Help! our new kitchen is too cold.

Comments (49)

A B
6 years ago
I'm not a pro, but thick curtains for the bifold doors in winter could help (in the evening). You can also get quite attractive plug in electric heaters as a temporary measure. It's a gorgeous kitchen btw
PRO
At No 19
6 years ago
I can well imagine how worried you must feel, particularly as you believed all bases had been covered. You haven’t mentioned the aspect of the kitchen and whether there is an opportunity for solar gain on sunny days.

As far as I can see there are a few things you could do.

1. Add a door between the hallway and kitchen, even a fully glazed one should help.

2, Consider adding Luxaflex Architella Duette blinds to all windows, they stack back into discreet cassettes so it won’t impact the clean lines.

3. Find out from your plumber whether a plumbed in plinth heater can be retrofitted at the other end of the kitchen. If it can’t then your electrician should be able to retrofit an electrical one.

i hope this helps.
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tamp75
6 years ago
Did you look into other ways of insulating the walls - either externally or internally? I realise it’s a bit late now for internal with your kitchen in place & external insulation would change the look of the property but wondered if you had explored those options? As others have said, curtains or blinds will also help. Did the builder properly calculate the BTU output for the space? Also, is there heating in the hall? If not, the heat will just travel there without a door. I’d definitely add a door as it will make a difference.
PRO
User
6 years ago
The BTU you selected should be more than enough, so obviously the heat is escaping somewhere. I agree that the kitchen door will help. We have to have very, very thick curtains. The difference they have made is tremendous. We also have a small wall mounted ceramic radiator as a back up for the main one, it's set to quite low, just to help keep the chill off. . That has helped to, so the idea of the plynth heater above is excellent.

You don't state what's above the kitchen, is it an extension? I wonder if the insulation in the roof is sufficient?. It won't change what you need to do about it though.
Sara
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks everyone so far. This is England and a north facing kitchen so solar isn’t an option I’m afraid! I’ll have a look at Duette blinds but was really hoping to not have curtains in a kitchen- it doesn’t feel very hygienic? We can’t do anything to the exterior wall either I’m afraid. Must get a kitchen door though.
So you don’t think we need an additional radiator?
PRO
At No 19
6 years ago
Hi Sara, yes, being north facing with no daytime solar gain ( I was thinking natural rather than solar PV) will be adding to the problem. ‘Architella’ Duette blinds really assist with insulation so are definitely worth considering. I do not think they will pose a hygiene issue, they are well away from the sink and hob and you have an extractor. I personally would not choose curtains. You’ll need to ask a plumber’s advice about whether the existing radiator is undersized. My vote would still be to install a plinth heater and a door.

Hope all goes well.
PRO
Hillarys
6 years ago
Hi Sara,

As others have said a relatively easy and cost-effective way of reducing heat loss is with curtains. Make sure you're choosing a thermal lining.

Alternatively, shutters are also a really good way of keeping the heat in. Research by the English Heritage and Glasgow Caledonian University shows that shutters can reduce the amount of heat lost through windows by 62%.

Good luck with your search and don't let this minor blip dampen your spirits,

Zoe
Danielle H
6 years ago
My house has an open plan kitchen/living room but the kitchen part is in a single storey 'out-rig' (victorian terrace). My dad persuaded me to install a plinth heater as the only rad is a wide double one in the living area. It really takes the edge off the cold in the kitchen area. I just flick it on when I'm in that area if needed. So I'd agree with the above and see if you can get one fitted.
PRO
User
6 years ago
i calculated the BTU for the space and it's less than the output of your radiator, so it should in theory be fine. Obviously it isn't. Therefore, the plinth heaters are great, but if you want that heat in the dining room, then another radiator would be possibly better at that end. I'd put a door on from kitchen to Hallway, as that will affect the BTU requirements. If that doesn't make enough of a difference, why not try a cheap space heater, or borrow one, see if that makes a difference when you have put the door on , then you'll know if you need more heat and where.
Juliet Docherty
6 years ago
Would it be possible to have a tiny Scandi log burner? I think they can go on an outside wall and it is possible to get very clean ones.
susanglascoed
6 years ago
Check very carefully before considering Duette blinds. You may find they are much less insulating than either shutters or interlined curtains. Google Jeff Howells who wrote a whole article on "insulating" blinds in the Telegraph. Interlined eyelet curtains use less material than most, stack back well and clear the glass and it's worth checking the price/quality of ready made shutters against joiner made ones. We did and the joiner ones were better and cheaper by far. You can always take curtains down in the summer.
Emily
6 years ago
I thought small stove too colourhappy. I know it’s an unplanned for expense but they are so easy to use and in a kitchen area with hard floor easy to clean. They add atmosphere and keep warm long after the fires gone out.
And if the kitchen is single storey whether it goes out the roof or the wall installing the flue shouldn’t be as expensive as it would be otherwise.
Juliet Docherty
6 years ago
The first thing I did in our new house (and last one) was install a log burner. We went with a Contura stove both times. Really efficient and clean.
Monica
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
If this was my dilema I would go with a stove for sure, you can have a pipe on the outside, so no need for chimney etc. Not only it will look good, will keep you toasty warm <3 Good luck
Emily
6 years ago
Mines lit right now. I think a stove would look great in the corner and it wouldn’t be anything other than toasty when in use. And with practise you can light them and get the stoves temperature up really quick.
A B
6 years ago
I'm sure the cat would love it too :)
PRO
Conservatory Blinds 4 Less
6 years ago
Hello Sara,

