Things that worked or didn't work last winter

debtworrier

Barneysmom wrote: »

Hello olliebeak, it was purely condensation.
Whenever the patio door leading to the conservatory was opened, all the heat escaped into the conservatory. The heat hits the cold glass causing it.
Just too cold in there to dry out I guess
Also, letting the dog out if it's been raining the water comes in aswell.
Trouble is we have had the conservatory for 5 years and didn't really have a problem before this year.
So, should I make heavy curtains for the windows next winter or will it make the problem worse, I don't want to spend a load of money on fabric if they are going to get mould on them?

I found some condensation absorber-stuff (sorry for all the technical terms ) in Lidl. £6 for two bags and it's kept my bathroom condensation-free for about 6 months. (My bathroom is windowless and the extractor fan's busted at the mo')

debtworrier

downshifter wrote: »

What didn't work for me was clingfilm on the windows, the first day or two it was great and stopped draughts, but it quickly tore, or came away from the double sided tape at the sides. I used velcro on some of them so they were openable on nice days and that worked better. Thick curtains ok - and I'm v. jealous, I'd love a porch, as soon as the door opens here there's an icy blast right through.

Clingfilm's no good at stopping draughts, it's too fragile. But I've found it's fine if I went round and meticulously stuffed all the gaps in my rattly old sash window with scrunched up cheap plastic carrier bags first. Cheap ones are better because they're thinner. (I tested that I'd got all the gaps by using a kid's lit birthday candle and watching the flame for flickering.) Once there were no draughts coming through the window, el-cheapo Tesco's clingfilm worked. It sticks to itself quite happily so it doesn't matter that it's narrower than the width of the window.

I also discovered quite by chance that those roller black out blinds have an insulating effect too, because mine fits the frame so closely in order to block the light out.

I fitted the blind inside the window frame so that I could still use the windowsill when it was pulled down, so I dunno if it would work so well if it hung in front of the window frame as the illustration showed. YMMV, as they say.

debtworrier

Patchwork_Quilt wrote: »

I found in this house that keeping internal doors shut really does seem to help keep it warm. We don't seem to have draughts but otherwise, the heat all ends up in the landing.

Similarly, shutting the internal door between the front door and the hall seems to help keep us warm.

Yes, I keep seeing all the places on "Grand Designs" etc and thinking what beasts they must be to heat!

cyclingyorkie

open plan living - must be expensive!

Olliebeak

Love the idea of fridge magnets over the key-holes - will definitely do this one .

Now trying to think of a way of putting a curtain pole above the front door to keep any draughts well and truly out of my house. My door-frame is UPVC - so this may need to go above the 'door lintel' but then the curtain will need to be one heck of a length to drop to the floor. Possible that a draught excluder could just do the trick though. Realised that there is a gap under my front door because space had been left for it to 'clear a carpet' - only I don't have carpet just inside the door - I've got vinyl flooring instead :doh:

Caterina

What worked for me (and family too) last winter was:

- Thermal underwear
- Using our wood burning stove and scavenged wood
- Stews and soups for dinner
- A variety of woolen blankets scattered over the sofas in the living room
- Hot water bottles in the beds
- Cuddling our cats
- A wild, varied and passionate love life (yeh right, wakey wakey, in my dreams, I wish....LOL wouldn't it be nice, though? hehehe)

What did not work:

- The kids whinging that it is so cold (so we gave in and put the heating on before the end of October - but this year they are 20 years old so unless they start paying their share of the heating bills they might as well whinge themselves warm!).
- The little damp trapping boxes with the toxic granules inside (hated them, they didn't really make much difference and nobody but me was bothered about emptying them)
- Our chronic lack of organisation, forgetting to replace the door stoppers, never getting around to putting up warm curtains, leaving doors open etc... Hopefully this year we will all try to be better organised - this means me having to police the rest of the family quite heavily *humpf*

debtworrier

annie123 wrote: »

for any newbies here's the original preparing for winter thread
Didn't work

• drought excluders at bottom of doors used a lot, ended up be kicked aside

My Gran had draught excluders that were attached to the doors. They looked a bit like long, fluffy paint rollers and hooked into little spring brackets fixed to the side of the door that opened towards you (if you see what I mean). I was fascinated. Apparently they were quite effective on the days when I didn't visit! :rolleyes:

debtworrier

Well the only thing I can add to the "lots of layers, casseroles and heavy curtains" is my sleeping bag sitter. It's one of those cheap ones from Lidl's or somewhere, with a zip right down the length of it. I zip it 2/3 open and spread it out over my computer chair. Then the zipped up bottom part acts like warm bootees. (Terrible draught just there. Must be coming through the mouse-holes.)

Inch the zip higher through the evening as the temperature falls - though it's a dead cert that once settled and cosy you'll need the loo, or someone will ring the doorbell!

Primrose

As we're retired now and indoors all day during the winter I found that the cheapest option for me was investing in some thermal vests, some warm long johns to wear under my trousers and pinching some woollen socks from my OH's wardrobe. These kept me much warmer than I otherwise would have been, especially when doing sedentary activities such as reading and using the computer, and saved having to put the heating back on.

zarazara

we were looking at clothing from centuries ago at a NT property at the weekend Made me realsie that basicaly we wear what they would have considered only underwear. I think we really all should wear many layers nd gloves etc. think of those victorian ladies. ll that skirt material and fingerless gloves and hats too.