Why is it so cold in my bedroom?

[vhoffman]

Ok this seems like a weird topic, and I chose to post it on the budget board because it does concern money, heat, gas, etc.

We live just north of Austin, TX. Weather here has been on the chilly side, but not below freezing. We did have an ice storm ~ a month ago, with temperatures below freezing, and did quite well keeping the heat set ~66 day, 63 night. Yes, we used heavy blankets, etc., but it was comfortable.

Lately it has been in the 40's, humid, no rain. But it has been unbearably cold in our bedroom. I mean, cold like it wakes us up at night. Even with heavy blankets. Setting the heat higher doesn't seem to help, seems there's a draft coming from under the bed! Last night my pillows were wedged in between the bed and headboard, one of them slipped, and it felt like an artic blast coming from under the bed!

We have one of those bookcase headboards, its quite a large piece of furniture against the wall. Today dh pulled it away to inspect the wall. I suspected there was a hole in the wall behind the bed, that's what it felt like. Thourough inspection revealed no damage. Checked the outside walls, no damage. No broken windows. DH even checked the attic, no damage.

So, what is causing the cold? It also feels damp in there. Today my blanket actually felt wet, I washed and dried it. The floor feels damp. The cat's favorite hangout was a spot under the bed, now he avoids it and won't even sleep on the bed. He actually growled when I tried to put him on the bed last night, ran off into the closet.

What could it possibly be? Its starting to sound like something from a horror story, the portal under the bed leading to the icy underworld

We kept the heat set at 72 last night and it was still cold, and damp! Tonight we're sleeping in another room. It doesn't seem to affect any other part of the house. Seriously, has anyone else had such a problem? What other possibilities should we investigate? I hate to think of the possibility of a cracked slab (our house doesn't have a basement, built on a concrete slab, like many houses in Texas). Any ideas?

 

[brivers222]

The more and more I read your post... the more I think you do have some portal to the artic world under your bed.

The dampness can be caused just by the "coldness" of the room.... The cold can cause the room to feel damp. Our closet is like that. I am not familiar with concrete slabs, we have a crawlspace. Did you guys check around the baseboard of the wall facing the outside? It could be a draft coming from there. The cold air probably feels like it is from under the bed because the cold air like to linger on the ground.

 

[vhoffman]

Maybe there is some structural damage to the slab, but I hate to call one of those foundation repair companies. They always find something wrong, just like auto mechanics!

Its really spooky when the cat won't go in there!

 

[vhoffman]

I removed the bed skirt to allow air to flow under the bed. It seems to help a little, seems the skirt was trapping the cold air underneath the bed. Also removed all the stuff under the bed, the storage boxes, etc, they could be creating pockets of trapped cold air, too. But its still too cold to sleep in there (that's why I'm up at this hour on the Disboard )

 

[vhoffman]

 

[SaveTheSeaTurtles]

Hi, there! I work in residential construction so have some experience in this area. Just a suggestion: you might want to contact a local HVAC company. If your home is newer, it might still be covered by your warranty. It sounds like there is a definite problem with the air flow to that room. I am sure that you already ensured that the vents in the room are open to allow air in. Before calling them, check the vent flow to see if you can feel any warm air flowing through the duct. The HVAC company can do a temperature test in the room and also check the baffles for you. The duct could be blocked, etc. Good luck!

 

[tchrrx]

Also, do you have a bathroom connected to your bedroom? I know that our bedroom is always the coldest room in our house b/c we have a large frosted glass window in our bathroom & it seems to really draw the cold air in. We've found that keeping our bathroom door closed helps keep our room warmer.

 

[mareed]

Also, do you have a bathroom connected to your bedroom? I know that our bedroom is always the coldest room in our house b/c we have a large frosted glass window in our bathroom & it seems to really draw the cold air in. We've found that keeping our bathroom door closed helps keep our room warmer.

We've also found this to be true with a large glass block window that's in our bathroom. The bathroom is about 5 degrees cooler, and if we have the bathroom door open to the bedroom (which we usually do), then the bedroom is also cooler.

We also discovered (fortunately within the 1 year new home warranty) that the builder had neglected to put any insulation at all above the master bedroom/bathroom/closet! The rest of the 1st floor has rooms above it, and there was insulation in the 2nd floor attic, but the 1st floor attic above the master suite had none! You have to reach this 1st floor attic through an upstairs closet, and even the inspector we paid missed this. We were really optimistic that the cold master bathroom/bedroom problem would be completely solved once insulation was added, but it only helped a bit. I think that stupid glass block window did us in. It's also about 5 degrees warmer in the Summer. We've now covered that lovely window that we paid $400 to upgrade with an insulating cellular shade that's rarely open. So, we don't even see the window!

