How can I stop the cold feeling near my kitchen sink?
by
Barbara
+1
The kitchen sink and the cabinet below feel cold. It is on an outside wall. I imagine the cold is coming from a lack of insulation around the pipe and back wall, but how can I remedy this, without tearing the wall apart? Any easy fix?
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For the life of me I can't remember the name of what I used, I did it about ten years ago when I moved into new apt.
Go to your hardware store and ask for a foam hole filler. I filled every hole, and crack including behind the stove. My sink area was cold because there's usually a opening around the plumbing under the sink. It's very easy to use and it kinda puffs, but if you need to it's easily cut down, it will be convenient if you ever need sink work. Good luck.🙂
There is a foam-core insulation board you can buy at home centers. If you can cut it to fit back behind the pipe, you could glue it to the back wall under the sink. Also, if you have water pipes that run inside the wall, try to figure out a way to insulate them from the cold outside sheathing of the house.
One caution: If it gets really cold where you live, consider leaving the cabinet doors open when it's freezing out and you're not in the kitchen, like overnight. That lets the heat in the room get into the cabinet, and prevents your pipes from freezing.
Look under your cabinet and see if there is a hole around the pipe where it comes into the cabinet. If there is any space around the pipe get some spray insulation and spray it in around the pipe. Here is a link. https://amzn.to/2U5hsUV
In addition to these very good pieces of advise, buy yourself some foam pipe wrap to fit the diameter of your sink pipes. It comes pre-slit, with smaller sections to fit "T" shapes or curves. You may have to cut some pieces, so use a fabric measuring tape and a marker to indicate where you need to cut.
After placement, peel back the tape between the slit and press together.
It may require you to crawl beheath your sink or lie on a gel pad to accomplish this, but it's really worth the time and small investment.
Placing a piece of styrofoam on the floor beneath your sink, with a shelf liner placed on top may further reduce cold infiltration, but note that it mayneed to be cut with an X-Acto knife, to fit around some piping.