thought we´d contribute with a suggestion of Wood weave blinds that could add some warmth to the room and light too. The wood weave blinds will allow you to see the garden outside and makes the garden feel as it´s part of the home.

Thermal blinds or curtain liners will definitely reduce heat loss but will also make the room feel darker and your room is already north facing.

In terms of decor, i would suggest bringing in some nice big plants into your room, to add some colour and ambiance. The idea of a log burner is great or as an alternative there are some ecological gel and ethanol fireplaces
londoncottage
6 years ago
Further to the above comments - have you checked the boiler? Is the output heat at the right level? Is it constantly on and never off when trying to get rooms to the desired temperature?

If so, I would up the heat output to the radiators and see if this gets your room to temperature quicker.

Also consider which room your thermostat sits in - is that room getting to temperature and switching the heating off? Then it might be worth moving it into the coldest room (which seems to be the kitchen).

If the floor is feeling cold, you could always consider a couple of rugs to see if that helps.

Good luck - it will be interesting to know what worked for you out of all these suggestions.
J O
6 years ago
If you don't have one I would get a thermometer and monitor the temperature of the room. Windows tend to be the coldest part of the room. I would also check for draughts around the bifolds.

My kitchen is the coldest room in the house as part of it is single story with two windows but closing the kitchen door doesn't make the room warmer. It is always about 3 degrees colder than elsewhere and just happens to be the part of the house where I am the most, at the kitchen sink! I think it is warmer with the door open and allowing heat to circulate the house so I would advise before fitting a door to the hall that you put up a temporary door first and monitor the temperature.

You could also tape blankets up at the doors to somewhat mimic the effect of interlined (blanket sandwiched between fabric and lining) curtains, to see if they are worth investing in. The downside of curtains are that fabric is not practical with grease and smells in the kitchen and it doesn't necessarily go with that lovely bifold look you have. If you do fit them, I would put the pole high and have the curtains floor to ceiling and wide, so they are housed in the space either side of the doors when open. Interlined curtains are not cheap but for heat insulation I would not use anything else.

The only thing that helps my kitchen is underfloor heating, probably not want you want to consider now you have done your kitchen floor but the UFH just takes the chill off the room and means that I don't have to have the heat on in the rest of the house to try to heat up the kitchen. It would mean putting insulation on the concrete then something like a Devi mat and maybe some overlay and then the flooring. It can be used with vinyl flooring but I am not sure whether you could reuse what has already been glued down. It would probably also involve removing skirtings and plinths, so not a cheap but perhaps a long term solution.
PRO
User
6 years ago
Some excellent ideas from JO there. Our kitchen / diner / snug is open plan, it also incorporates a glass roofed conservatory and despite having the heat in / heat out glass ( piffle ), it can be very cold. We had to move the room thermostat from that room to another in order to keep the rest of the house at a constant temperature. The only way it stays warm, as I said before is with the really thick curtains otherwise we'd freeze. My wife literally hates them, but it's the only way to keep warm and save on the heat loss.

I think putting a log burner in, as a constant source of heat is a last resort. They take a lot of looking after and create a lot of mess. Our log burner goes on at around 4pm in the winter and runs until we go to bed, otherwise we'd freeze in the lounge also.

( it's an old cottage, so the thermal qualities are crap ) - It is what it is. Plus with a log burner - and I appreciate we use ours as a constant heat source, is that you need kindling and logs - which they eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They're lovely and a nice idea, but I personally don't think they are the most practical solution to a heat loss problem.

