Preparing for winter II

tugrin

Dont know whats the matter with me this morning - seem to have lost the will to do anything. It got down to 6 degrees last night and the condensation on all my non-bubble wrapped "double glazed" windows is just dreadful this morning. I could cry - it was really cold in my bedroom despite all my antics with space blankets last month. I dont know what else to do - it's only got one outside wall (one side is an unocuppied cottage but would that make ALL that difference?). Plus everything stinks of dog wee and I cannot trace where it is coming from...I feel as if all the work has been for nothing and even tho' Im sitting in thermal long johns under trousers wool vest under fleec and woollen socks I can feel the chill. I think Im having a'black moment'....

tugrin

Also forget to say - water has been off for last 2 hours - par for the couse in this village now autumns here

Dustykitten

Condensation here too this morning in the living room/ DH office. DH can ring the carpenter tomorrow to see how soon he'll be doing our windows!

Kids under blankets in the LR - tonight could be the first fire of the year so I'll bring the coal bucket in later and sort the wood too.

Loft insulation investigations continuing but think we are nearly there with a decision so we could do it next week.

sparrer

Pips_Mum wrote: »

I do this too!! When I have friends round I put a posh Andrex roll on and then when they have gone I take it off again! :rotfl::rotfl:

Pleased it's not just me Pips Mum, I was wondering whether to post that or not but seems I'm not as daft as I thought - or it's more than just me who's daft!

Ida Notion I certainly don't do it to be 'judged', but not all visitors are OS or know the two/three 'rule'. I'd rather they used a few sheets of posh stuff than half a roll of cheapo - one visitor used a whole roll of cheapo in two days :eek:. It's just more economical to put out more expensive paper when I'm expecting people

sparrer

Oh dear tugrin and Dustykitten, almost sorry to say it's been a good night and is a beautiful morning here in Beds, I'm just taking my cuppa outside to enjoy the garden - I'll pour two extra cups for you

littlecal

tugrin wrote: »

Dont know whats the matter with me this morning - seem to have lost the will to do anything. It got down to 6 degrees last night and the condensation on all my non-bubble wrapped "double glazed" windows is just dreadful this morning. I could cry - it was really cold in my bedroom despite all my antics with space blankets last month. I dont know what else to do - it's only got one outside wall (one side is an unocuppied cottage but would that make ALL that difference?). Plus everything stinks of dog wee and I cannot trace where it is coming from...I feel as if all the work has been for nothing and even tho' Im sitting in thermal long johns under trousers wool vest under fleec and woollen socks I can feel the chill. I think Im having a'black moment'....

(((((tugrin))))) you are entitled to a 'black moment' an unoccupied property can make a lot of difference IME. Can you try putting up a wall hanging or something similar on the 'empty' side of the room? Oh flippin' 'eck I know what I mean,it just doesn't look right in print!!!!!

valk_scot

tugrin wrote: »

Dont know whats the matter with me this morning - seem to have lost the will to do anything. It got down to 6 degrees last night and the condensation on all my non-bubble wrapped "double glazed" windows is just dreadful this morning. I could cry - it was really cold in my bedroom despite all my antics with space blankets last month. I dont know what else to do - it's only got one outside wall (one side is an unocuppied cottage but would that make ALL that difference?). Plus everything stinks of dog wee and I cannot trace where it is coming from...I feel as if all the work has been for nothing and even tho' Im sitting in thermal long johns under trousers wool vest under fleec and woollen socks I can feel the chill. I think Im having a'black moment'....

Internal moisture sources? Drying clothes indoors, boiling pans with lid off, not opening the bathroom window or switching on extraction fan after shower or bath, not using extraction fan or opening window while cooking.

Good ventilation generally? It may sound as if it will make things colder but if you can open the bedroom windows a fraction top and bottom at night to get airflow then you'll get less condensation. Or keep the bedroom doors open a few inches, or both. Also get the windows open once a day for a bit and air the house out properly, even in winter.

No rat or mouse problem atm? They make an awful smell and they start coming indoors when it gets colder outside.

The dog wee smell makes me think you've got a damp leak somewhere though, unless the condensation itself is causing the smell. Got central heating? Take some loo roll and go round all the inlet/outlet valves to the radiators and wipe them over ...any drips will show up on the paper. Check the seals round windows and doors and check above the windows for any possible water ingress from the top of the frames. Go outside and have a look up at your roof for loose slates or tiles. (And on the other cottage.) Also look round the base of the outside walls and check any floor level air vents aren't being covered up, or blocked with dust or vegetation.

