Preparing for winter II

sb44

nicki wrote: »

I I've heard rumours of snow next week :eek: How true that is we'll just have to see, but I want the house warm and all the jobs that are niggling at the back of my mind finished.

Nooooooooooooooooooo!

I hope not, my 11 year old is going on a 3 day Eco Adventure Programme in Cumbria with school.

sb44

sb44 wrote: »

Nooooooooooooooooooo!

I hope not, my 11 year old is going on a 3 day Eco Adventure Programme in Cumbria with school.

Phew! Just checked on metcheck and it seems that it will be fine but that can change within a few days.

BLUis

I hope it doesnt snow next week! Me and the OH are going to Keswick for the wknd! Although if we are snowed in........ lol

Confuzzled

Primrose wrote: »

I think cavity wall insulation is a big help towards reducing condensation. Once warmed up, the internal walls of the house seem to retain the heat a lot longer which means the air indoors stays dryer and warmer. But even on cold days it's important to retain a little ventilation and to keep the tiny ventilation vents in double glazed window open. I tend to keep a watch on the prevailing wind. If it's blowing a howling gale towards the front of the house I will sometimes shut off the front window ventilation vents and open the ones at the back of the house. This prevents a through draught and some loss of heat but still ensures that a small amount of air is always moving around indoors.

i think you're quite right about that. i've been very fortunate in this flat as it seems to be very well insulated so despite it being storage heaters it's been cheaper all around than many other places i've lived in.

i dry laundry in here all winter and the only condensation i get is a tiny bit in my bedroom window corners (i don't heat my bedroom, just open the door so the hall heater can take the edge of for an hour before bed) and in the bathroom on the cistern, again no heater at all in there so it gets some heat from the hall heater but not a lot.

both the spots that do get a little condensation in winter aren't big problems and since they aren't heated (and the bathroom gets the brunt of the weather) i'd say i'm very impressed with this little place... so much so that though i want to move to edinburgh when my lease is up i may renew again and just stay here another year... cheap heat is hard to beat ya know

i keep the vent open in my bathroom but the rest of the house is normally closed. in my bedroom i don't need the vent as the window frames are wooden and warped so some air gets in anyway despite me plugging it up with paper as best i can! oh and i leave the vent open in the window at the top of the stairs. that's got a door that shuts it off from everything else as i have what i think is called a masionette (? main door entrance, i have my own enclosed stairs but i live on the first floor) so i do get some air in the house that way as well but the stairs and landing are unheated... and never a drop of condensation there.

maybe i've just been fortunate, but in my 11+ years in the UK i've only had one flat that was mouldy and that was hidden (painted over) before we moved in. old ex council flat, no cavity wall insulation and only the rooms that were at ground level (the front ones) had the mould, the back half had garages underneath (built into a hill) and they were fine...and that was where i dried my laundry inside!


now, an update on my winter prep:
got some more winter meds for the wee one, i'm all stocked up. i also got two new tin openers as mine is dying and i always like to have a spare. sersiously stocked up on uht milk and bog roll (you should have seen the asda delivery drivers face when he carried 3 12pks of loo roll up my stairs today! i didn't tell him i have another 12 pack in my wardrobe and half of one again stocked up in my drawers next to the toilet :rotfl:)

i now also have two new windup torches i can find *looks over at the wee one and grrsss softly* as well as candles, matches, shoe grips, warm woolen hats/gloves/scrarves/coats, new boots for the wee one (STILL can't find any to fit my fat feet ) thermal curtains done and hung up...still need to stuff my windows iwth paper and put the bubblewrap back up but i know where that stuff is, i'll do it this weekend...

stocked up on salt for the path (don't need a car emergency box i ditched the car 9 years ago), all the extra blankets and duvets are under my main one that i use as a top sheet (i need softness for my achey bones :eek:) and i've switched out my summer wardrobe for my winter one so i think i'm fairly set... i can even easily get to my christmas stuff this year *omg who am i and what have i done with me?!*

marmiterulesok

I would swear that I recently read somewhere on the OS board about the insulating qualities of putting a layer of clingfilm on the inner side of your windows,is this so?

Anyway,I have just done this to the kitchen windows (where I have shutters and double-glazing) and will probably do the same to the sitting-room and bedroom (also shutters and double-glazing,but also have curtains),unless one of you tells me that it's mad and/or dangerous!

The flat's a bit chilly today,but I am loath to put on the heating....

fedupandskint

House is chilly tonight - not putting the heating on yet - aiming for another week with none on

Will get my candles at the weekend and some thermals then all should be done

NualaBuala

Good luck in your exam Nicki! And enjoy your duvet day on Saturday!

marmiterulesok wrote: »

I would swear that I recently read somewhere on the OS board about the insulating qualities of putting a layer of clingfilm on the inner side of your windows,is this so?

Anyway,I have just done this to the kitchen windows (where I have shutters and double-glazing) and will probably do the same to the sitting-room and bedroom (also shutters and double-glazing,but also have curtains),unless one of you tells me that it's mad and/or dangerous!

The flat's a bit chilly today,but I am loath to put on the heating....

Hmmm, I'm pretty sure I've read the same thing. If nothing else, it will keep them fresh! :rotfl:

brighthair

I've got masses of tealights - and they're 8hr burning ones which are fab, plus lots of wax tarts so the apartment can smell nice too!
I'm ground floor, but my living room/garden gets the sun in the afternoon which is fab. Temp is about 16c in the living room at the moment (open plan to kitchen) and about 14c in the bedroom

Can anyone recommed really good grippers to fit over shoes for ice/snow? I have a massive fear of falling, and being outside with the horses I need some that really work!

Also planning to stock up a bit on basics, have no storage though so need to find somewhere to put stuff.... maybe under the bed?!

CCP

Having switched my central heating on for the first time last night, I've promptly switched it off again, as it's really not necessary tonight (at least at the moment). I'll have to see how I get on next week when I've got the week off (which I'm intending to spend at least some of doing various preparing for winter-type activities :A).

nicki - good luck with your exam tomorrow.

nicki_2

I'm holding my hands up and admitting I have the heating on tonight, but then I can't feel my fingers or toes again at the minute as they're so cold but the rest of me is toasty and on the verge of hot! I've even got fingerless gloves, hiking socks & fleecy slipper boots on and they're still cold. I can't snuggle down under the quilt on the sofa like I normally would with this patchy coldness either as I need to hold my textbooks and notes so heating on and hot drinks it is tonight.