Preparing for winter III

dragonette

Lemonslice, hi! I would make sure the curtain is long enough to tuck behind the radiator as that should be all it needs to keep the heat in the room. I remember my mum giving me a convincing explanation about why it used to make sense to put radiators in front of windows but doesn't anymore due to changes in how houses are built or the type oif window.

Oh and make sure to close the blinds and curtains at the start of twilight every evening - before the heat starts to escape. I know that with the long twilight you'll loose a little light but it will help prevent heat loss. Wooden blinds help massively too. I'm in the Central Belt - the strong winds are starting for the autumn and won't ease long term till spring. Esp if you're near the sea

I think for fleece it depends what you can get cheaper, I have fleece curtains but adding fleece (either kind) would work I expect your new place is going to be colder than the flat was, maybe use white fleece as the backing fabric for your curtains? Easier to do during consruction than adding it later. I'm behind on curtains myself this year, 2 rooms still to sort. I'm considering window quilts for one room (its worth googling to see ideas) and hope to get some done before the frosts start as it feels like only a few weeks away given the chill this week.

I'm sure someone can correct all of the above soon! HTH anyway x

MarilynMonroe_2

Just read snow gritters out in Aberdeen :O apparantly temps just above freezing predicted for next week at night.

fuddle

I've been faffing with DH's winter car box...I have the box :cool:

Determined to get it filled in the next two weeks.

annie123

Popperwell wrote: »

I may be alone now and have no family to speak of so Christmas will be difficult

There are plenty of charities that would love your help at Xmas time, just an idea.

dragonette wrote: »

Hi all, I often lurk here but rarely post (little to add compared to all th great ideas). I'm wondering about making window quilts for my kitchen this year - would they be ok with the humidity?

Depends on several things, but, being in a kitchen any window coverings will need washing/cleaning more often. I'd just use a fleece myself, warm, easy to wash and quick drying. For extra warmth you could add bubble wrap to any windows that you don't need to see out of clearly.

Lemonslice, no such thing as a dumb question, the only dumb thing is a question never asked

2tonsils

Hi all, confuzzled kindly showed me the way to this thread as I was asking about preparing for this up coming winter. Although I live in Greece it gets very cold and wet here in the winter months, contrary to all the myths that it is always hot and sunny here .

Trying to get my head around winter coming is hard while its still hot here but once the storms break it will be well on its way. We will be using olive wood on the open fire for heating as the heating oil has gone up to 1.60 a litre and is beyond our pockets with all the austerity cuts.

Will be putting two quilts on the bed and one under the bottom sheet as a mattress topper. We use an electric blanket all winter but keep hot water bottles just in case the electric is off (which is often in the winter).

Need to get my OH another pair of fleecy pj's and might just get some for myself as well. We wore Lidl's ski undergarments last winter when it was really cold to drive our scooters and they were fantastic value for money. I am going to wash the winter curtains and rehang them next week. We get draughts that blow straight through the house sometimes. Its an old house (1791) but at least the walls are a meter thick and keep the heat in. Looking forward to exchanging hints and tips and having a good moan about the weather!

SIRENS

Well i missed my train coming home from work today, so popped into Primar# whilst killing time and got 2 pairs of fleece pj's one each for dd and ds (thank you to al those who said fleece over flannel!!) so one thing less.
Need to stock up on batteries and medicines still and keep an eye out for school boots for dd.
Today was the first day that i walked home wearing my short sleeved cardi and felt chilly:eek:

Confuzzled

lemonslice wrote: »

Hello everone I hope its ok to join?
We moved last year from a small 2bed flat, to a big 3 bed house thats on a cliff edge, (North east of scotland) so we are already feeling the chill its almost always windy!

apologies for the dumb question, we have a large double window in the living room- sea facing and a smaller one at the back of the room, the smaller one have a long radiator running beneath it, there is just a wooden slatted blind on the window, what can I do about curtains? do i chose a lenght above the radiator or below?

I have a wee phobia of short curtains.. I know very silly, all my other ones are too the floor but Im not sure thats an option here?

oh and fleece? do you buy actual fleece blankets, or fleece fabric & sew? which is cheaper? x

the only stupid question is one not asked!
OR
are you ok? when someone has a car/house/lorry/tree on top of them :rotfl:

i'm in fife in a bit of a wind tunnel and i agree, very nippy today!

you don't want your curtains in front of the radiators or you'll lose your heat out the window. don't know if it's a bay or a regular window but if it's a regular window i would recommend your curtains end no less than an inch over the radiators unless that doesn't clear the sill. you could perhaps roll up the bottoms of long curtains and set them on the window sill if it's deep enough, i do this in my bedroom and it helps a lot because the only place for my bed is right under the window! it catches the cold air nicely in my fleece lined curtains

most people here use fleece blankets, which oddly are far cheaper 99% of the time than buying fleece material from the bolt. some curtains may require they be sewn together but fleece doesn't tear, shred, and can be very easily sewn without it even being noticeable so that's not a problem at all.

having both the wood blinds closed AND a fleece lined curtain that doesn't obstruct your radiator should really help keep the heat in and those gales out (used to live on skye, i feel for you!). if you have particularly cold spots you could also do the bubblewrap in the windows too.

i'd recommend going round with some incense to check for draughts (safer than using a candle if you get distracted) and see what you can do now before the worst sets in. i can highly recommend those draught excluders that are like two tubes in a nylon sleeve with a flat bit in the middle for the door. i leave mine on year round (bit of a pain to get on anyway ) and they are great plus you don't have to worry about kids, animals or partners forgetting to put the door snake back and letting the draught in!

hope you're enjoying your new home, must be nice to be able to stretch out in more space!

keza

fuddle wrote: »

I've been faffing with DH's winter car box...I have the box :cool:

Determined to get it filled in the next two weeks.

Hi fuddle

Would you mind sharing what you will be putting in your DH car box plz? i went to do one last year for my DH but never got round to writing a list! thanks

redlady_1

I have fleeces at the kitchen windows which I just turned over the top and put them on a net curtain wire. They are really just to frame the window as I have a blind, but in the winter I drop them down and it keeps me toasty.

The only thing I need to get is plenty of wood as last year was so mild

Popperwell

Still managing to avoid the CH being switched on and as I write this I am under the duvet but I did go out for a busride and to use my ticket beccause I've paid for it and as the day went on I could feel the chill in the air and at the bus stop one person got a warm item out of the bag she was carrying, took her coat off put that item on and then her coat again.

Might be time to consider wearing my thermal vest...