Moving to England! (Garage Insulation questions..)

ShortBusRuss

ShortBusRuss

Short Bus Russ - C Player
Silver Member
So, moving on from Germany, where the language barrier has been a major issue for both my wife, and to a lesser extent, myself.. Will be living in Northamptonshire region.

We got picked to rent an absolutely amazing property, well within our housing allowance. (The UK rental market is extremely competive. We were competing against like 5 other viewings that gave positive feedback.) The Diamond will need to go in the garage, but I made my intention to put it there clear in the precommunications to the estate agent/owner, so the intention is to either DIY the door insulation/airgapping seals myself, or get a kit.

Average temperatures in dead of winter are 35 degrees Fahrenheit.. I have no idea whether there is a radiator of any sort in the garage, but if it is, it will be gas-fed.

Any tips on what we can expect of temperatures once I get the doors insulated, or more economical ways to make the area playable in winter? Electric heating is provably not gonna be a big option, as electricity prices are pretty gnarly in UK. The summer temperature does not get much above 75 degrees, and I am expecting with doors being insulated, and a tempature-controlled venting fan, we can expect to easily keep the temperature down in summer without an A/C. But, IF needed, we do have a mobile A/C we can vent out into the gardener's storage room that is off to the side of the garage. We also have a portable dehumidifier.

If anyone is interested, this is the property. (This link will likely only be available for a short time after the house gets pulled from rightmove..

www.rightmove.co.uk

Check out this 4 bedroom detached house for rent on Rightmove

4 bedroom detached house for rent in Church Street, Woodford, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN14 for £2,250 pcm. Marketed by Michael Graham, Northampton
www.rightmove.co.uk www.rightmove.co.uk
 
I live in the central US, which is considerably colder than England, and have tried for years to come up with an easy way to make my garage inhabitable in the winter.

If there is no heater already there, you are probably going to need 19,000 BTUs, or about 5000 watts to warm things up. If there is 220 volt supply, this is doable with an electric heater, which would not require venting and installation is simple. Electric heaters of this size are relatively cheap. If you want to use gas or propane, you will need a vent, and a willingness to invest some money. A heat pump would probably work in that climate, but again, you have to poke a large hole in the wall.

There are online resources that may help: https://www.pickhvac.com/garage-heater/sizing/

Also, make sure the space is sorta rodent-proof, lest your pool table become nesting grounds. And, if there is an automatic garage door opener, be careful with insulation. The added weight may cause the opener motor to fail.
 
How long you planning to be there, if more than 2 years, I would get a 12000 BTU or more, mini split with heatpump, a small hole 3 inch on the wall is nothing. Don’t need to insulate anything yet, unless some big obvious gaps. Maybe 1,500 to 2,000 pounds?

If 2 years or less, a portable A/C with dual hose with heat pump, 500 pound.
 
Constructed a 16X20 out building with a concrete floor. Here's a couple things I did. Purchased 5 rolls of 1/2'' rubber.... 4'x16'' for my flooring. I then purchased a 400 watt vertical flat oil filled heater and stuck it ''under table'' and let it heat soak the bed. In winter (colorado) I'll go out there an hour or so to turn the room heat on and it works. Found the manual. Newair AH -400 portable under desk heater.
 
Summer temperatures will rarely be an issue. Heatwaves do happen (90s, occasionally hitting 100) but they are usually short and don't happen every summer. You will not be in a big city so, even in a heatwave, evening temperatures are unlikely to be uncomfortable. If you have a portable AC you'll be fine.
 
I live in the UK (quite close to Northamptonshire!) and had my pool table installed in a similar garage about two years ago.

In the winter, you will definitely need a heater when playing, as it would be too cold otherwise.

A 2kw fan heater would probably cost 50p (66 cents) per hour, so not hugely expensive.

Obviously depends on how often you are going to play.
 
jimmyco said:
Put it in the dining room.
The money you save on HVAC, insulation and utilities, spend on her.
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Yeahhhh, no. There are no dining rooms in the UK, even in most "executive" homes, that have a dining room approaching any semblance of room for playability. All the rightmove pictures are taken with fisheye filters, so they look a lot bigger than they reallynare.
 
You might consider heating the table itself during winter. Keep the damp out of the cloth. Carom and snooker do this for tournament tables, but pool hasn't caught on. I think you need about 300 watts continuous -- just enough to keep the bed about 10 degrees above the room temp. I think a common design is resistance wire under the slates and a bottom cover to keep the warmed air under the table.
 
Bob I think you could do it with the two 400 watt units I suggested thread#7. I only used one on my 7' and it was perfect to heat the slate and CHEAP.
 
Why would you put you address for everyone to see? Nice place!

PS I love your avatar and your name
 
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j2pac said:
Perfect place for that Diamond. 😉👍
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Not sure which direction/place you are talking about, but no place internal to the house is big enough for a 9 foot Diamond. The glass room is 12 foot wide at most, and the same with either leg of the "L" of the Sitting/Dining Room.
 
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