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Issues with ventilation & cold in house

cavagirl

Hi, I'm hoping someone can off er some advice on where to start with this as we really don't know who or what issues should be tackled first. Background is bought bungalow built approx 1990. Since moving in have had new doors, windows installed, despite this the house is always cold with really bad draughts in every room, it feels like windows are actually open!!Attic insulation topped up, as what was there was non existent. We have huge problems with condensation, for which we use dehumidifiers. Poor ventilation as house is always stuffy & food smells linger. Rooms have those wall vents but each one looks like it was dug out with a spoon & just allows more cold air & noise in, so we have blocked some of them up!! A few people have mentioned we may need mechanical ventilation, which does seem to fit in with some of the issues we have, but it's the cold draughts as well, I'm not sure how to go about rectifying that. Apologies for such a long post, it just seems like such a big & expensive issue & really haven't a clue where to start!!

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MicktheMan

You are not alone.

Your issue or more to the point the solution you're after is multifaceted.

Moisture load, heating (or heat loss), ventilation all have a role to play and the best long term solutions involve understanding how these interact to either deliver a warm comfortable dry & healthy or a cold damp draughty house.

I have found that the best place to start is get a full understanding of all these different aspects from a surveyor with expertise in this area and then make the necessary changes to achieve your warm healthy home.

hydrus21

Do you have suspended wood floors?

If so. I would look to make improvements there first.

billy_beckham

How much does the survey typically cost?

MicktheMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121622112#Comment_121622112

That would depend but typically in the region of €700 to €800.

The type of survey I do has been developed over many years and includes a full heat loss survey plus monitoring of the internal environment (temperature, RH%) for a period (say s fortnight) prior to the onsite survey. This allows a comprehensive picture to be built up of what and where the real issue(s) are. This is accompanied by a full explanation to the homeowners (in plain english) on why and what to do / not do etc, followed up with a written report.

For someone who wants to know where to start, they won't be left wanting.

cavagirl

Hi, I'm not really sure to be honest

cavagirl

About the flooring Hydrus 21.

Mickthe man, thanks for that. Do you have a website or recommend a surveyor that I could have a look at?

magicbastarder

question borne of genuine ignorance here; how would a house be both very draughty; and stuffy, where food smells linger?

[Deleted User]

I am not an expert, but blocking up vents is not going to help with the ventilation. Extractors fans in kitchen and bathrooms will help somewhat

Don’t dry clothes inside, unless in a tumble dryer.

[Deleted User]

In a cold old house the walls are going to be a major source of heat loss. The work needed to address this is considerable and quite skilled and expensive. Also suspended wooden floors are a major source of draughts which allows hot moist air to be pushed out of all the gaps of the house. Insulating the floors and adding vapour barriers will significantly reduce this.

Addressing these areas has to be done with understanding because of done incorrectly it will simply displace damp into the building fabric where it can do much more harm to the fabric and the air quality.

Huge issues and no simple solutions, I would guesstimate at around €3-5k per room to get a tradesman to do the work. There are grants available for dry lining to help reduce the cost.

Calahonda52

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627623#Comment_121627623

in first post : so we have blocked some of them up

cavagirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627623#Comment_121627623

I know it's a complete contradiction, but believe me it's true!! Anything cooked that has quite a strong smell could linger for 2 days..

cavagirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627630#Comment_121627630

We have only blocked the vents up in the last year or so, prior to blocking them the issues were still the same. Its difficult to describe & I am no expert, but after living here for 7 years & doing whatever renovation we have done its obvious the house was just shoddily built with lots of corners cut I'd say.

cavagirl

Despite how cold it is this week for example, I am still opening windows every day. If I don't the house just smells stuffy & odours linger even more .

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627623#Comment_121627623

Draughty can be points of Draught. I.e certain rooms or locations in rooms having an irregular flow of uncontrolled air.

This won't solve air supply and exhaust its adhoc uncontrolled. Meaning it can leave stale air across the house but make people uncomfortable in the locations where it occurs.

Ventilation is really a corner stone of overall home comfort and it's only relatively recently (in this country) its being taken in any way seriously.

TimHorton

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627669#Comment_121627669

Take it room by room, Start with the Bedroom at the north-facing end of the house, Enure attic insulation is complete min 300 mm, Insulate internal walls with 100 mm Polyiso with vapour barrier and plasterboard, and seal all switches/plugs to ensure airtightness, Insulate the window reveals. (remove window boards to ensure no cold entering via that junction) . Add a trickle vent to the window and seal up the wall vent.

I have taken this approach in 4 bedrooms + an ensuite and the change has been nothing short of remarkable, Rooms are now cozy and comfortable and easy to heat. I have also added an inline extractor fan to the ensuite and main bathroom, I use a dehumidifier and an oscillating fan to dry clothes in the attic room. Living areas are next to insulate (External Insulation likely) then I will look at MHVR followed by Heat Pump - All down the road.

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627952#Comment_121627952

All very sensible and structured. Takes time, takes steps and doing it all in one go rarely is the right way unless you're money bags 😁

cavagirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627952#Comment_121627952

It will definitely be a staggered. The hope is to just identify where & what the issues are & start with what will have the biggest impact. As it stands we are just wasting money trying to heat the place & running dehumidifiers 24/7. Do you mind me asking did you do the work yourself?

Calahonda52

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121628365#Comment_121628365

lets have full disclosure on the vapour load generated in the house

number of occupants and hours in the house

no extract fans anywhere that actually work

drying cloths on rads

plants

large amount of dish washing at the sink

long showers

long baths

etc

cavagirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121628410#Comment_121628410

At least one person always here during the day.

Max 2 to 3 showers per day.

Washing at sink once per day max as also use dishwasher.

Clothes are dried inside, but when possible will dry outside.....

I can see where your coming from with the additional moisture In the house, but I cant see the bad condensation, filling of dehumidifiers etc coming down to just this

Calahonda52

Thanks for this. This is life!

This vapour load, combined with our relatively high humidity and cold temps in the house and poor fabric U values will give u loads of moisture to deal with, thats the science.

The lower the air temp the less moisture the air can hold and this it will condense out once the RH reaches 100%

http://www.dpcalc.org/

set the dew point at say 12, lock the RH at 66% and slide the temp down....

ps you don't by any chance live near a lake or the sea or a large river?

cavagirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121628550#Comment_121628550

Agree, it's all part & parcel of everyday living to a certain degree. No, not living near any water

TimHorton

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121628365#Comment_121628365

I did all the work myself. Would not happen if I had to pay someone to do it.

SuperBowserWorld

... wrong thread ... 😀

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121630197#Comment_121630197

Assuming batman can help with the drafts created by standing too close to the track in gran turismo

SuperBowserWorld

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121630752#Comment_121630752

😀😀😀😀😀😀 Wrong thread 😀😀😀😐

suvigirl

@cavagirl hi, did you ever improve your house? I have an 80s built bungalow, much the same, very stuffy when windows not open and freezing cold in winter.

[Deleted User]

We put an mhvr in the bedroom with the most problems. A door at the end of the long hallway into the main hall at the house entrance to keep the heat in the bedrooms and stop draughts.

Also put a positive ventilation system in the ceiling of the entrance hall which pushes air into all the house.

Made a huge difference.