I don't think curtains in the dining area will be funny, in the kitchen part yes, but we're talking about the dining area. There is plenty of room either side of the door for unobtrusive curtains. If you buy them a similar colour to the walls then you'll hardly notice them.
Chris
6 years ago
check your radiators are hot to the touch too and bottom I was shivering away once in a open plan house turned out the 3/5 of radiator was not working because of it needed bleeding.
ghesp
6 years ago
We've got the same issue, however we have a south facing garden, and have a bay window style patio door.

I'm convinced this is the issue as it's always cold by them. We've got conservatory blinds up that are supposed to help with insulation. I can say that they do, but not that much!
alisonmb7
6 years ago
I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned the extractor fan... we have venting ones in the bathroom and kitchen and they suck the heat as well as humidity right out of the house. They have humidistats,so run when the house is damp, but although we let the bathroom one run, we turn the kitchen off unless we're cooking as the air flow out of the house is huge. Great for our condensation problem, but it makes the room a little chilly.
hellyj
6 years ago
My kitchen is freezing in the cold weather despite having the boiler in a cupboard. We put in a thermostat controlled plinth heater which works a treat. Clicks on and off and takes away the chill. Easy to adjust if you want a little more heat. relatively cheap and quick solution. bought from Screwfix.
Sonia
6 years ago
I find there is a real difference between south and north facing rooms. My sitting room is north facing and is much colder than the south facing kitchen, despite having a bigger radiator in the sitting room. Even in winter, the kitchen is warmer because of the winter sun streaming through. Walk into the sitting room and you feel the difference. We bought a plug in electric log burner for the sitting room and it really helps, and is good in the summer too when the evenings get chilly. It wasn’t too expensive (about £150). Here’s a pic for you, sorry it’s a bit blurred but light isn’t great! Hope it gets sorted soon.
PRO
i-architect
6 years ago
Hi Sara,

Its a gorgeous kitchen. Must be really frustrating to enjoy how it looks but not feel comfortable in there.

Retrofitting for improved thermal efficiency / comfort is quite a specialised area. I would suggest that you find out where you are losing heat before spending money trying to fix it. Ideally you want to explore this with something that is not going to cause damage.

One option would be with thermal images - this would be good for your current situation because it is completely non-invasive. One company that I've come across that does this in quite an innovative way is iRed - who you could google to get in contact with. You can now buy relatively cheap thermal imaging cameras that attach to a smartphone, but doing it yourself will miss out on an experts ability to interpret the images correctly, as they can be quite misleading. The images would be taken internally and externally and help to identify points of heat loss. Then when you know where all your heat is going it should be possible to figure out what to do to prevent the loss.

A kitchen door could help.

It is possible to get electric mat underfloor heating underneath a vinyl floor finish, which is very slim. It is quite expensive to run and not really very energy efficient, but would give a relatively quick warm up and keep your feet warm, which would make you feel a lot more comfortable. You could just switch that on for short periods of time when you want to sit in the kitchen during the winter as an extra heat source. Doing this would mean replacing your floor finish but shouldn't need any work done to the concrete underneath.
Emily
6 years ago
I know you have lots of suggestions now, but just thought of one more.
A long low radiator with a bench over it for the dining table? Would make dining area warmer since it’s not nice sitting where it’s cold. But I don’t know how you would get pipes there unless you had electric??
Resh
6 years ago
As Chris said, check your radiator is bled properly. Vertical rads are really good at trapping air (I have had them in 3 properties now, so am pretty used to them) and will need bleeding repeatedly until they are properly full, allowing hot water to circulate properly. Hopefully this is your problem - it would be the easiest solution if so!
Emily
6 years ago
Completely off the wall comment but when I was young I seem to have a vague recollection of ceiling lights with gave off heat?? Have I imagined this or did they really exist? If so does anyone know of any modern equivalent fittings?
Resh
6 years ago
Chefs use those pendant lights to keep plates warm. Going to be a very expensive and ineffective way to try to heat a large space!
Emily
6 years ago
Lol! Yes I suppose they would be!
Well hope a good solution is found soon because it’s not nice being cold.
Lisa Burdett
6 years ago
A rug could help also? Obviously it won't heat the space but would make it feel warmer and be nice on your tootsie's.
In my experience insulation during planning process is the key to warmer rooms. Celetex (not sure if spelled correctly) makes a massive difference.
samwright50
6 years ago
We had a very similar kitchen built in our Victorian house and if you are anything like me then curtains and blinds would be a complete no. We put a very contemporary glass door with no frame and had a plinth heater under kitchen cupboard. Our radiator at the dining end like yours was an old school Victorian rad which pumped out heat. We were never cold. Happy to dig out photos for you if it helps.
Sara
Original Author
6 years ago
Just an update on this cold Victorian kitchen. It’s still too cold to use. For instance, today, it’s 2° C and we can’t sit in the kitchen without a coat.

