1930s house is freezing cold

[littleFinch]

I've generally lived in old houses but they heat up ok if you whack on the heating. This just isn't working in new house.

Boiler and radiators are old but they are all hot when heating is on. I think they are small for the rooms though.

It is unpleasantly cold in all rooms except the front where the radiator is bigger

We are putting in loft insulation as there is currently none so that will help but I can't believe that is causing the cold to be so bad.

How would I check if it is the windows? They are doubled glazed but at least 20 years old. I am very happy to sort windows or heating but couldn't do both at the same time so need to prioritise one.

We are also going to sort the front door which is definitely draughty and get a new one.

As @AcquadiP and @RubyTraybake have said. Check under the carpet. My parents house is 1930s and have a huge void under the floor with floorboards with huge gaps between them. Dad lifted the carpets and knocked the floorboards back together, replaced some floorboards that had got warped and had to buy 2 extra ones once he had got rid of the gaps. He also insulated under the floor. It has made a massive difference. He did do it himself so only cost the materials but obviously comes with a time cost. When buying carpets he has always said to get the best underlay you can afford and a decent thick carpet. Our house is 1990s and also has a void under the floor. When we replaced our carpet a few years ago we knocked the floorboards together, had to buy an extra one and got some really decent underlay and a thick carpet and it made a huge difference without having to insulate under the floor.

In addition, both my dad and us have replaced the insulation in the loft and put some more in than there was before. That has also helped with heat retention.

Forgot to add. We also checked for draughts around the windows and used expanding foam and mastic to plug any gaps. That has also really helped. You can be amazed how badly fitted some windows are and even if well fitted the house can move over time.

Just seen your post about the fires. You can get a chimney balloon?? Installed. BIL has one in one of his chimneys that he doesn't use. It was blocked off with wood, he found it when redecorating. He had it looked at and the chimney was still usable, just needed a lining but they were not bothered about using the open fire as they have a log burner in the other room so the chimney guy who came to inspect suggested a balloon. It stops draughts but does allow for ventilation and is really easy to reverse if ever you wanted to put a fire in at a later date.

I live in a similar house. Gradually replaced all windows, insulation and new roof but the biggest difference was getting a new front door. I didn’t want to replace the original 1930s one but the wind was whistling through it. It’s made a lot of difference.

Is it a detached house?

If not, losses from walls are not so great.

But the loft insulation is an essential first step.

My first house was a run down 1930's with no insulation and it was impossible to get the bedrooms warm on a frosty night even with a 3kW fan heater running continuously.

After I insulated the loft they were fine.

It's the easiest and cheapest thing you can do, with the fastest payback.
Modern mineral wool treated with Ecose (it's dark brown) prevents it shedding irritant dust and fibres, it is made by Knauf but also sold as an own-brand, look for Ecose on the wrapper. if you see any old yellow fibreglass, wear a mask and bag it up for disposal. Get a builder's canister vac, the loft will be full of dust.

If you have just moved in it's a good time to do the ground floors. Start a new thread and I'll tell you all about it.

That's because you insist on breathing all night.

As well as the loft insulation I suggest a door curtain for the drafty front door & thick curtains for the windows - check out charity shops I found some lovely Laura Ashley ones in my local charity shop. Also you can always add a second pair of curtains behind your current ones if you don't particularly like the ones that you find second hand.

You can normally switch single radiators for doubles fairly easily and cheaply. There are doubles with two heat exchanges and doubles with one (type 21 and type 22 I think).

This. As well as doing everything to improve insulation the right size of radiator makes such a difference.
For years my bathroom was chillier than I was comfortable with (high ceiling, large sash window}. I've finally replaced it with the same size but type 22. The room is now actually warm.

This may not be helpful as you might not be renovating but when we bought our 1930s house it was unbelievably cold, particularly on the north facing side which never ever gets the sun. We put insulation panels on the walls before we plastered and also pulled up the floorboards and added underfloor insulation. Best decision we ever made, but we were doing a complete reno so was easy enough with all the other mess going on. But don’t underestimate the different insulation makes, the loft will help massively

Can’t believe a house has no loft insulation!

