Bathroom Fitting

Freezing ground floor ensuite bathroom in winter and damp / ventilation issues

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 2.46 PM

Hi, I have an an ensuite bathroom on the lower ground floor. It was created by the previous owner out of the space under the external stairs that go up to the front door (from street level to the upper ground floor). There is a tiled shower area, a large single-glazed window (with a 3mm polycarbonate internal second glazing held on with magnetic tape), a smaller single glaze window facing a side passage. The only heating comes from a towel rail that gets very hot but doesn't seem to heat the room much at all. For ventilation there is a low voltage extractor fan in the shower... but I think we have some condensation issues so it's not effective enough. There is a damp related discolouring on the plaster of the supporting arch, for which I have been quoted a damp treatment course involving "Newton 503 Dampproof membranes". I'm not sure if the damp issue is penetrating from the steps above or if it's from the condensation issue... is there a way of checking this? The walls in the actual shower don't seem to have damp patches. What are my options for improving the temperature of the room while also addressing some of the ventilation and damp issues? Can you insulate a room like that? Or would changing the chrome towel rail for a proper radiator help? Is there anyone who can address all of the above? Thanks