Cold Room in garage conversion

[CathalM]

I live in 2 storey house with adjoining garage. Late last year we had garage converted into room and doors knocked through wall to join the garage to rest of house.

Attic area in garage was insulated, all walls drylined, floor level raised and insulation put in under wooden floor as well but the room is still very cold, like an ice box. I was told by the builder that the rad put in had high enough btu to heat the room but its just not doing it. When the heat is on the rad is very hot, too hot to touch nearly but the heat is not circulating through the room.

House is about 5 years old and have same prob in most rooms, rads very hot but rooms still quite cold. Was looking for some advice on what to do, should I get walls pumped with insulation? Builder told me that in years to come that could cause probs with dampness and lack of ventilation so I dont know what to.

I'd appreciate some advice on how to improve heat in my house.

 

[Lak]

When the walls were drylined were they lined in regular half inch plasterboards or two inch insulation backed boards ?
Garages are very often constructed of a single skin of blockwork or not insulated if a cavity construction.
If yours is single skin and drylined in regular P board it will always be cold.
The answer is firstly to determine what the construction is.
If it is cavity then DO get it pumped with insulation, if it is single skin have it re lined in insulated plasterboard.
My guess is the room was studded with timber and insulated with fibre wool and plaster boarded over which seems to be the prefered method of the majority of builders but totally inadequate.

 

[paddyodoors]

Presumably the only way to know what way the insulation is looking down from the roof, or do you need to dig through it?

I have the same issue, although we will be building above this room at some point so will look to address it then, be good to know when and what to look for.

thanks


p.s. Legs-Akimbo....ROFL love the name, I havent heard that in a while.

 

[CathalM]

Thanks for the replies.

The garage walls were drylined with two inch insulation backed boards. Walls are cavity walls. When the door was knocked through from the house I saw into cavity wall between house and garage and nothing used to insulate it so there would be absoulutely no insulation used for the garage other than what we put in ourselves. Attic is insulated with about 2" or 3" of the fibre wool.

Would pumping insulation make much of a difference? Also could I just do the garage area or would I need to do it for the full house?

 

[Lak]

If the walls were drylined with 2" boards then that is a really great plus.
You can indeed do the garage only but it would be far wiser to make the most of the Government grants for cavity fill insulation and have not only the garage but also the main house done at the same time,( no grant available for only partially insulating a home) some problems may occur if the correct type of insulation materials are not used for specific scenarios. Polypearl bonded bead are ideal for partially filled cavities that used the old aeroboard type insulation batts, or full fill 4" cavity and by using the grant available only Sustainable Energy Ireland affiliated compasnies (and materials) are eligable to carry out the work which should give peace of mind.
It is actually surprisingly cheap to do a full house and I can assure you it will be the best money you will ever spend.
The attic insulation needs upgrading also 3" is no where near enough. Try to lay 150mm (6") between the joists and then a further quilt of 100mm (4") over this running in the opposite direction to the joists, there is a grant available for this also and attic insulation is doubtless thee most singular cost effective measure you could take.
If you undertake these jobs your heating bills will halve, and the comfort value of a constantly warm home can not be overstated.
One possible way to see what if any insulation is within the cavity is through the metre box, opening up the box you will be able to see where the conduit for the cables enters the meter box at the bottom and you can see inside the cavity to determine what is inside.
If the new garage rooms loft area is accessable then upgrade the Rockwool here to 250mm if non accessable have the ceilings overboarded in Kingspan 38mm insulated plasterboards and overskimmed...a days work for a couple of spreads