Heat in flat causing issues

[Katiemarie96]

Currently been on the bidding list for 3 years for a bigger property, have 1 asd child and another waiting for an assessment and now my 11 month old baby is struggling in the heat in my flat, it’s been reaching 29 degrees in here even with fans on it’s just not cooling down. He’s hardly eating anymore, breastfeeding is becoming difficult he keeps pulling away cause he’s too hot, his skin feels hot to touch but no fever, he won’t play and just wants to cuddle all the time. Spoken to the housing association we’re in who were supposed to come out a week and a half ago for an inspection but never showed up and they’ve still not got in contact. Really don’t know what to do because we’ve been around the top 10 for a year and a half on the bidding list now but still aren’t getting any closer but my baby is really struggling in the heat of this flat. Any advice and what we can do now? We’ve tried everything we can think of to try and cool him down. Also he recently ended up in a&e sent their by the gp as he had reduced wet nappies and had lost weight as he was refusing the feed a few weeks ago.

Heat will become an increasing issue and the only solution is air con in a room

moving home won’t solve the heat problem long term

Agree with the above poster. I live in a house and the front gets full sun and the bedroom is positively furnace like. Moving won’t necessarily fix this, it could even become worse.

stuff that helped. Depending on the types of windows you have, drape a towel/sheet over the outside of the window, shutting it to to secure it to block the sun add much as possible. Get the foil backed blackout fabric on Amazon that comes with the sticky Velcro pads and line every single window that gets sun with it. Brilliant stuff, it’s saved my bedroom AND you can still have the window open to let air flow, it just prevents heat build up. Get an air con unit. The foil backed fabric is by far the cheapest not nothing will come close to air con.

We are waiting for the housing association to come out to see if they can install air con into the flat. A little bit about my flat, it’s open plan kitchen and front room with no windows in the kitchen so all the heat from cooking etc has no where to escape, my daughter who is only 2 is on the assessment list for autism has an obsession with the kitchen and has access to it constantly as we can’t partition it off cause of the layout which is obviously dangerous as she is now yanking at the cupboard locks which keep coming off so that’s another huge reason why we’re so desperate to be moved, back by the health visitors too but the council aren’t taking a blind bit of notice from the health visitors saying my daughter could harm herself cause of the kitchen and her behaviours which she obviously can’t help, also the bathroom has no windows either nor the hallway where the tumble dryer cupboard is so all that heat can’t escape either. Moving will be hugely beneficial for my family especially having the separate kitchen and having windows we can actually open. Our landlord has said if they can’t install air con units then we will have to be moved cause of my baby and the temperatures it’s reaching. We only have 2 patio type doors in the front room that we can’t open as my 2 year old keeps slipping down into the muddy area and hurting herself, the other bedrooms windows can’t be open as the car park is directly outside the window so car fumes come in and also the neighbour smokes weed which smells strongly when it comes it so we can’t open them either. The best thing for my family is to be moved away from this flat but even with everyone that is backing us (medical professionals, 2 paediatrician letters, 5 gp letters, 4 health visitor letters, 2 schools FLO letters and 2 senco letters) they still aren’t willing to help us.

we have the foil window sticks on and it’s not helped at all

The usual advice is to close curtains against the sun, and open all the windows to let air flow through.

Clothes should be linen or cotton only. vest-romper and nappy for a hot baby.

Use fans to encourage air flow. Drink plenty of water.

Can you fit a dog gate across the patio door? Is it possible to just open one? Mine have a door frame down the middle so I can open just one side and keep the other locked.

Is renting privately an option??? This sounds like you are a bit over crowded with 3 kids in there. But without being awful why keep on having more kids when your housing situation is so difficult?

This sounds really difficult but we have a house and it’s very hot too especially in the summer it’s really difficult to keep it cool.

Yes and also put something in the outside of the windows too, for example this window film blocks some of the heat:

rabbitgoo Heat Reflective Window Film Privacy Film for Glass Windows, One Way Mirror Tint Sticker Sun Blocker, UV Glass Sticker Mirror Heat Reflector Thermal Solar Vinyl Silver 44.5x200cm
https://amzn.eu/d/0c2tiyMk

Another way of doing it is to put a sun shade, like a garden umbrella , in front of the window.

Private rent is the way to go. Your overpopulated because you continued to have more kids in a space that shouldn’t have that many people and that will also be contributing to the heat problem. Stop having more kids.

You mention council, housing association and landlord. Can you clarify the role of each of these 3 in the issue? It is a bit confusing re who is responsible for what.

I'm afraid the only thing you can do is deal with the short term problem of the heat. Take your kids out, hang out under a shady tree in the park, in the woods, in a supermarket or shopping centre with air conditioning. Try not to cook on the worst days, sandwiches are fine to not be sweltering. Also try not to tumble dry on those days too, hang washing on an airer instead, should dry in no time with the heat. Baby can literally just wear a nappy in the flat and sleep with nothing on them. Damp muslin between you and baby when cuddling. Water play in the kitchen, a small bowl of water on a bath towel, few cups and a spoon, that will help baby stay a bit cooler. Keep your blinds shut to reduce how much the sun heats your flat. Fans on as airflow make it feel cooler even when it isn't. Gel packs from the fridge can be useful to stay a little cooler. If you have any outdoor space a paddling pool to play in. You can also get cooling mats. Open windows when kids are asleep or very late at night when the carpark and neighbour are less of an issue. Also block off the patio door access with a baby gate or playpen so you can actually use them.

It was 35 degrees in my (ex council flat) bedroom during the last hot spell during half term. Houses in this country are not built for prolonged heat, it is going to be a serious issue soon.
There is no guarantee that any new property will be any better unfortunately.

Using the tumble dryer isn’t going to help. Is there a drying area or somewhere you could stand an airer? Get those bedroom windows open as much as you can I know it won’t be easy.
A gate across at least one patio door would really help. I’ve got one of these gates https://www.dog-g8.com/products/extra-wide-gate?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21806453697&gbraid=0AAAAACph0Ci4yGbrJOGwXvHHDgsUGdOFj&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIj7_IobiQlQMVT6RQBh2B1RMUEAAYASAbEgKaYfD_BwE They concertina so fold up really small and are fitted via sticky pads that peel off. They can move with you to your next home.
Woluld funds stretch to a portable air conditioning unit?

Thanks for all the helpful comments I will give some of these a try and see if it helps him. And as for the comments regarding how many children I have, it’s none of anyone’s business how many kids I have for starters, and also all my children have space to sleep, space to chill and have space to put there own things we are needing to be moved cause one of my children now need their own bedroom for her own medical needs, the reason we are so desperate to move is to keep my 2 year old out of the kitchen for her own safety so she doesn’t come to any harm and to get out of this flat cause of the heat. Another thing is it’s been hot ever since we moved here, my other children were fine with the heat just my youngest isn’t, the amount of kids I have hasn’t changed that.. keep the comments useful please.

I sympathise OP. We used to live in a long, thin, central London flat. The only windows were at the front, on a busy high st with a bus stop at the door an the back window opened above the exhaust fans from the tube!

The front, outside had bricks which heated up all day and come evening, the heat would radiated back into the flat. It was often hotter at 9pm than during the day!

-We started watching TV in our bedroom in the evening as it was cooler than the lounge.
-Bought lined, blackout curtains and kept them shut
-Bought a portable Air con with a hose out the window
-A bowl of ice in front of a fan has a cooling effect too. Before the air con, I was buy a bag of ice every day!

Is a managed move an option based on medical grounds under the HA?

With your Local Authority can you appeal the banding based on medical grounds?

I know it's a long shot but could you also try Mutual Exchange?

There are also Facebook groups of HA and council tenants wanting to exchange.

Beat of luck OP x

I’m sorry you are all struggling in this flat. I’m guessing though that they do want to move you, there just isn’t another place for you. Housing is so, so limited and people are waiting years.

I think the best you can do is make some adaptations to your current home as you likely won’t be able to move in the short term. The heat is here to stay (though not here in Scotland if you fancy looking north!), and almost all homes will be hotter than they used to be.

Keep the shades down, get a baby gate for the patio doors, get some fans if you can, don’t cook or use the tumble dryer when it’s super hot… lots of ways to try to manage. If your wee one is really struggling try to go out as much as you can. Shopping centres, libraries, even a shady park.

Those plastic, gel filled ice blocks are longer lasting and cheaper than buying bags of ice. I put them in front of the fan to cool the air. They stay cold for hours.

I wasn’t talking about the self adhesive foil that sticks to the glass, I was talking about the fabric that is total black out and applied with Velcro. Is totally transformed my bedroom and it’s now a sortable temperature for sleeping in.

https://amzn.eu/d/05o9uS0o

Try to create a through draft. Open one window and have a fan facing inward. Open another window and place another fan outward, this should create a draft. Open curtains early then close as the sun moves. I hope you get a move soon.

Leave all the curtains closed so the sun doesn’t get in

I mean it’s just hot though - like my kids room is 28 most nights at the moment - 🤷‍♀️ moving might not change anything