Preparing for winter II

Confuzzled

aless02 wrote: »

Already have a door curtain and will bubble wrap more windows. Curtains are already really thickly lined, but think something draught excluders on the windows might help?? Would an electric radiator in the coldest room be any cheaper than running the central heating?

draught excluders at the bottom of the windows and perhaps some rolled up bubble wrap taped or lightly stuffed into the top of the windows (i'm assuming they are sash windows) should help. some people swear by the special cling film stuff you stretch over your window frame then heat up with a hairdryer to tighten as cheap secondary glazing. i've never used it but i could see how it would help especially during the day when you want the sunlight.

if no one is at home during the day don't be afraid to leave the curtains closed in the north facing rooms, they won't get enough sun to make any solar gain for you given the time of year and you being in a basement flat. as for southfacing windows, solar gain from leaving the curtains open is only worth it if they can be closed before the sun sets, if not i'd leave those closed too.

if you can pull the carpets up i'd recommend putting flattened cardboard boxes underneath, it's a great insulater and it's cheap. you might even ask at currys or the like for large fridge boxes to take away for them then you can cover more with less boxes. (or make a few approved foods orders, big boxes galore )

as for the small heater, most are expensive to run extensively but they can be good for taking the edge off a room, just long enough to get warm under a duvet etc. if you're on gas heating it may be worth it to keep it always on quite low, maybe 15-16C so that the house doesn't loose it's thermal mass. having lived in a stone cottage with only open fires for heat i can tell you JUST how important building up thermal mass is.

the stone/concrete of basement walls will store up whatever residual heat there is but they also transfer cold so if the place constantly cools down so will the walls and then they will radiate the cold out. they take awhile to build up heat but once they do they radiate heat out instead so a constant low temp is probably better for a tolerable house balanced with more reasonable electric/gas bills. this isn't the same for newer insulated homes so it may sound wrong but if you do some research you'll probably come to the same conclusion.

something of note: many people build into embankments of earth or even into caves in some countries because the temperature is a fairly consistent 55F (12.77C) which leads me to believe that the temp on it's own in your basement flat would likely be relatively similar, perhaps a bit lower due to the exposed parts where the windows are. this means that if you can keep the floors warm (and thus your feet, never underestimate how warm feet warm the body!) then you should find it easier to feel heat in the room. i would think that keeping the steady low temp of 15-16C would be easier to achieve in your basement flat then in full exposed homes so once it finally reaches that temp in the walls and floors you may find your bills lower as it won't have to work as hard... just a theory but i suspect it would work.

i wish you the best of luck, as romantic as the crofters cottage was i'd never go back to something that poorly insulated again myself, not without stoves and the option to do something about it so i really feel for you because i know how cold it can get.

annie123

aless02 in addition to confuzzled excellent answer I would add:
make sure you are dressed appropriately.
Thermal undies and warm layered clothing and slippers will make a big difference to how you perceive the temperature.

My son lives in a old vic rented flat too, with 14ft high ceilings and 9' tall windows. His flat covers the entire ground floor and his winter quarter bill with GCH came in at £198 and he was at home alot as he lost his job just before Xmas last year.

Window film is something he wouldn't do without and so are wall hangings, the large (8' x 6') hippy type things? They go up every winter with drawing pins on the picture rail. He's even had a tented look with muslin draped from picture rails to the centre of the ceiling.
That did make a massive difference but he was worried about fire hazzards as he burned candles so he's stopped doing that.

Mad4camping

restless_me wrote: »

Morning all

I seem to remember reading on here a few weeks ago that a single duvet fits on top of a double mattress as an extra layer of warmth. Does this also make a cheapo mattress much more comfortable?

!

:)
This has worked for us. The duvet does goes a little flat after a while but we have had another year out of our well loved mattress. Just give the duvet a very good shake to re plump, when you change the bed. I normally shake it over the banister and down the stairs. Works a charm. Very cozy specially with flannelette ...your friends wont want to go home

redlady_1

Coal has been ordered. It is going up next month so am pleased I did it now. Although the price is increase is 80p a bag from last year, so I ordered 15 bags of New Flame which burns slower than ordinary coal and will keep "Steve" in during the day. Come winter I never let him go out. £7.20 per 20kg bag.

Now just to get more wood in.

tugrin

Just read your posr redlady and saw the kind of coal you are using - before I made the monumental decision to stuff up the chimney yesterday - I was buying homefire ovals smokeless that was £21 a 50kg sack delivered last year and I got through it SOOOO quickly I felt that every piece was a 50p coin being shovelled on. Maybe I should have tried something else cheaper?? A friends son who was aroound the other day said his mum and dad get really big coal and it lasts ages but did not know what it was - any ideas winter preppers? Cant ask them as tey are away in Morocco for 3 weeks (lucky!)

aless02

Thanks! Confuzzled, think you may have misread my post - we're on ground floor, not basement. Though I think a basement flat would be warmer! But lovely tips, thanks a million. I like the idea of wall drapes, annie, are they thick material or just any old thing? Going to foil behind the radiators this year, too.

Reading back, I should've added that I'm an American expat too! Funny so many of us have ended up on this thread .

redlady_1

This isnt smokeless but it is used for multi fuel burners. I spoke to the coal man as the OH has an open fire he is going to use for the first time this year. I also ordered ordinary house coal for him at £6.20 a 20kg bag. The coal man said to use house coal followed by a bit of New Flame if he wanted to keep the fire in a bit longer.

Steve stays in from 8 am until 6.30-7pm and a sack of coal generally lasts a week in a seriously cold spell. I then use logs to keep it in at night.

Are you in a smokeless zone? If not, you dont need it and it will put the price up.

Justamum

redlady_1 wrote: »

I also ordered ordinary house coal for him at £6.20 a 20kg bag.

I thought that sounded cheap, and I was right! I've just checked our local coal merchant and a 25kg bag costs £10.15. However the minimum order is £50 and as they can only be ordered in 2 bag multiples it actually means the minimum you can order is £60.90 for 6 bags! It's £1 cheaper per 50kg if you have an open bag poured into a coal bunker.

redlady_1

That makes my 20kg bag £8.12!!! Flipping heck. And a minimum order? I never thought Wilts would be cheaper than anywhere else for something

Don't tell my coal man!:D

annie123

aless02 wrote: »

I like the idea of wall drapes, annie, are they thick material or just any old thing? Going to foil behind the radiators this year, too.

Reading back, I should've added that I'm an American expat too! Funny so many of us have ended up on this thread .

They are just plain cotton ones, like this :http://www.folio-gothichippy.com/ctd10-hippy-throwethnic-celtic-double-10-knot-bedcoverwallhangingthrowfair-trade-by-folio-9077-p.asp
but his were £8 ish from a market.
He has asked me if I can quilt one of them for the very cold NW corner. I've added that to my ever growing list.

Rad foil is excellent. You don't need to buy it, foil on cardboard will do, with some bubble wrap between them if you have it or in the £ stores you can get foil sunshades for car windscreens, they work too depending on the size of radiator and you can use the elastic loops to hold it onto the back of the rad if you don't want to put anything on the wall.