"Gntry" wrote in message
news:xMUDf.5477$J81.1566@trndny01...
This is lengthy, so be forwarned.
I have an addition on my house(I've only been here 3 yrs) I found out that
the addition was put on in 1983. From what we can tell, it is on some kind
of poured cement walls, like you'd find in a basement, but we don't know
how far down they went or if they are on footers.. They bumped out half of
the back wall(the family room wall and the kitchen wall)they added on a
room apprx. 14' x 24', a vaulted ceiling and a corner fireplace...the
problem is, they left no access to the underneath...this room is
freezing...we know that the only insulation underneath was a single roll
of paper backed yellow batting(insulation) that at one time was stapled to
the undersides of the beams, that has since fallen to the ground, that is
only about 12" below(not enough room to crawl around under there even if
we had a way in)we need to get this room better insulated and some heat to
it. There is one heat vent on the outside wall, and the tube runs
underneath the floor, above the ground, so by the time the air gets to the
vent, it's already cold...thats a span of 14', no wonder its cold.
We were thinking about ripping up the carpet and flooring to expose the
beams and add some kind of a vapor barrier(which we know, there isn't
any)and use furring strips to hold up some insulation close to the floor
along with putting in radiant heat flooring. Any other ideas on how to
make this room livable? or any advice on what we're thinking about doing?

whew, your questions and description sure did lead to a wide variety of
responses. People suggesting digging up your crawl space, etc. Digging up
your crawl space will in no way make your room more livable.

First - how is the cooling in the summer? If cooling is fine then I would
consider abandoning the 14' run from your old furnace for heating. It was
certainly an afterthought anyway. If you have insulation that's fallen get a
kid who can squeeze into the space to staple it back into place. That's not
your problem anyway.

So, how to we get cost effective and comfortable heat into this room. First,
I would look at the fireplace. Is this a woodburner? If not, I would
consider converting to gas. Many gas units can be hooked up and retrofitted
for general heating purposes. This room would then have its own thermostat.
If you didn't want to mess with your fireplace then I would consider adding
either radiant floor or hot water baseboard heat. Both are very comfortable.
The baseboard would be a bit more efficient but also somewhat unsightly. The
underfloor radiant is not seen. Both will require a boiler of some type.
Your installer will suggest one. Your installer will also have a
recommendation for which choice is best in your situation.

As others have suggested, insulation is important too but is worthless if
you have no heat to actually contain. I do agree though that the floor is
the least likely place for heat loss.

-B