I had my first bath in a couple of years the other day. No, I’m not really, really stinky – or at least I don’t think so.
No, the reason was that after years of a nasty flapping, cracked bath panel I suddenly have a lovely fixed and perfectly sealed one.
I hadn’t realised how much it put me off wallowing in the warm water until it wasn’t there any longer.
However it wasn’t the yearning for a home spa sensation that prompted me to get the job done in the first place – it was about saving energy (and money).
Earlier this year I began doing some work with LEAP, our local energy action organisation. The aim is to look at what really makes and difference and what measures are worth taking.
So LEAP sent out Tom of Thermal Image UK to do an air tightness test. This entails attaching the biggest fan you’ve ever seen to the front door and blowing air out of the house (might have been sucking, I couldn’t really tell). The bottom line is that – with the aid of a smoke pen – you can tell exactly where the drafts are.
The bath panel was the first culprit in the hunt for nasty breezes. As soon as Tom set up the fan and switched it on there was a pop and a clatter as the bath panel revealed itself as the weakest link.
Today Tom came back to see how the various measures we’ve taken has changed the draughtiness or otherwise of the house. I’m pleased to note that the bath panel passes the test with flying colours.
The area under the bath is a common source of draughts as its often just bare boards allowing chilly gusts through. Obviously you don’t want to seal the under bath space hermetically as there would be no way for moisture to escape, but a good sealed panel can – and has – made all the difference.
The first mistake with the bath panel had been that the seal didn’t extend to the floor-to-panel join. Marcelo Dominguez of Casa Homes and Gardens quickly rectified this. Marcelo is based in Lochwinnoch and comes highly recommended – you can contact him on 01505 842439 or 07739827647.
His top tip for using silicone sealant without creating a horrible lumpy mess (maybe that’s just me) is to keep everything meticulously clean and to wet your finger with washing up liquid and run it along the sealant to make it smooth.
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| The bath panel and a much younger Boy Three |
LEAP: Energy saving measures – putting up blinds.
LEAP – The main jobs that need to be done.