How to cool condo loft
I have a mountain condo that was built in the early 1980's. There is only one window in this unit and it is about 2 feet from the ground. All the summer heat gets caught in the remaining 25 feet of loft. I can't alter the exterior of the building in any way; for that reason I've tried a window air conditioning unit. The square footage is under 900 square feet but the AC only cools the lower 4 to 5 feet of the condo. Basically it does a great job of making the floor cool but again none of the heat stuck in the ceiling can escape. I have installed a large ceiling fan at the top of the loft and I am considering adding a second fan. It gets hotter than Hades about 100 or more degrees and may cool to 85 at night. I'm hoping that someone may have a good suggestion. Currently we have the ceiling open to the beams and we are about to replace the insulation so if there's something that could be done while the ceiling is open please let me know.
The itty bitty window on the ground floor is pictured above. Only the small lower half opens. We open it as well as the neighbor across the halls itty bitty window for a cross breeze. All of the ceiling from the beam nearest the fan to the window is currently open and here is a view from the window up to the fan. It is open to the decking of the roof. We are getting new insulation installed and new drywall in the next month or so.
These are the 4th and 5th floors of our condominium building and I am in a center unit. The itty bitty window is our only source of fresh air. I don't have attic access and from what I can tell the building doesn't have any attic venting along the 5th floor. All Eight Units with lofts have complained about the heat in the summer and we are hoping there's a "whole house" solution. Also in the winter the snow pact is great enough we are unable to add any type of projections to the roof as it would most likely sheer off. (the chimney did just last year that's why the ceiling is open)
I was thinking is there a way to run a duct possibly from the top floor to the window at the bottom? Maybe I can run an AC unit in the upper floor and allow the cool air to fall to the lower floor. This is my only sad idea. I hope if there is a way to rectify the stifling heat we find the solution before the insurance company closes the ceiling up. All ideas are welcome.
-Thanks in advance
Comments (14)
PROPatricia Colwell Consulting
4 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (49)Hi Schoolhouse and Bronwyn, I appreciate (and totally get) your opinion. And you haven't hurt my feelings! I always tell my kids, make sure only take offense if you can tell the other person wants you to. Anyway, since you brought it up, here's why this cottage, at least in this iteration, will not be what you describe, which I would call Maison du Lac or "lakehouse-y". 1, Been there, done that. Our lakehouse has all of that vernacular. Pendleton loves me. It is totally de rigeur in that setting, and I enjoyed doing it, but I don't want to do it again. I can't find an interior shot on this mac but here she is: 2. I don't view myself as cutie-pieing it, more like feminizing it a bit. I could cutie pie it up with purple shutters and pink awnings and a ice cream parlor set and a wooden dutch door with stencils. Or make it a Little Mermaid house or somesuch. I never even did that when they were infants. My first daughter's crib featured b/w gingham with apple green. My children's rooms and bathrooms are sophisticated enough for an adult. BTW --- I don't judge people who want their kids to have a Cars the Movie Bed, because I know they could judge me as harshly for not letting my kids "express themselves". I would disagree, and say they are very welcome to express themselves, but tastefully. Anyway, my point is I don't cutie-pie anything --- at least no intentionally! 3. Form, and finishes, follow function. My girls are likely to be the primary users for now. I also have a few friends and relatives who think it would be so romantic to stay when they visit. And I would like to turn it into a pondside bar when we entertain outdoors, to get people to come down to the water instead of just look at the views from the patio. Someday, I can see making it my office. Or maybe my own Petit Trianon! In any event, this won't be a boys fishin' lodge or poker room. It's for us girls, and it is a bit of a folly we would not try elsewhere. 4. My inspiration pictures (avert your eyes if you are tired of seeing these) are actually girly. The picture at the top of this post was just the best shot I found showing the layout I want. The style, as I have said, is fab, but not what we want here. My inspiration pictures are the little cottage in the link (note the loft sans railing, where the chandelier must hit your belly button) and, this pic, which I posted about before, when i posted about how to "copy a look" The picture above is, of all of the images, the closest to the look I want. To that end I have bought a similar sofa (the one in the photo is an enormous albeit gorgeous two sided circus act!), copied the ottoman and the rug, even bought a silver tray and aqua vase, and chose pillows to mimic the look but somewhat different colors (pillows are shown below on an unrelated chaise in an unrelated room ). I am holding off to see if a chandy will ruin the sight line to the loft. I am using wall sconces similar to the chandy, and probably a mirror. I am trying to get some of the pale pink in my painting the shiplap ceiling pale pink (BM Pink Bliss, which I think was one Bronwyn suggested when I said I was looking for pale pale pink) Of course, my room will look totally different, for goodness sakes, because it has stone walls! But I think everything looks good with stone or brick. It will surely be unexpected, but i think it might look very nice in a quirky off beat way. Or, it will be awful. In which case it is a matter of few pillows and repainting the ceiling. So there you go .... more than anyone ever wanted to knpw! Here is a link that might be useful: One of my inspirations...See MoreHelp: How to treat 14' x 16' window wall in industrial loft building
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Comments (3)You can start with three things: 1) A floor plan/ photos of all four walls 2) A breakdown of specific needs ( storage for books vs for guinea pigs, for example) and likes vs. hates ( I hate guinea pig décor , for example) 3) A budget....See Moremoving into a loft condo
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Izzy Mn
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decoenthusiaste
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PROAustin Air Companie
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PROHALLETT & Co.
4 years agoK Laurence
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agorandynjen
4 years agodecoenthusiaste
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoHelen
4 years agommilos
4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago
lynartist
4 years agoThere are portable air conditioning units that work fairly well for small areas. My son used them for his apt in NY. May work here to supplement what you already have after you get better insulation. A venting skylight would be most helpful!
PRODebbi Washburn
4 years agorandynjen
4 years ago
weedmeister