curtains at night even if the room is
not in use.
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