Preparing for winter III

dragonette

Wish I'd noticed about vinyl being warmer! Our new floor is half down. Oh well, it'll still be warmer than the bare floorboards (less cracks for draughts!). We also needed something thicker to help with beetles coming in under the walls (yuck) and prevent v tall draught excluders from being necessary. I'm talking myself happier here I did look at vinyl but all the ones I found were either glass smooth or so rough you couldn't walk in bare feet. Think the cat might have trashed it too!

I also grew up with bare boards and don't really like carpet much when barefoot. Even if its warmer its never as clean (I'm NOT hoovering daily). Hard floors are just so much easier, and I find them brighter too. Slippers beside the bed work for me probably also helps that the funeral parlour downstairs has about a foot of cork under our floors to help with soundproofing.

I've managed to get OH on board about winter prepping, this weekend might be fun. Badly need to clean the car, then I can prep it too

Ollycob

drinkupretty wrote: »

Another thing which worked last winter was an elasticated fleece under blanket for the bed. Just pop it on the mattress then pop the fitted sheet and other bedding on as normal. Makes the bed lovely and toasty (but hard to get out of!).

Where did you get this please? Sounds ideal for me!

Popperwell

Perhaps and I may have to do this, buy some elastic and sew it onto the corners of the fleece blankets and then it can be pulled over the corner of the mattress. I haven't seen any elasticated fleece blankets before not that means that they don't exist...

Ellie83

fuddle wrote: »

Our master bedroom was so clod with laminate down. When the flooring was ripped up to rewire the landlord bought carpet without any underlay and even that is so much more warmer than the lamnate with laminate underlay. Probably not what you want to read but I will never have laminate in a bedroom again. The kitchen is laminated and it is fine warmth wise though.

I know, but I just don't want to carpet so trying to choose between the lesser of 2 evils :rotfl:

There is also solid wood: that's what they have in Scandinavia in most houses and their houses are so snug despite the cold! But I would be afraid that real wood would be a pain to maintain properly and far too expensive any way

Wish I'd noticed about vinyl being warmer! Our new floor is half down. Oh well, it'll still be warmer than the bare floorboards (less cracks for draughts!).

I'm researching and gathering as much info and feedback as I can for when we finally have the house. Anyway, we'll probably have to keep the carpet this winter as we won't have any money for that: I'll just rent a rug doctor and clean it before we move in Oh, and keep hoovering every day

I would have loved having floor boards. I remember watching an episode of "Help my house is falling down" and the woman there explained how to get rid of the draughts. She basically said you can feel the gap with the "sawdust" you gather after sanding the floor. Mix it with some sort of glue. Sand again lightly and voilà. It looked really good. I don't know if it was much warmer though.

Where I grew up, the weather is significantly warmer and dryer, so people tend to have laminate in their bedrooms and tiles everywhere else.

Ellie83

My husband will be commuting to Central London by train, sometimes at odd hours (shifts!). What would you give him, bearing in mind that I know he'll refuse to load a lot of stuff around

So far, I thought of making sure that he leaves the house with:

- gloves, scarf and hats (silly I know, but he often forgets!)
- one of these rain poncho
- warm shoes (he then changes to proper shoes at work)
- some cereal bars
- a mini torch (about the size of my thumb - I found it while decluttering and I tried it last night, it's very bright for the size!)

I will ask him to keep a change of clothes and some thermal thingy at work in his locker.

I'm not too worried about him being stranded in London as he has family there who would take him in obviously. he could even stay at work as they have rooms. I am more worried about the walk to and from the station or the train being stranded in the middle of the countryside.

I'm just always afraid he's going to get cold Some may think that I mother him too much but I can't help it, it's in my nature.

[Deleted User]

Ollycob wrote: »

Where did you get this please? Sounds ideal for me!

From asda last summer as it was discounted. Checked online and cannot seem to find them now. Here is one I found on ebay though: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thermal-Fleece-Fitted-Underblanket-Double-/300611360037?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Bedroom_Bedding_PP&hash=item45fdd55525

Possession

One of my main problems last year was my letterbox. The door is a fairly new double glazed one but the outside flap won't stay flush and when its cold there is always a draft. On particularly windy nights I have in the past resorted to sellotaping it down outside. Any ideas for something which can stay on the door but still allow post through? And doesn't involve drills or anything?! i'm hoping to get a door curtain put there this year but there's very little space to pull it back (coats hanging on that bit of wall, tiny space by the door) so it may not be possible.

rosieben

Possession wrote: »

... i'm hoping to get a door curtain put there this year but there's very little space to pull it back (coats hanging on that bit of wall, tiny space by the door) so it may not be possible.

I've no space at all either side of my front door so I've fixed a curtain wire to the back of the door itself and hung a long curtain there. Last winter I swapped the curtain for a fleece blanket which did a brilliant job of keeping out the draughts so I'll be doing that again this winter

Possession

rosieben wrote: »

I've no space at all either side of my front door so I've fixed a curtain wire to the back of the door itself and hung a long curtain there. Last winter I swapped the curtain for a fleece blanket which did a brilliant job of keeping out the draughts so I'll be doing that again this winter

What did you fix it to the door with if you don't mind me asking? It isn't a wooden door it's UPVC so I don't want to make holes in it.

Ellie83

Possession wrote: »

What did you fix it to the door with if you don't mind me asking? It isn't a wooden door it's UPVC so I don't want to make holes in it.

If the curtain isn't too heavy or if it's fleece, maybe you could get away with sticky velcro?