Insulate the loft, change the radiators for bigger ones even if the heating engineers recommend a certain size go up to the next size, have lined curtains & blinds at your windows and put down carpets with good quality underlay where possible. By next winter you should notice a big difference in my opinion.

Get a wood burner!

Why? My house was originally built in 1780 and loft insulation was only put in about 20 years ago.

Do you have carpet or wooden / laminate? We had to put a carpet in a previous house as it was such a cold house. Even new windows didn’t help a massive amount. Cost a fortune to heat but did have a log burner in the living room so that was at least one warm room.

See if you can borrow a thermal camera to see where the heat is going sometimes the council or local college will oblige.

You should have had an EPC when you moved in. This will tell you what you can do to improve the efficiency of the home and what order to prioritise the measures in. Generally, most heat loss is through walls and roof. We had the same issue when we bought our late 1920s house - couldn't get it warm. We replaced the boiler, put cavity wall insulation in, upgraded the loft insulation (there was already some but not enough) and replaced the single glazing with double. Now the house is warm and our energy bills are lower than the UK average. We were also nervous about the CWI but I had 3 different companies to survey and they all said it was fine to do - no regrets 15 years later.

Our House late 20s Terrace. Insulation in the loft is controversial and I don't recommend it due to resale issues! Spray insulation which clueless idiots that we are we had no inkling about when we moved in over 20 years ago. However, our roof all frosty on top compared to those around us!
We have an old boiler, windows and radiators but ok generally heat wise though have cold kitchen where use an oil stand up heater.
With our boiler gasman says no new boiler would last as long as ours has. When it goes we will have to replace though due to obsolete parts.
Bedroom windows do get wet on the inside and front door not great...

Insulation in the loft isn't controversial. Spray insulation is a terrible idea as they cover all the timbers so rot can set in without anyone knowing and this is why it can make a property unmortgagable. Normal roll out loft insulation. Or even kindapan between the joists doesn't hide damp and is fine if installed correctly.

Frosty roof is a good sign as it means that heat isn't leaking out of your house.

Good carpets

Loft insulation

Get a power flush through radiators, check they are balanced

New windows

Blinds and curtains

This has helped in our house (it was built in 1928)

We have a similar house and improved since we had a loft conversion with insulation. But downstairs back room is cold - extended by previous owners with a timber extension and giant single glazed window and small radiator. We’ve put radiator foil behind the radiators, and tuck the curtains between the foil and the wall and that has helped.

Loft insulation will make a big difference. Get the thickest you can (thicker than recommended minimum). Also, bleed and rebalance the radiators so you don’t end up with one really hot and another lukewarm

I worded that badly. Of course, loft insulation a good idea...not spray insulation though...
Having said that, all seems ok in the loft and spray insulation well over 20 years old. In between rafters look fine but obviously can't be sure what lurks beneath...
Also, a roofer who was retiling next door said that unless a meteorite hit our house our tiles weren't going anywhere.
Not good I know! However, a problem for down the road a bit...gonna kick that can!

We had new loft insulation last year and we had it done by certified company and it was signed off by council thro’ building regs.

It is now warmer upstairs!

I would not recommend wall insulation- causes problems as you need air to circulate in the cavity 😊

Curious to know how do you get a chimney properly blocked? We are using a chimney sheep but no plans to use the chimney functionally, so thinking of having it properly blocked. 1930s house here and well insulated but the rooms with the chimney are noticeably cooler than rest of the house.

You can have it bricked or boarded up, using damp-proof material.

You need a brick-sized ventilation hole so that air can pass up each flue. Each fireplace has its own flue. Each flue needs to be ventilated top and bottom or it will become damp with internal condensation. You can put a neat grille over the hole. You can use the opening as a cupboard, or hide a safe in it.

If you are sure you will never use a chimney again, you can have it demolished from the top, and into the loft, with the roof remade over the hole. This removes the need for ongoing maintenance of the chimneystack, repointing, repairing flashing, and dealing with leaks. Do not allow a builder to throw rubble into a disused fireplace or chimney, it will encourage damp.