heating a cottage for year round living

[caledon]

Hi, I need ideas on how to go about making this cottage I am living in year round winter ready. During the winter the floors get very cold and pipes often freeze. The old part of the cottage is about 70 years old. It is sitting on raised cinderblock pillars. In some parts of the "crawl space" it is

4 ft in others it is just about a foot. The ceiling of the crawl space is insulated with pink insulation. Albeit, I think it could be done better. The pipes from both the bathroom, kitchen and laundry room have heat wires, even so, they still sometimes freeze. The cottage is heated inside primarily with a woodstove and there is a small propane stove as well in a different section. During the winter I have been known to go through 4 bush cords of wood to heat the place. I have put plywood sheets all around the outside to cut down on wind going through the underside of the cottage. It sits high on a hill and does get quite a bit of wind.

It does get quite toasty after the wood stove has been on for a while. However, at night, it generally gets quite cold. For example to test the theory, I put a bottled water on the floor in the bathroom, got up in the morning and it was frozen.

A friend suggested that I could get a "propane furnace" that could be hung in the larger area of the crawlspace under the cottage and then ducts sent through out the cottage for heat, as well as allowing an opening for keeping the underside of the cottage warmer. The underside would have to be sealed and insulated completely in order for this to work apparently.

I just wondered if anyone had heard of doing this? Is it feasible? Is it costly? Are there alternative ideas? Also, keeping in mind that the property only has 60 amp service.

Thanks in advance for any input and advice. Regards Janet

[RBM]

It certainly is feasible. It would require completely enclosing the crawlspace first. It would require a single 15 amp circuit to operate. Call a few HVAC companies and get ideas and prices

[nicksanspam]

Where is the cottage? What are the dimensions and compass orientation? You might solar heat it with a new low-mass sunspace...

Nick

[Clot]

Writing from across The Pond. I've lived in houses of that age and older over the years but not had frostication in a house since at least the late'60s. It sounds like you need to attend to insulation. The first point I would address is the one that David commented upon. That crawl space needs to be cladded to prevent the wind chill on the underside - the first thing to address.

Timber/metal/plastic sheeting is going to save $$$$s. Then I'd be considering insulation of the building and thinking about the glazing.

I like looking on to a cold frosty morning - on the outside- from the warm comfort of my home!

[C & E]

Only one small stop-gap measure to help with the freezing pipes. Leave the water running just a small amount - they told us about the diameter of a pencil - through the night until you get up and moving. Apparantly, if water will freeze in your bathroom overnight, you have no insulation in the walls. You are in a tight spot; many places to spend money and all of them important. Best wishes.