Preparing for winter III

Molly41

I was very comfortable in my bed last night. We replaced our very old and threadbare mattress protector with a brand new one. We also put on our new flannelette sheet and what with the electric blanket, my nest was very cosy. So much so I am reluctant to leave it today and cant wait to get back into it:T:T:T

Fruball

prettypaula wrote: »

fyi ladies

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/insects-and-invertebrates/17959-ladybird-plague.html

:eek:

That is from 2010

Interesting read though

PipneyJane

tiff wrote: »

Got the draught excluders out of storage, they are the double type that slide under and move with the door (not a sausage dog) ...

Hello, I've never heard of draught excluders that slide under and move with a door. Would you be able to supply more details, please? Who makes them? Where did you get them?

They sound like a solution for our problem: we have an arctic wind that blows through our hall. We've got a porch with the front door on the outside and two glass, internal doors on the inside opening into the hall. The porch isn't heated and the front-door wall is little more than glass and uninsulated timber. Last year, DH purchased sticky-backed foam draught excluder to line the main doorway but, in places, it was too thick and the front door wouldn't close. :mad: I've made a draught snake ("Cuthbert") who lies across the porch in front of the inner doors but he only has a partial effect on the draught. As a temporary solution, we place a rolled up rug across the bottom of the inner doors on the hall-side, but that's only good if someone is home since you can't put it back when you leave. The rug works much better than Cuthbert. (I think I made him too long.)

I'm seriously considering installing a door curtain to sit behind the inner doors but we still need something to more permanent for the draught.

- Pam

Fruball

la_farfallina wrote: »

Asda have long sleeved thermal vests for six quid. It is lovely and warm but you might need a size bigger than your usual as the fit is a little snug. And they don't have those horrible scratchy labels inside that drive me to madness.

Farf x

You could always wear them inside out if they have scratchy labels Nobody would see them

groatie_queen

Re the Homefront chocolate coloured heated throw from Amazon, I've had two control units fail on me since I bought the throw two months ago. The first simply went dead during use. The second, there was a pop, a flash and a burnt electrics smell as I switched it on - a bit alarming!

But the distributor's customer service is excellent and a replacement control unit is on its way - let's hope it's third time lucky.

I bought a second throw shortly after the first and gifted it. The recipient has had it for about 7 weeks and has not had any problems.

The tension rods with IKEA throws looped over are perfect for my windows. They can be pushed to one end during the day. The fringed ends look pretty and there is only one window where there is a bit of a gap which I've left at the top, and will fill with bubblewrap rolled up when the really cold weather arrives. Just now when the windows are all covered, I can feel the house is warmer even with the heating off.

tiff

PipneyJane wrote: »

Hello, I've never heard of draught excluders that slide under and move with a door. Would you be able to supply more details, please? Who makes them? Where did you get them?

They sound like a solution for our problem: we have an arctic wind that blows through our hall. We've got a porch with the front door on the outside and two glass, internal doors on the inside opening into the hall. The porch isn't heated and the front-door wall is little more than glass and uninsulated timber. Last year, DH purchased sticky-backed foam draught excluder to line the main doorway but, in places, it was too thick and the front door wouldn't close. :mad: I've made a draught snake ("Cuthbert") who lies across the porch in front of the inner doors but he only has a partial effect on the draught. As a temporary solution, we place a rolled up rug across the bottom of the inner doors on the hall-side, but that's only good if someone is home since you can't put it back when you leave. The rug works much better than Cuthbert. (I think I made him too long.)

I'm seriously considering installing a door curtain to sit behind the inner doors but we still need something to more permanent for the draught.

- Pam

Hi, I bought them from a cheap shop near me, they look like these on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Double-Sided-Door-Draught-Excluder-Insulator-/270703724931?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Decorative_Accents_LE&hash=item3f07330983#ht_3421wt_1062

I paid £4 each for mine, we've got them under every door on the ground floor and its made a big difference. Inside the brown material they are just polystyrene foam type of tubes, you can cut them to size and also wash the brown cover on its own.

paidinchickens

I have put this on a different thread so apologies to those who have already read this.


DH and I roamed around the house the other night with a candle checking for draughts.

Now you may think there is nothing particularly strange about this but so you can set the scene in your minds ............. Our house is decorated for Halloween as we tend to go over the top decorating inside and out it takes a lot of time! We have a new neighbour (who already thinks I am crackers) who lives directly opposite us and his kitchen door faces our front room window. Now, while we were roaming round with the draught seeking candle we were wearing our snuggle blankets and so were the three boys. New neighbour thought we were on a ghost hunt :rotfl:

I have found our top rated front door lets all the wind through and under close inspection we have found it has not been fitted properly :mad: so we have been to Asd* and bought some fleeces to line the door and put a door curtain up so no more draught :j

The price of value fleeces has gone up to £2.77 :eek: I'm sure they were only about £1.50 when I bought some for the cats a couple of years ago

I don't like sewing fleeces together they stretch and I can't handle a sewing machine very well I am still on L plates

We have also found the extractor fan for the en suite is just blowing a gale so DH is on the case for altering that.


So that's it as soon as that is done I think we are all set

PIC x

lizzyb1812

PIC to sew fleeces together without them stretching you need to do one of two things - either tack them together first using a smallish tacking stitch. Or pin them, at right angles to the line to be sewn - use lots of pins. The machine will sew right over the pins with no trouble. The pins or tacking should hold the fleeces together securely. When sewing don't be tempted to pull from the back - ie on the bit that has just been sewn, just let the machine do the work (guiding is O)K but not pulling). And if you can, test each method to see which works best for you.

When you get more practice you'll find you won't need to tack or pin - I don't but I've had years of practice and when I started I always tacked/pinned stuff.

Big cleaning today here so no extra winter prep, although the now washed and mended throw is on the bed. As I'm in East Anglia I've got mild but breezy weather - good luck to those in the west re the rain.

rising_from_the_ashes

Toonie wrote: »

Well, preparing for Winter may be easier if I manage to secure the flat I looked at a couple of days ago, have put a holding deposit down and just crossing fingers that credit checks go through alright (I have to ring Barclaycard tomorrow and shout at them as a mistake they made a couple of years ago is still on my credit report-grrrr).

The flat is newly double glazed (hurray) and is the 1st floor of a converted house. It's lovely and really, really hoping to get it. The rooms are quite big, but the laminate flooring is clearly done well, it has a far newer heating system then my current place, so that will help (yay for a thermostat!).

If all goes well, I'll be moving in a couple of weeks. The biggest downside is that the kitchen is smaller and I won't have a larder any more so will have to think about buying 20 tins of tomatoes because they are on offer. Also, the fridge freezer only has a small freezer section, but there may be room for my little freezer in the living room...will have to wait and see. I'm so used to be able to freeze soups and stews I don't know what I'd do without that option.

Keeping everything crossed Toonie:) - as Tooti said earlier, you'll find little nooks & crannies to store stuff in and it sounds like it'd be economical which will be fantastic.

paidinchickens

Thanks LizzyB I did pin together but I am guilty of the pulling

I just need more practice and then one day I can throw out the L plates