Preparing for winter II

MrsCrafty

nikki2804 wrote: »

Hmm someone is selling 90 drop curtains for £15 on Facebook. My french doors would probably only need a 72drop. How easy would it be to alter them? They are fully lined so I'm thinking they are a bargain lol.

Nikki, do them from the top, unpick the header tape, cut off the amount carefully and then iron small hem and sew the header tape back on. That way you still have the hand finished bottoms. I always do this now, it's sooo much easier. In fact its always worth looking in sales and doing this as the ones I have needed at the time were never in the sale but there was always longer ones up. It really does give a professional finish.

Confuzzled

chirpychick wrote: »

does anyone know where one might buy a cheap frozen turkey?

lidl usually sell them at a reasonable price, you may even find some there now, usually in the frozen sections closest to the checkouts with the specialty type things like frozen lobster, ostrich burgers, escargot etc

MrsCrafty

Confuzzled wrote: »

oh i have such envy of you both! i lived in a flat once that had one in it's miniscule kitchen (but with 12' high ceilings!) believe it or not despite the small space my clothes never smelled or felt of grease and they dried soooo quickly!

if i owned the flat i am in now i'd put on up in my hall at the top of the stairs, totally out of the way once pulled up and it gets the sun most of the day... *sighs*

I am about to put one of these on the stairwall which is of course very deep. I bought the brackets/pulley/cleat from ebay for about £18. Link http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/kitchen-pulley-clothes-airer-maid-/160640510117?pt=UK_Laundry&hash=item2566eba8a5.

However, I will be buying hardwood slats from our local timber yard as they need to be strong. It will be just over 6 foot so I will have an extra 24 foot of washing space.

So long tumble drier, I loved you once, I will still wipe & polish you but may now use you to store apples in or sommat:D

ETA you need to drill them into the joists if that's any help.

tugrin

Right - I have made the decision- I am going to block up the stupid chimney of my stupid open fire with attached and even more stupid back boiler which does absolutely nothing AND I'm going to save the nearly £15 a week on the coal and spend it on the electricity!.I am trying very hard to insulate like mad - fleece lining curtains, draught-proofing everything, maybe scraping enough together to get some extra insulations in the loft. Also got fleece pjs and thick socks+ dressing gown ready and waiting. It's got to be worth a try, last two winters were so horrible and SUCH hard work dragging coal up from garden 50 yards away. You will all think I'm mad I know but I can't do it again.
THinking of saving on the light by using the halogen heater in conjunction with a Trevor Baylis wind up eco-light in the evenings. Also going to try and get a sheila maid up n the stairwell as got rid of tumble dryer just after Xmas.
Any thoughts from you winter preppers?

tugrin

Mrs Crafty- how will you get up to the ceiling aboe the stairs please? Do you have a clever ladder thingy - the only thing that has stopped me before is this and I now have a pretty godd ladder buts its just a straight up and down one. Do I need one of those that can bend over in the middle d'you think? I dont have a handy man around the house - seem to have packed him away move before last and I think he never made it to current house!

abwsco

Went to Dunelm Mill and Morrisons this afternoon and it was a waste of time. All curtains that Dunelm Mill had in the sale (some good reductions) were either the wrong size or eyelet and I needed pleat or the other way around and Morrisons had no de-icer:wall: Was looked at as if I was a lunatic when I asked about it:o as it's still summer!! Oh, and I couldn't find any fleeces in Dunelm either and it was too busy and couldn't find staff to ask. They did have blackout and thermal linings in though but decided they will have to wait due to £££.

MrsCrafty

tugrin wrote: »

Mrs Crafty- how will you get up to the ceiling aboe the stairs please? Do you have a clever ladder thingy - the only thing that has stopped me before is this and I now have a pretty godd ladder buts its just a straight up and down one. Do I need one of those that can bend over in the middle d'you think? I dont have a handy man around the house - seem to have packed him away move before last and I think he never made it to current house!

You can use a stepladder and scaffold board or a bendy one and scaffold board. Please make sure there are 2 of you for this. Bannisters are also good for getting a good foothold if you have them on your landing. You will need to rest the board on your bannisters if you have any. I do, so wouldn't be able to tell you how to do this if you don't have them.

Then you need to pop to the loft and either drill a tiny hole either side of the joist or measure from your wall to the joist so you know exactly where to drill up into the ceiling. I hope this makes sense.

Loves the fact that the handyman was forgotten!!

:beer:

MrsCrafty

tugrin wrote: »

Right - I have made the decision- I am going to block up the stupid chimney of my stupid open fire with attached and even more stupid back boiler which does absolutely nothing AND I'm going to save the nearly £15 a week on the coal and spend it on the electricity!.I am trying very hard to insulate like mad - fleece lining curtains, draught-proofing everything, maybe scraping enough together to get some extra insulations in the loft. Also got fleece pjs and thick socks+ dressing gown ready and waiting. It's got to be worth a try, last two winters were so horrible and SUCH hard work dragging coal up from garden 50 yards away. You will all think I'm mad I know but I can't do it again.
THinking of saving on the light by using the halogen heater in conjunction with a Trevor Baylis wind up eco-light in the evenings. Also going to try and get a sheila maid up n the stairwell as got rid of tumble dryer just after Xmas.
Any thoughts from you winter preppers?

Sounds drastic. Why do you think you are not getting anything out of your fire. I know they are expensive but is it worth buying a cheap stove to put in there. If the chimney is good then you will not need a liner and stoves are apparently 70% more efficient.

Alternatively, some people stuff old quilts up their chimneys, providing they are not using them of course:)

tugrin

Thanks Mrs Crafty
Yes absolute light bulb memnt when you described it with the scaffolding boards! Thanks and yes I can see its a two woman job (probably me and 5 ft 11 in daughter) .
The stove idea is great but the old back boiler seems to be a massive complication and I have had quotes any where from £300 to £1400 to take out fie+ boiler and install new stove - admittedly highe one was just a joker but still its not an easy job.
The trouble is the draught it causes - I have to have an air brick and its like the arctic when its cold in some parts of the sitting room plus the rate at which it burns the fuel is horrific - agood 2 scuttlefulls an evening and really I'm not getting the heat cos most of its up the chimney.
Going to save up for boiler removal and cheap stove (probably be drawing my pension by then)

dopester

nikki2804 wrote: »

Car is away for its service/MOT/winter check today.

Last year I used concentrated winter screenwash in the container. Good for -5.

However it still froze up in the container on many a winter morning, and also frozen up in the hoses.. meaning it was useless.

I want to ensure got a clear, unfrosty, non-dirty, windscreen on the roads this winter, with screenwash that doesn't freeze up.

This year I'm going for a much stronger solution. Bought two different specialised screenwash products. One used neat offers -36 protection. And another which would bring it down to -70 if used neat but that's way too powerful imo, and probably a risk to paintwork.. so will dilute it down.