Badly Fitter uPVC window and poorly insulated room
Anonymous user 09/03/2024 - 3.05 PM
I have a 12 year old Belway home. The sitting room has always been cold and I assumed it was the window seals. I've adjusted these but noticed that there was a draught. When I drilled a hole in the plasterboard surround, a digital thermastat displayed -2 degrees C... it was -4 outside. The outside is sound.
I have subsequently removed the plasterboard surround and windowsill. There is a UPVC box section on which the window is resting but this is 30mm short at each end where the coldest draught is coming through.
Looking down behind the plasterboard under the window I can see almost no insulation. The skirting boards around the room have a temperature of 6-10 degrees when the walls are 16.
How should I insulated the gaps around the window from the inside?
How do I insulate behind the plasterboard?
Is this the reason the skirting boards are cold in other parts of the room?
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
How should I insulated the gaps around the window from the inside?
A good quality expanding foam will act as a good insulation as is usually used when fitting doors in windows these days.
How do I insulate behind the plasterboard?
For the best result it'll be worth removing the plasterboards and insulating properly.
Is this the reason the skirting boards are cold in other parts of the room?
Heat rises, so the temp will always be colder on the floor level.
If the walls are studs then there'll be no insulation on the first 50 mm as this will be a base plate timber.
Answered20 November 2019
3
Anonymous user
hi lets start with the window the upvc box section is the external seal this should be at least as long as the window and in a lot of cases wider then.
after window has been screwed in the fitter would go around the gaps
with expansion foam this fills gaps keeps window snug and insulates
from what u said I take it this is missing.
expansion foam 4-10 pounds from any good hardware store
As far as the board insulation go's depends on method used
if the boards are fixed to timber u can take boards off and insulate using Kingspan or polystyrene boards cut to size and put between timbers the thickness of polystyrene board starts at 25 mil so make sure your timbers are thicker then that.
then reinstate plasterboard and skim.
So if the boards have been dot and dabbed/stuck on. u wont get anything behind them. u can use thermal board (board with insulation attached )
it comes in many different sizes. Thicker it is warmer it will be
this can be fixed straight over original board then skimmed
this way is quicker less mess and u are not governed by what thickness u can use
as far as the skirting boards being cold the plaster board wall will have a certain amount of insolation property's to it were wood has none. if the skirts are not wet or damp the wall insolation should fix that problem
hope this has helped kind regards lee
As above follow these steps and you will have a lovely warm room.
In my opining don’t mess about and check beneath all the plasterboards if dodgy get them off and do a proper job you will only need to do it once.
Get a big can of expansion foam and fill the gaps but don’t over fill as this also can cause problems with bulging of the boards.
Houses nowadays are thrown up and bodged together so best do it yourself for piece of mind! And watch where you’re drilling-pipes and wires everywhere.
