Nice people thread part 4 - sugar and spice and all things

michaels

We had a flap but DS has broken it and despite superglue it broke again a few weeks later so it is on the to do list - it does stop drafts but our front door is only single glazed and is definitely a cool spot when it gets really cold despite being sealed for draughts.

Just had an ocado delivery, etiquette question, is one expected to tip the delivery driver? I never have any cash anyway so it is a bit of a hypothethetical question.

If i was fully employed rather than having earned 20k less than normal over the last 6 months we probably would have been more generous with fittings - instead I am thining plastic light switches are fine for now and can easily be upgraded later etc. sadly there are also little extras that we probably would have had done (exisiting bathroom remodelled, loft extension, chinney knocked out and pipes hidden in walls etc) that we would have had done if funds had been more certain and the problem with such smaller pieces is it is probably less likely that they will ever happen if paid for seperately.

Doozergirl

silvercar wrote: »

I've just ordered an "Eco flap", letterbox cover for the inside that helps stop heat leaking out of the letterbox and also stops the letter box rattling in the wind. The blurb claims that 27% of heating can be lost through your letterbox. But 27% of what?

I've been doing a lot of research into airtight houses. We lose so much of the heat we generate because we insulate in such a random manor - via draughts.

The best thing you can do is not have a letterbox in the door at all but a box outside instead. I'm sure that eco flaps cost less than a new front door; how much money it will save in use against lost air, I have no idea.

I'd like to build a house near to Passivhaus. Near because I can't imagine not having a proper fireplace and I don't think you can engineer one into a Pasivhaus. The total area of draughtiness allowed in an entire Passivhaus is about the same as two iPhones, side by side.

http://www.passivhaus.org.uk/index.jsp

vivatifosi

silvercar wrote: »

Anyone tried those gadgets that claim you can make your own brickettes for burning in your fire place?

If its the same as I'm thinking about, years ago when I was a kid. You tear paper into strips and mould them together with water then squeeze water out.

The only thing I remember is that you have to have somewhere to store them in order for them to dry out, which is not as quick as it sounds. As kids we had fun making them, but it took a long time for them to get dry enough to use them. This time of year you can't store them outside as easily because they dry even slower. They don't look nice piled up inside. That's the other thing, if you pile them they take a while to dry too... They burn ok once dry though.

silvercar

Doozergirl wrote: »

The best thing you can do is not have a letterbox in the door at all but a box outside instead. I'm sure that eco flaps cost less than a new front door; how much money it will save in use against lost air, I have no idea.

Then you have to consider the loss of heat caused by someone opening the front door to check the mail box and then coming back into the house a great deal colder than when they went out. Repeat that 10 times unless you are confident of the paperboy and the postman arriving at the same time each day.

silvercar

Just had an ocado delivery, etiquette question, is one expected to tip the delivery driver? I never have any cash anyway so it is a bit of a hypothethetical question.

Don't think so, that would defeat the purpose of having a delivery. Mind you, ocado is posh, so possibly.:)

silvercar

If i was fully employed rather than having earned 20k less than normal over the last 6 months we probably would have been more generous with fittings - instead I am thining plastic light switches are fine for now and can easily be upgraded later etc. sadly there are also little extras that we probably would have had done (exisiting bathroom remodelled, loft extension, chinney knocked out and pipes hidden in walls etc) that we would have had done if funds had been more certain and the problem with such smaller pieces is it is probably less likely that they will ever happen if paid for seperately.

All adds to value, allegedly. Light switches change with the fashion. A couple of years ago it was brushed chrome, now its shiny chrome.

neverdespairgirl

silvercar wrote: »

Then you have to consider the loss of heat caused by someone opening the front door to check the mail box and then coming back into the house a great deal colder than when they went out. Repeat that 10 times unless you are confident of the paperboy and the postman arriving at the same time each day.

Live in a flat. No letterbox in your own front door, but one in the main door downstairs!

michaels

Given the amount of ventilation recomended (and probably more is better health wise) we looked in MRV (mechanical heat recovery - basically stale air pumpeed out of bathrooms gives it heat up to fresh air pumped in to bedrooms before it is vented outside) but the level of efficiency basically means it will never pay for itself as the heat exchanger is power by electric which costs 4x as much per kwh as the gas used to heat the house in the first place.

We don't actually have much of the original walls left but will get the cavity walls filled and then with the rest of the house cavity and loft insulated to the latest standards and DG throughout plus super-dooper new boiler with weather compensation control hopefully we will be fairly green.

Excessive thermal gain with all the new windows may be more of a problem in summer as we have not installed AC which we may regret later.

Doozergirl wrote: »

I've been doing a lot of research into airtight houses. We lose so much of the heat we generate because we insulate in such a random manor - via draughts.

The best thing you can do is not have a letterbox in the door at all but a box outside instead. I'm sure that eco flaps cost less than a new front door; how much money it will save in use against lost air, I have no idea.

I'd like to build a house near to Passivhaus. Near because I can't imagine not having a proper fireplace and I don't think you can engineer one into a Pasivhaus. The total area of draughtiness allowed in an entire Passivhaus is about the same as two iPhones, side by side.

http://www.passivhaus.org.uk/index.jsp

michaels

Time to 'fess up - I only ever shop at Ocado when they send me a 25% off if you shop for tomorrow voucher then pick cheapest delivery slot and stock up on store cupbord items that are on Tesco price match - this time it was washing machine tablets that with 25% off and an apparent misprice on smaller packets (much cheaper per tablet than large packet) worked out just cheaper than Asda where the big packets were on special then some nappies that were on buy 2 for a lot less than twice one, similar for toilet rolls etc and no need to leave the house - somehow I suspect we are not their most profitable customers...

silvercar wrote: »

Don't think so, that would defeat the purpose of having a delivery. Mind you, ocado is posh, so possibly.:)

sss555s

Tip #241: Put reflective material behind your radiators. :santa2:

I think it's a case of a lot of small things each make make a small difference.