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While replacing the extractor fan in our downstairs toilet I discovered that the area behind the back of the toilet is not insulated. I knew about this 'void' but never gave it much though until now. The back wall of the toilet is a wooden frame and plasterboard, behind the 'void' is the concrete wall of our garage, the left and right are inside solid walls. It is approximately 106cm (D) x 168cm (W) x 186cm (H).
Using a thermometer on my phone (probably not the most accurate), the rear wall is approx 1.5c cooler than the solid inside walls. My options, as I see it are:
1. Leave well enough alone as it has been that way since we bought the house new about 26 years ago
2. Pay for a company to come in and spray fill the void with insulation beads. I am not sure if the beads are suitable for larger areas.
3. A neighbour had the original builder convert the space into a storage area, access is from another room and it goes under the stairs lower landing. This would involve having to cut into a 1m tall access point into the 'void' and then I could insulate it myself... My wife isn't too keen on this idea.
Your thoughts or suggestions please.
Could you convert it into a cloakroom?
I'm assuming plasterboard walls? Remove the plasterboard, insulate properly , reinstate wall
So, directly behind the wc? Where's the soil pipe in relation to it?
It does sound like a wasted space...but maybe you have enough space already.
Air is a pretty good insulator .....
Wasted space. I would suggest tiny sex dungeon? And lock the wife in there until she agrees to a more practical use likes bike and tool storage.
Definitely bike storage area in the cloakroom. Just don't get oil on the carpet.
And if the void is big enough, put the car in it, as the garage is for bikes !
If condensation isn't obvious, leave it.
You could make a half-height storage cupboard above the loo (if I'm interpreting your description properly) but don't impede access to the services
Recessed shelves above the toilet. You always need more places to put stuff in a bathroom.
Definitely recessed shelves. You can then have a bookrest if you decide to ride the throne goofy.
Is it big enough for a halfpipe?
You can buy preformed access hatches that you can install into the wall with no visible damage. Your wife might not even notice that it's there.
You can then acces the void to insulate it and use it for storage.
This is what I did with the void behind our bed in our bedroom. See the hatch in the link below:
https://tradeaccesspanels.co.uk/product/fire-rated-riser-door/
In a similar space in my daughter's room, I made boxed shelving unit that I installed into the wall and used the hole I cut to access and insulate the void. This also left no visible damage.
Build a recessed shelf insert panel to mount above pan. Then spray crazy foam on back wall whilst it's opened up.
Might not want to do this right now but if you're ok with a saw, hammer and screwdriver this is what I might consider.
Scribe the plaster board say 6in above the cistern. Scribe a box above it say 2ft square.
Smash hammer into plaster board. You are looking for the studwork. Find studs and noggin. Break out to these to form a box .
Build an infill panel out of ply with a shelf or 2 boxed in to fit the massive hole you have created. Mitre bond is your friend.
Get some crazy foam and spray it on the back wall
Screw shelf panel to studs