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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Bedroom above garage is freezing!

40 replies

newtonupontheheath · 13/10/2013 18:23

I am sat in ds's room what he goes to sleep and it already feels colder than the rest of the house. It's above the garage and has 2 exterior walls. I'm dreading winter... His sleep breaks because he's cold and he ends up coming into our bed and I feel awful putting him back Hmm

Is there anything I can do to make it warmer? We have ds in thick pjs, he has a blanket on top of his duvet, blackout blind and lined blackout curtains

OP posts:
headlesslambrini · 13/10/2013 18:26

extra rug on the floor? I'd be getting a builder in to advise if the can insulation from below i.e. the ceiling in the garage.

Doinmummy · 13/10/2013 18:28

I have this prob with DD bedroom. Same as you, it's over the garbage and has two outside walls. I've put new carpet down with extra thick underlay. I really want to take the floor boards up and put insulation under them but couldn't afford to.

Fluffy40 · 13/10/2013 18:34

Could you not get an electric heater, preferably with a thermostat?
A convector is best , and they are silent in use.

PoshPenny · 13/10/2013 19:05

What about heavy curtains, like velvet or interlined ones? Might not be suitable depending on his age I guess, but what about one of those electric blankets that you can safely leave on all night? friend of mine who lived in Scotland had those, they made a BIG difference. we couldn't have managed without them as it was snowing when we went to stay with them...

busyboysmum · 13/10/2013 19:09

We have one of these Argos Radiator in ds3's bedroom which is on an outside wall. I have it on a low heat throughout the night in winter, it is always cosy in there but not too hot. Just takes the edge off for him so he doesn't wake up cold.

dizzyday07 · 13/10/2013 19:12

If you put his blanket under his duvet that will keep him warmer. Putting it on top crushes the air out of the duvet and that's what keeps you warm!

breatheslowly · 13/10/2013 19:15

DD's bedroom is colder than the rest of the house. We are planning on getting her an oil filled radiator with a timer to keep her room heated overnight.

poachedeggs · 13/10/2013 19:19

Memory foam mattress toppers cost less than £20 in Poundstretcher or similar, and make a huge difference. What about a onesie?

DS has a cabin bed and seems much warmer than he was in a single bed. He still has a summer duvet on and frequently removes his pyjamas in the night - and we're in Scotland!

Queen0fFlamingEverything · 13/10/2013 19:20

Short term - extra rugs on the floor and get some wall hangings up, nice thick ones.

Long term - get the external walls insulated properly if possible and look at the possibility of insulating the garage ceiling better.

Does his room have a radiator?

Original poster
newtonupontheheath · 13/10/2013 20:12

Thanks for the replies and ideas Smile

Yes, it does have a radiator... It's a new build so I'm a bit grr at it being so cold.

I'd rather not spend too much on shorter term solutions, so will get a mattress topper, blankets for the mattress and just wrap him up for the time being.

Proper insulation may be what we have to go for... Not really got the money for it but I can't have him cold, and it doesn't seem to make sense to heat it more if the heat is escaping. DHs sister works for kingspan (have only just remembered!!) so I might see if she can get us a discount on some insulation.

OP posts:
poocatcherchampion · 13/10/2013 20:14

I started a thread like this yesterday in property and diy. can't link as on phone but I had good tips so its worth a look.

Original poster
newtonupontheheath · 13/10/2013 20:23

Ooo thanks, will do!

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 13/10/2013 20:57

If it is a new build then the walls will doubtless already have cavity wall insulation slabs. Check the loft insulation is correctly thick, and not gappy except at the eaves for ventilation.

Is he old enough for an electric blanket?

Consider increasing the radiator size, preferably a longer one, else a double instead of an existing single. The same length will be less labour to change.

There may be draughts round the edge of the floor. You could temporarily seal the gap under the skirting with flexible silicone sealant.

long-term, take up the floor, fit Knauf Ecose insulation quilt tightly between the joists. This will block draugts as well as being an insulator. There will (should) already be insulation iunder the floor, but it might be thin, gappy or carelessly laid, and may be the yellow stuff that can cause dust and loose fibres. You can lay a new floor with ply which will be better than the chipboard rubbish the builders will have used. A joiner or carpenter might take a couple of days to do it at about £120-£150/day plus materials or you could DIY in a week.

Fluffycloudland77 · 13/10/2013 21:51

You could put a smart price duvet under his fitted sheet or an electric blanket.

Thermal undies as pyjamas work well. What tog is his duvet? I've noticed 10.5 is becoming standard but I had 18 when I was young because I felt the old.

Rooms over garages are often cold from what I hear.

BeaWheesht · 13/10/2013 21:55

We have a new build with a room with a dormer window over the garage and it has always been absolutely freezing cold. Wee had the garage converted now which has helped but is a bit extreme!

thenightsky · 13/10/2013 21:59

I'm in a new build with my bedroom over double garage too. The floor gets too cold to walk on. I'm thinking I might have to go for thick carpet with massively thick underlay too.

mercibucket · 13/10/2013 22:03

look in the attic

our new build had no insulation at all over that room Shock no wonder it was bloody freezing

Fluffycloudland77 · 13/10/2013 22:05

You can get really thick underlay on eBay, 15mm was the thickest I saw

amazonianwoman · 13/10/2013 22:10

In the winter I use an oil filled radiator in DS's room which has 2 outside walls and gets really cold. It has a thermostat and is silent, pretty small too. Does the job well Smile

fiddlemethis · 13/10/2013 22:13

Some councils have energy efficiency tests you can have done for free. My husband goes out and does them with an infra red camera and they look at where heat loss is occuring. The window is a massive source of heatloss so secondary glazing might help.
Definitely look into cavity wall insulation, we had ours done really cheap. Our house is mega warm despite only having single glasing/old windows. My husband had also done a lot of work in the attic getting it properly insulated.

BlackeyedPetitsPois · 13/10/2013 22:15

Our DD's bedroom is above the garage and when we had new carpets (when we moved in earlier this year), we asked the fitter to get the thickest underlay around - I think it's 15mm thick. We are hoping that will do the trick this winter.

I agree with trying a rug possibly (cheap ones from Ikea), and the oil filled radiators are great - very safe to leave on all night.

RenterNomad · 13/10/2013 22:23

We lived in a (rented) Victorian house in which poor DS's room -in a newer extension- apparently had no insulation in the walls (2 external) and ceiling, so we used heating (humph) and wall hangings, which we put up without screws/nails thanks to tension rods between the window's vertical "sills" and end walls.

ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 13/10/2013 22:26

I have a cheapo ikea fleece blanket next to my bed and on extra cold nights I wrap it round me, under my duvet. Works a treat.

thenightsky · 13/10/2013 22:27

My bedroom over garage combo has 3 outside walls Shock

ErrolTheDragon · 13/10/2013 22:30

My DDs room is also the cold one over the garage. Her solution is a duvet, her unzipped sleeping bag over that, sometimes a blanket (actually her old cot one!) under the other stuff (as dizzy says better under) and a nice warm dachshund to snuggle while she gets to sleep.