Hi,
Sorry for the long post. This is a really important issue for me. I have bought a flat/apartment that is cold. In investigating this I have a number of questions that I would be most grateful for any help and advice with. The building has an uninsulated roof. My flat/apartment is on the top floor under the roof. Between my flat/apartment and the roof is a concrete ceiling. The building dates to 1957. The ceiling is painted.
There are a number of problems. The flat/apartment is very cold. To some extent this is because the triple glazing is leaking cold air from the outside. I am currently replacing all the seals on the triple glazing. But I am concerned this is not the only cause.
I find that there can be a “microclimate" within rooms with the reading on a thermometer being 22 degrees but it feels cold with the feeling that drafts are passing over you. These drafts seem to consist of cold air going up towards the ceiling. I had understood cold air drops and warm rises. But that is my perception. This may be an impression but false.
Some of this is because the windows leak. However, I have now sealed the whole window in one room with airtight tape. This involved putting airtight tape over all the potential ingress points of air at the window (only one window in this room). No more drafts come from this window. This has increased the temperature considerably, however, there are still these “micro” climate drafts although they are less in frequency and less cold than before I sealed the window. Other than the window there are no obvious holes to the outside. The size of the room in question is 3.5m x 4m x (3m high).
The room that I sealed the window in is on the very top corner of the building. The outermost corner, i.e. the one exposed on 2 sides of the room and under the corner of the roor, is colder than the rest of the room. Whilst most of the room with central heating on maintains 20-21 degrees C one particular small point, which is not painted, just before the corridor is 15 degrees. The temperature increases as you go further from this point. As can be seen from the photograph this point is only the width of the pencil in diameter. I do not know what kind of paint is used. This spot is the coldest in the room and is just away from the very upper corner of the building, under the roof corner.
Another room which is 6.5m x 4.5m and height 3m is also on another correspondingly exposed corner also under a corner of the roof. This room is on the south of the building whilst the previous room in the north. The ceiling maintains 22 degrees on the ceiling. There is no corresponding cold spot.
The energy class of the building is assessed as E.
Questions
So. Is it likely that my assertions that there are internal “micro” climate circulations within the rooms. Is this a false perception? If so, what might be the real phenomena I am feeling? Where might I find more information about this? What techniques might I use to address it?
I am thinking that thermal insulating paint may be a solution to the corner and general coldness. Are these any good?
Will 2 layers of thermal insulating paint give more insulation than one layer? Is there a law of diminishing returns here. If so, what might be a sensible limit.
Just no I cannot get the root insulated as it is a communal space. Pictures can be viewed here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing
Any other advice is most welcome. It's cold outside at about -6.
Best wishes.