Good luck solving your cold room problem!

 

[Friendly Frog]

Not sure how old your home is, but check the attic for insulation above the bedroom. Critters could have moved it around and no insulation above can make the floor really cold!

BTW, we are in Dallas and our bedroom sounds just like yours. Part of our problem is insulation related, but the bedroom is also the furthest room away from the furnace, so the air is not all that warm when it gets to the bedroom.

I love my electric blanket!

 

[vhoffman]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Yes, it is connected to a master bathroom with a large, frosted glass window. Just last month, in an effort to conserve electricity, I removed the thick plastic curtain over that window to allow more natural light in, so to avoid turning the lights on in there during the day. Along with other electricity conserving measures, our electric bill was the lowest in 5 years last month. But it seems we're paying for it in a colder bedroom! I will take the advice to keep the connecting door shut, see if it makes any difference.

Also, will try to call a HVAC guy. It seems our rooms all heat unevenly, some rooms are uncomfortably warm while the bedroom is downright chilly. Possibly a blocked vent--the vents are open. I really think the problem is something to do with the wall behind the bed, though. It still seems like a refrigerator under there. When the cat won't even go there, when it used to be his favorite hang out! Something must be cracked or broken that isn't obvious. I wish I knew where the dampness is coming from, too. Last night I set the heat at 76, just to draw out the dampness. Seemed to work, at least it doesn't feel like someone peed the bed! Honest, I didn't..............

 

[geetey]

Is it really humid in your house? The coldness with the humidity would contribute to the 'wet' feeling.

I agree with calling the HVAC company. We had a bonus room at our old house that was always FREEZING. They went into the attic space and adjusted the baffling so that more heat was forced to that end of the house. We could then do further adjusting with the vents in each room. Did you pull the vent cover off your vent to make sure nothing is in there?

Good luck! I like for it to be cold when I sleep (around 64º) but I would NOT enjoy the damp feeling! I hope it doesn't prove to be a crack/slab issue.

 

[vhoffman]

Is it really humid in your house? The coldness with the humidity would contribute to the 'wet' feeling.

I agree with calling the HVAC company. We had a bonus room at our old house that was always FREEZING. They went into the attic space and adjusted the baffling so that more heat was forced to that end of the house. We could then do further adjusting with the vents in each room. Did you pull the vent cover off your vent to make sure nothing is in there?

Good luck! I like for it to be cold when I sleep (around 64º) but I would NOT enjoy the damp feeling! I hope it doesn't prove to be a crack/slab issue.

It seems to be humid only in our bedroom, perhaps because its connected to the master bathroom. The bathroom doesn't have a window that can open, just a huge piece of frosted glass that lets cold air in! Also, the master bedroom looks like it was added as an afterthought (it wasn't, we're the original owners, new construction). It looks like its just hanging out there. Three walls are outside walls, the only wall connected to the rest of the house is the shortest, connected to the bath.

However, its just been recently we've had the dampness problem. I'm concerned about mildew build up under the carpet, as well as the damp feeling of the mattress. Its bewildering how this just came to be a problem recently.

I will follow every suggestion here, thanks! We will check the air ducts more thoroughly, call a ac heating repair person, and, if none of that finds anything conslusive, call a slab/foundation repair company. If that doesn't work, perhaps an exocorist? Honestly, it feels like the underside of the bed is a portal to the underworld!!! The cat's reaction is weird, too. He won't sleep under the bed anymore, that used to be his favorite spot, and actually growled when I tried to put him in the bed with me (wanted my warm, furry friend to cuddle with). No, I'm not crazy, I really don't believe the bedroom is haunted, but sometimes animals sense something we humans don't. Perhaps there's a crack or leak somewhere and kitty smells/senses something we aren't aware of. We've been sleeping in dh's office, nice and toasty there. Also, the kids' rooms are comfortable. Just something wrong with the master bedroom!

 

[ohiominnie]

Are there lots of flies in the house? I'm remembering a movie from awhile ago....Amityville Horror or something.

That is weird. Our room is cold a lot too, but that's because we run our fireplace insert during the day and it's in the same room as the thermostat....
so that shuts off heat to the rest of the house. Each bed is equipped with an electric mattress pad, so that keeps us warm at night. As for humidity, there is NO humidity right now in Ohio. Static electricity is a constant here.

