Preparing for winter II

LittleBrownFrog

I have a couple of witney blankets here - they're around fifty years old - lovely quality though, have weathered the years really well.

Butterfly_Brain

I found this site about how to make window quilts plus lots of other useful ideas
http://www.manytracks.com/Homesteading/winquilt.htm

[Deleted User]

freudianslip wrote: »

oh lovely! thank you

too expensive for me though Although a very good investment arn't they? I think I should save for one.

£41 for a double and £32 for a single for children

yes expensive. I wish I hadn`t given mine away when duvets were discovered

lilme

abaxas wrote: »

Was it the pipes in the garage or outside of it?

If inside, you wont need 1kw to keep them from freezing. And that will cost £2-3 a day just to run.

Also if inside? Are the pipes lagged?

Hi, it was the pipes inside. They are not lagged, i'm finding it difficult to lag them as they are right against the wall and I can't get anything behind them.

lilme

kittie wrote: »

lilme, you just need a very cheap, low wattage skirting board heater

Thanks kittie, I'll have a look and see if I can find one cheap :T

Dippypud

beedeedee wrote: »

Thanks but we bleed them regularly already. This is the thick treacle like sludge that has accumulated and there is a product you can put in rather than a full flush through the whole system, which is what I was talking about......I was wondering if anyone had had that, or a full flush done?

Don't go for British Gas, they are extortionate, get 3 quotes from local tradesmen.

Frugal_Mouse wrote: »

Hope you are sitting down....... British Gas quoted me around £800 :eek: and local guy was about £350 to do the job. But if you know someone who is general handyperson/good diyer they might be able to do it for you./QUOTE]

If you see what I mean.:eek:

lilme wrote: »

Hi, it was the pipes inside. They are not lagged, i'm finding it difficult to lag them as they are right against the wall and I can't get anything behind them.

If you get stuck and can't get the lagging tube to go behind the pipe, pushing it down a bit at a time with a spoon handle can help, try bubble wrap as an emergency fix, it might get you out of trouble.

dom300186

i have a few of those ikea chepo fleece blanket things knocking about, can i line my sons curtains with them ready for winter?

i too will be putting a box together full of wintery stuff.

Gloves
extra thick socks
tea lights
torches
thermal underwear
hot water bottles for all 3 of us
cold n flu tabs n medicines


i have to draught exclude our cupboard under the stairs has the old coal hatch boarded up and it lets through so much draft its unbelieveable, its ex council property so im thinking of getting a board and putting lots of scrunched up newspaper inbetween it before i nail it to the existing wood and hope it helps.

as well as making draft excluders.

Ive already started bulk buying which is saving money so if we are at risk of getting snowed in again we have everything we need!

I make from scratch bread/ pasta/cakes and all of our meals as long as our gas pipe dont freeze as we have a gas oven.

Putting curtains up by my front and back door lined with fleece.

need cotton sheets, and i will use our old quilts as a matress protector and it will feel like sleeping in a cosy sleeping bag, i remebered this from our camping days to do this aswell as putting cardboard under the blow up matress to insulate, we used to go on new years eve meets and sometimes it was -5.

will be making those snuggle ponchos for my son and give some to kids as gifts for christmas out of cheep fleece blankets from ikea that arre like 80p.

stock up on more soup

try and get ice grippers for shoes if i can get any?

still got grit left from last year in the shed.

look at making window quilt blinds for sons room and ours landing window and possibly the kitchen if i can?
http://www.manytracks.com/Homesteading/winquilt.htm

looking out for other ideas as well.

chirpychick

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

I go to Ikea or argos for rugs, I don't know how much you can afford though.
http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500002701&langId=-1&searchTerms=RUGS
Can you knit? I find hand knitted jumpers and cardis much warmer than shop bought ones.

I cant knit!
I was taught once to do very basic knitting but ive never even managed a scarf!

I would however LOVE to be able to knit all our own jumpers (and make great gifts for christmas!) I always think people who can knit are very lucky!!

Ikea is very far away from us but i will take a look on argos, thanks

candie_gill

Hi Everyone, looking for some advice please. I have my hot water on 24 hours a day via the boiler. My partners father told us this was cheaper but im not sure if its the case hmmm. We spent £20 gas and £20 electricity a week at the moment, i was thinking would it be cheaper to put them on a timer for 2 hours in a morning and two hours on a night? Logically it should be but with all the conflicting advise i receive i'm baffled by it all!

Im going to dig out all our thick winter socks and make some repairs tonight, some of them have small holes in (always the toes!) and can easily be repaired with no signs of wear. Usually i would throw them out but i have a nice collection of thick winter socks now and it would be a shame to have to spend £10 on 10 or so more pairs for the sake of a bit of sewing.

I'm also thinking of getting an electric blanket, just to heat the beds before we get in. My toddler is too young for one so will heat his with his hot water bottle.

I need a thermal blind for my kitchen, aswell as one for my hall way and a couple of door curtains.

We have a huge rug down this year so that should help with our laminate flooring, just needs a bit of a clean- bad idea getting cream!

oldtractor

I think hot water bottles are the way forward. Hot water heated on the wood burner, hot water bottles filled with this water, put 2 or more in each bed, one or more on each chair with a blanket or duvet, wear a hat and thick socks , gloves and a bodywarmer.