Our house is a 7 room, 1700sf colonial house with steam radiators. The problem is that the previous owner removed the walls downstairs and some of the radiators...so the heat doesn't stay in the rooms. We only have one thermostat for the entire house in the living room. While it is 60 degrees downstairs, it is 80 degrees upstairs. They cut vents into the floors to let the heat rise. We assume this was before they replaced the windows and we've since blocked them. Any suggestions as how to regulate the heat. We're going to start by placing plastic on the drafty windows and patio door.
COMMUNITY FORUM
You may want to look into a safe form of supplemental heat. They have in-floor radiant heat which can be laid under tile. This makes the tile nice and warm and heats the whole room. It's electric and controlled by a separate thermostat.
Or maybe just electric baseboard heating if it isn't a huge area.
Good luck, Devildog
would turning the radiator vents down upstairs, make the radiators downstairs produce more heat...or would it just make the upstairs colder.
good point...not sure if that's feasible, though. the kitchen is a one story addition on posts...no foundation underneath.
I like the electric baseboard idea. It has low capital costs, and now that gas is just as expensive as electricity, it's an efficient solution. Just make sure you have the spare circuits to power it, two at least. Resistance heating draws a lot of power.
Also, if the kitchen is on posts, make sure the floor is well insulated. That alone will save a lot of money.