 

[vhoffman]

Are there lots of flies in the house? I'm remembering a movie from awhile ago....Amityville Horror or something.

That is weird. Our room is cold a lot too, but that's because we run our fireplace insert during the day and it's in the same room as the thermostat....
so that shuts off heat to the rest of the house. Each bed is equipped with an electric mattress pad, so that keeps us warm at night. As for humidity, there is NO humidity right now in Ohio. Static electricity is a constant here.

No, no flies---just a nervous cat!

 

[seashoreCM]

What surfaces feel cold. Namely do any or all parts of the wall feel cold when you put the palm of you hand here and there?

Same for the ceiling.

Same for the floor after the bedding has been lifted so some air can circulate underneath for a few hours.

If insulation gets soaked, its insulating qualities are greatly reduced. After an ice storm, the roof can freeze up in such a fashion (ice dams) that water leaks under the shingles. The water can then soak the insulation in the ceiling and/or walls.

Forced air heating systems require air return to the furnace. A room that does not have a separate register and duct going back to the furnace for that purpose returnwill not heat up well unless the door (to the rest of the house) is open.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[vhoffman]

What surfaces feel cold. Namely do any or all parts of the wall feel cold when you put the palm of you hand here and there?

Same for the ceiling.

Same for the floor after the bedding has been lifted so some air can circulate underneath for a few hours.

If insulation gets soaked, its insulating qualities are greatly reduced. After an ice storm, the roof can freeze up in such a fashion (ice dams) that water leaks under the shingles. The water can then soak the insulation in the ceiling and/or walls.

Forced air heating systems require air return to the furnace. A room that does not have a separate register and duct going back to the furnace for that purpose returnwill not heat up well unless the door (to the rest of the house) is open.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

I'll "give it a feel". Seems you might be on to somehting, since we didn't have this problem until after an ice storm. Perhaps the insulation is soaked. We used to keep the door to the bedroom shut at night, we have dual zones and shut off the heat to the rest of the house. Now we keep the bedroom door open and both zones at the same temperature. DH is currently out of town (job interview ), so I'll have him take a better look-see in the attic and insulation when he comes back. If it is soaked insulation due to the ice storm, perhaps we can file a homeowner's insurance claim.

 

[geetey]

Sounds like a good idea, vhoffman (and GOOD LUCK to dh!! ). While it would stink to have the problem with the insulation, it should be covered by your homeowners.

Another thought... our bathroom in TN had 2 of those huge 4x4 glass windows in the bathroom. I wonder if the seal may have been broken?? That could also explain the additional moisture/cold temps in the bathroom/bedroom area. (happened to one of our windows) It's possible that something happened during the storm. You can check outside the window to see if the caulking needs replacing. Maybe those unusually cold temps caused a lot of shrinkage and there are some gaps.

Just throwing out some ideas!

 

[vhoffman]

Sounds like a good idea, vhoffman (and GOOD LUCK to dh!! ). While it would stink to have the problem with the insulation, it should be covered by your homeowners.

Another thought... our bathroom in TN had 2 of those huge 4x4 glass windows in the bathroom. I wonder if the seal may have been broken?? That could also explain the additional moisture/cold temps in the bathroom/bedroom area. (happened to one of our windows) It's possible that something happened during the storm. You can check outside the window to see if the caulking needs replacing. Maybe those unusually cold temps caused a lot of shrinkage and there are some gaps.

Just throwing out some ideas!

I checked the windows today, sure enough, looks like the caulking is cracked. At least as far as I can tell. They're in an awkward position and you need a ladder to get close to them, have to wait until dh comes home to take a closer look. On one window it looks like a long, almost linear crack!

Well, at least it shouldn't be too expensive to repair. We still need to check the insulation in the attic. If that got damaged during the ice storm it will cost a bit to replace.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm still sleeping in dh's office/study on the sofa. When he comes home maybe he will have to sleep on the living room sofa. I mean, that room simply is not usable! When even the cat won't go in there! This kitty's a little weird (sweet, but weird). He's a Maine Coon, bred for cold weather, the Great While North. What a laugh! The last ice storm, we kept our cats inside, of course. Well MC (maine coon) wanted out so bad finally we took him outside to see what the world was like. We let him touch the ice/slush that had formed on the ground. Oh, how I wish I had a video camera then! He sniffed it, then growled, hissed and batted at it. Kitty no like! A Maine Coon that's afraid of snow