Identifying why I have heat Loss - who do I need?

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fmmc

Registered User
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Folks,

Occupied a a TF dormer bungalow in late 09. 2600sq ft GF heated by UFH. Wall panels had 100mm kingspan factory fitted. 200mm kingspan between rafters & 25mm kingspan underneath. Flat areas in ceiling have 300mm fibreglass. No heat source in dormer as yet and no imminent plans to alter this as we don't use it. Kitchen/dining/living is largely open plan & tiled. The living area has a vaulted ceiling & insulation arrangement is as described above. My problem is that compared to the adjacent kitchen & dining areas, it loses heat much easier and each morning it is invariably 2 (even 3) deg c cooler than the other areas despite running the UFH for the exact same times. Obviously there are problems with the insulation "envelope" in this room and its suffering from more heat loss than the other two areas. I have a bulkhead in the room that originally disguised a steel linted spanning the arch (this lintel carried the stone work above it as the living room meets the gable of the main buidling) and suspect that is my problem, i.e. the insulation detailing at this juncture may be poor. My basis for this notion is that I have two recessed lights built into the bulkhead and when I remove them, there is a significant draught. My question is - what type of person should I be looking to engage to assess where my problem is and how should I resolve it - a BER assessor or another trade?? Interestingly, I have two pay windows in another part of the house and have similar issues with heat retention in these rooms. Thanks in advance, & apologies for the protracted description....fmmc
 
fmmc, I am hoping to do investigating into my house before the next winter , although my house is alot older than yours. From looking into it briefly, I think an air tightness test is the way to go, it identifies areas where air is leaking from the house - you can then use this information to solve the problem(s). If you google air tightness test Ireland, there are a few companies that you could get quotes from. Good luck.
 
Tiled floors are a major heat loss. The rough guide to heat loss is 30%up 30%down and 30%sideways. No matter how good the insualtion is above or beside you, the heat will escape down. Any building material made from stone/tiles/concrete has no reflective or insulating rating.
Tiles are down on a concrete slabs? Concrete floors done with nice thick insualtion? 100mm or bigger?
Draughts will always cool down a room. Check the outside soffit and fascia, windows, where pipes come through the outside walls, where cables come in.
 
Roamer808 said:
Tiled floors are a major heat loss.QUOTE]

That is not correct. The insulating properties of carpet or timber flooring are negligible when compared to the insulation which would be beneath the floor.

In any case, the house here has underfloor heating so the floor covering should not perform any insulating function. In fact the tiles will act as a heat sink and release the heat more evenly throughout the night.

Also depending on the type of roof structure, it may not be advisable to go blocking up soffit vents as these may well be requires for ventilating the roof.

I'd agree with Superman on the thermal imaging. It'll point out the areas of greatest heat loss and confirm or dispel your suspicions. Google local providers in your area.
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