We closed the vents in the bifolds so there are no gaps. The aluminium and glass is very cold to touch though. I thought the Schuco aluminium bifolds had a thermal break within them to ensure they acted as an insulator, not a conductor (?)

We still haven’t got a door between the kitchen and the hallway so will fix that ASAP, but not convinced it will make enough of a difference.

Do we need another radiator? Feel so worried we missed something during the reno.
minnie101
6 years ago
I think the door will make a huge difference. We live in an early Victorian house. Our living room wasn't unbearably cold but not comfortable when it was freezing out. After getting a puppy a few months ago we now shut the door when we're in there in the evening and it's like a sauna! I would try that first anyway
Emily
6 years ago
I don’t understand how a door will help? Do I understand wrong in thinking the kitchen is the coldest room and you want it warmer? If so, if you put a door on the room it will only get colder still without the heat escaping from the rest of the house to the colder kitchen area?
Juliet Docherty
6 years ago
You say there's no cavity wall insulation. Did the builder offer to batton out the walls and put in cellotex insulation? Not sure if this is normally done, but I've just converted my garage into a studio and after doing this it's really warm. Is there anything above the ceiling or is it a flat roof? it must be miserable for you.
chd64
6 years ago
Rehanging the door and keeping it closed at all times means heat from the radiator will stay in the room. Your kitchen leads off your hall, stairs and landing so while that doorway is open you are effectively trying to heat that one large space!
A S
6 years ago
A door will most definitely help. Our old kitchen (now lounge) didn't have a door leading to the hallway and so the cold air from the front door and the hall (as it had no heater) made the kitchen extremely cold. However, we now have a door from the hallway to the lounge and a front porch which has helped the room retain its heat as opposed to escaping to the hallway.
fionaoneill
6 years ago
We had a similar problem. Had two rads and two plinth heaters, but they weren't working properly and we were freezing. Had the plumber in and he adjusted them and now we're toasty in a matter of minutes. Get one plinth heater put in and plug in a small electric coal or log effect stove ( cheap enough) to bridge the gap. If your windows are thermally bridged have you thought about contacting the window installer to complain , about the problems you are having? The builder, too , as he should have ensured your extension was properly insulated. The suggestion about thermal lined curtains that pull right back during the day is spot on as it will help insulate the room and the kitchen will be warmer in the mornings to come down to. Finally the door is essential as both the hall and front door area are most likely sucking away any warmth from the kitchen area, especially if there is a stairwell. I now think if I was doing mine again I would dig up the floor and put in underfoot heating but this is way too disruptive to consider now. Best of luck.
Julie Norris
6 years ago
Hi, I'm having Schuco bi folds fitted next week and after reading this am scared! However, I wanted to mention, I literally saw an advert for a retro fit underfloor heating today, came through on a Grand designs email, http://www.jk-gb.com/
PRO
Greenway Associates
6 years ago
Hi Sara.

Your new kitchen is great and we understand your frustration.

Ideally new radiators should be plug and play devices. however this is not always the case after having a radiator installed. There is a chance it was not setup according to manufacturers specifications, hence the problem you are having.

Liability for this fault should be held by the contractor who installed the device. We suggest having the radiator inspected by a plumber to rule out your possible issue with the way the space is heated.
Judi Murthi
3 years ago
How’s the kitchen Sara?
mii2
3 years ago
She may well have moved house as it was 2 YEARS AGO!
Carole Pitts-Rigby
2 years ago
Extractor Fan? I have discovered that the extractor fan which is behind the units is my culprit. When I put my hand under the where the air draws up above the cooker freezing air is coming in to my kitchen. When I checked above it is a flimsy paper thing that goes through the wall so I am guessing in two places there are issues, one is where the air draws up above the cooker and the other through the paper thin flu thingy
Carole Pitts-Rigby
2 years ago
Just saw your photo it looks like yours is quite solid. Might help others though
Ruth House
2 years ago
Hi,

As a quick fix you could put a rug under your table so at least your feet feel a little warmer.

Good luck finding the right solution, I sympathise....we moved into a new house in Oct last year and have had a very cold winter talking about it constantly.
Joseph Reed III
2 years ago
does this home have basement or crawl space cause it would either way been my first stepnto be sure that whatever cavity youe plumbing runs in and out from/to was insulated or boxed into wall ceiling whatever .. lots of cold air comes in from sink cabinets wouldd be an easy indicator

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Help! our new kitchen is too cold.

SaraOriginal Author

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