If you're sure it's nothing you're doing that's giving you too much moisture inside, that you're airing out the house properly every day and you don't have damp or a leak then it might be worth getting the owner/landlord of next door to check over their properly. It's just possible that there's a leak there, or that they've got vermin, or something has got in and died next door.

Confuzzled

kmiller4 wrote: »

So are there a lot of ex-pats in Ireland/UK? How did you come to be an ex-pat? I have considered moving to another country, so just curious about why you and the ex-pats you know came to be there.

mine was a man, i married a scotsman. we're not together any longer (still reasonably friends though) but that's why i came here though i've always adored scotland.

as for the nhs, i personally am grateful for it and whilst it does come from our taxes what we pay in is nowhere near the cost that most american families pay in for their hmo premiums. also in scotland and wales there are NO prescription charges, england still has them but i believe they are capped at £7.90 (correct me if i'm wrong someone) and you can buy an annual subscription plan for around £90 if you know you'll exceed that, plus things like diabetic supplies are free.

everything is free for all children all meds, dental, glasses etc. i am so very very grateful for the nhs and don't mind it coming from my taxes at all. i honestly don't understand why so many people in the states are against socialised medicine like we have here as i can't see their taxes rising as high as the amount they already spend on hmo fees and ridiculously high co pays for prescriptions but i think perhaps that is not a discussion for this forum.

i think cost of living is relative, i know our petrol (gas) and food prices are higher here but we also have the nhs, pay far lower prices for mobile (cell) phone and internet and have a better infrastructure for broadband than the states do (i was soooo shocked about that one!) i'm not sure about our enegy prices how they compare though. our wages are slightly higher on the minimum wage aspect (last time i checked years ago) but that is balanced out with various things being pricier. we DO have a superb benefits system that is a far greater safety net (especially important now during this recession) than the states do.

i envy the coupons from the states, whilst never quite on the extreme couponing level i used to use them quite cleverly and i do miss that. you get coupons here (vouchers) but not anywhere near the american level and stores here never double or triple coupons like they do in the states.

as for the weather... i love it here, it's temperate so the weather never really gets too hot or too cold. mind you after years living here i do now complain it's hot at a mere 75-80F but that's only cuz i've gotten used to it. i was used to 110F before i left, how soft i've become :rotfl:

also the weather in scotland has only just now in the last 3 years become anything like the winter weather i grew up with in the american midwest as a child. but if you're not used to it it's hard and because it's been 30+ years since the hard winters were common (according to many of the older scottish people i know) local areas are no longer well equipped to handle it, you just get used to things being a certain way and adjust sadly in regards to dealing with what harsh winters bring that has been to everyones detriment. if the hard winters continue i've no doubt they'll pick up the slack, i just think no one wants to believe this is how it's gonna be for a long while, they'd prefer to stick their heads in the sand or should i say snow

basically i think that americans do have a lot more, a lot better than they realise but on the other hand they are missing out on things we have and they don't even know it so i guess it all works out fairly even in the end (though i'm def staying here, scotland is my home now, don't care where i was born, i had nothing to do with that :rotfl:)

Confuzzled

angelaloveschocolate wrote: »

Can I ask advice please, I've just bought an electric underblanket from Mr T's, http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.211-1330.aspx , do you think I could use this as a heated throw on the sofa as well? I cant think of any obvious reason why I should'nt but my oh thinks its a crazy idea. What do you think?

i'd read through the instructions carefully, my electric underblanket (that i recently found again :T) states explicitly in the instructions that it is to be laid flat and NOT used as an overblanket which i wasn't happy about as that' why bought it in the first place. however someone else here said their underblanket said it COULD be used as an overblanket.

if you no longer have the instructions google for them online you can find a lot of manuals etc online or call the manufacturer and ask. i think the issue is how flexible the little electric cables are inside or perhaps what they are made of which determines if they can be bent a little or not.

Confuzzled

Gigervamp wrote: »

The problem hubby had last year was that although we only live about 4 miles from his work, we're up country lanes, up a hill, which never see a gritter lorry and he just couldn't get out of the drive. On top of that, the buses and trains down in the village a mile away had stopped.
But there were other people in his office, who live 30 or 40 miles away, but they travel on the motorway which was fairly clear and they were able to get in, so it looked bad that hubby wasn't able to.

i had this issue years ago in the states. finally one day work got fed up and said 'oh no worries we'll send someone to pick you up' and they did BUT she only got to the end of the road (about a mile from my house) and then got stuck in a ditch trying to turn around to go back to tell them that i was indeed telling the truth!

needless to say, they never questioned me again :rotfl: