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  • How to get the new place into shape

    This one is especially for those of you who know about construction, renovation, etc.

    I just moved into an apartment on the ground floor of a house dating from the 1930s. The house is made of brick, and was built in the Functionalist style, which to me, looks like it was made from giant Legos.

    Anyway, the bedroom was once the garage, and the living room/kitchen was once the room off the garage. It's been renovated, and it has cabinets, fridge, washing machine, etc.

    The floors are all tile. And I'm on the ground floor. And the floors are cold cold cold. There is a heater in each room, and I turn them on when I'm home, but the cold remains around the floor. I'm planning to buy some 12mm foam covering squares and two rugs for the bedroom, so that I can do my yoga and (I hope) keep the heat in so I don't have to turn on the heater nearly as often. I plan to put some foam covering in the kitchen area, too, so that my dishes don't bite it if they're dropped, likely with industrial carpeting or mats on the foam.

    There is one window in the living room/kitchen, and one in the bedroom. Neither window is very large, and when I asked my landlord about the possibility of enlarging the window in the main room or adding another one, he said it's impossible; given the age of the house, he said, it would require endless permits from one office after another. This sounds all too plausible, given what I know about the way things work in this country.

    What I want advice on is, what is the best way to keep the rooms warm and light? I'm not as concerned about the light in the bedroom, but I do a lot of freelance work with my computer, which is in the main room, and I don't want to keep the electricity on if I don't have to. As for the warmth, as I said, I want the rooms to hold in heat so that I don't have to keep the heaters on.

    Advice?

  • #2
    In a rental I'm sure there is a limit to how much you want to spend, and how much you are allowed to change, and the best fixes are permanent and really expensive. Possible fixes depend on how long you want to live there and what your landlord/lease agreement says.

    To keep the heat in throw rugs are good, especially with padding underneath. As an old garage I assume there is concrete under the tile, which is a huge heat suck year round. Full underlay and carpet would keep it warmer, and can be removed when you leave, but probably kind of yucky in a kitchen.

    More expensive and effective would be codeboard/sm board/foam board, whatever you call it where you live could go on top of the tile (make sure it's closed cell, I'd get at least 2"). Going wall to wall will provide a better thermal break. Try to get lap jointed and use them, tape the seams (red vapour barrier tape). You could cover that with carpet or floating floor (click flooring). None of that would need to be permentantly attached, and you take it with you when you go.

    If you pay the utilities and are planning on staying a while you could add electric heated floor pads between the sm and the flooring. It's fairly expensive, and will take you about 5 years to save enough on your hearing bills to cover the cost. You could consider doing it spot also (in front of the sink or stove, under the desk, the section you yoga in).

    As for lighting, you can add mirrors to help reflect the window light to your desk, adding a shiny metal board to magnetically stick things to above your desk might even help. Even a glossy wall paint colour will help a little (warning:glossy points out every imperfection of the surface). Otherwise you are looking at electric. Think spot lighting. You don't have to light the whole room to see your desktop or counter.
    Last edited by NecessaryCatharsis; 03-07-2015, 09:07 PM.
    Pain and suffering are inevitable...misery is optional.

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    • #3
      The above suggestions are good for the floor. Also consider these cool boots which got me through the winter.

      For light look into LED lights that are 'outdoor' or 'cool' (5600' kelvin or more) These bluish lights mimic outdoor color temperature, decrease winter depression and generally enhance living space. LED burns little energy and last forever.

      My 2 cents.
      "Announcing your intentions is a good way to hear God laugh." Al Swearingen (Deadwood)

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      • #4
        If you do decide to go with floor covering that's two or three inches thick, don't forget to make note of which way doors swing! Interior doors can possibly ( with your landlord's permission) simply be shortened at the bottom for clearance, but you'll need to leave room for exterior doors to swing.

        LED bulbs are a good solution for lighting, if they're available where you live. Compact flourescent bulbs are not as good as leds, but lots better than incandescent.

        Fabric hung on the walls is an alternative to painting, and if you feel creative you can make big ceiling to floor murals to help brighten things up and give a feeling of space.
        You're only delaying the inevitable, you run at your own expense. The repo man gets paid to chase you. ~Argabarga

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        • #5
          Quoth Kittish View Post
          Fabric hung on the walls is an alternative to painting
          Fun fact: Do you know why tapestries were popular as wall hangings in the Middle Ages? Because stone walls were COLD. While not as effective as the wall insulation that's now available, they were a decent way to help keep castle rooms warm.

          Fabric wall hangings (including throw rugs - there's no rule that they have to go on the floor) should help keep things warm in a brick building.
          Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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          • #6
            The biggest source of heat loss in almost any building is the windows. Assuming the windows in this old house are still single-pane, adding window film will warm things up significantly.

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            • #7
              The windows, fortunately, are fine. They're new eurowindows. No problems there.

              The bedroom door swings into the bedroom; the main door swings into the hallway. I'm still going to keep the door areas clear, just in case. There seems to be sufficient space under the bedroom door, should I decide to put something there.

              I haven't bought the floor covering yet, because I need to vacuum the floors before I put anything on them. I'll put the foam underneath the furniture in the bedroom, which means I won't have to cover those areas with rugs, because the foam won't be obvious. I hope.

              Keep the suggestions coming!

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