Preparing for winter IV

jim-jim

thanks 'pigpen' ... I never thought of doing 2 on one curtain duh:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

'pooky' I also own a arg*s value dehumidifier and I would recommend it to any one. The best £100.00 we spent. We suffer really badly with condensation on the windows and walls (front side of the house north facing solid wall) We try to keep the windows open the best we can, but when its freezing that's a no goer.

thanks x

The_Boss

Hi all,

I tend to get really unwell in winter from the temperature change so we are on an all out blitz on winter! We live in a two bedroom top floor flat with no gas so use electric heaters (my OH who owns the flat refuses to have storage heaters). So here's my winter survival plan.

1) Change of heating tariff - we have inexplicably been on an Economy 7 tariff and have had very expensive bills, obviously from us using electric heating outside of the eco 7 hours. We've now switched to a fixed to July 2015 single rate tariff with British Gas that better suits our needs.

2) Getting an extractor fan fitted in the bathroom - the bathroom gets very damp after a shower and opening the window all the time makes it rather cold and draughty.

3) Buying two additional panel heaters. The heating strategy has been to heat the bedroom and front room with oil filled heaters when needed. This leaves other rooms cold and therefore the temperature very inconsistent. Adding a panel heater to the reception area and kitchen will mean we can heat these areas too.

4) Co-ordinating heating - kind of in line with the above, having several heaters on a medium setting in different rooms will keep the flat more appropriately heated then heating two rooms at full whack to warm/hot

5) Improving circulation - again, kind of in line with 3, because we heat really just two rooms we tend to close all doors. THere have been problems with mould in our bedroom, the spare room, the bathroom and kitchen. I believe that better air circulation will help prevent mould and we'll also need to open windows a bit more to get fresh air in.

6) Putting net curtains in our bedroom and front room - I suspect the windows are a little draughty and I'd hope this helps insulate the rooms a little.

That's the specifics of what I've thought of so far. Obviously not wearing shorts and t-hirts around the flat is also a way to help!

Tiglath

Looking at readymade curtains online - when it says 44" across, is that per curtain or per pair?

annie123

Becky_2 wrote: »

Unfortunately, I have had to remove the pillows underneath the zink. One of the kitchen cupboards are smelling of damp which only started to smell after I added the pillows. The cupboard is already smelling better so it must be because I stopped the draught underneath the zink.

If anyone has got an idea how I can stop the draught then I would be grateful.

The pillows were absorbing the damp from the cold wet air I think rather than stopping it from getting in.
This would stop it http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-GORILLA-FILLER-EXPANDING-FOAM-DOOR-FRAME-SEALENT-WEATHERPROOF-500ml-700ml-/360623891827?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

My local plastic tub outside store (iykwim) sells it. Easy to neaten up with a bread knife and can be painted too.

crumblepie

Tiglath - couldn't you put a fleece blanket on the back of the curtain to line it?

I've got some thin faux silk type curtains and safety pinned some white fleece blanket to the back. From the outside looks no different but helps keep the heat in.

Bigjenny

Tiglath wrote: »

Looking at readymade curtains online - when it says 44" across, is that per curtain or per pair?

That's each curtain.

HTH

Homeagain

Becky_2 wrote: »

Homeagain, what's a hit and miss air vent? Where did you buy yours?

thanks

Its an air vent that opens and closes sort of like a fly screen behind it. Works really well because you can close it when it's really cold and open when its warm. You can get them at B and Q or Homebase.

rising_from_the_ashes

It is absolutely horrid here - the wind is awful

Noticed that the Rowan trees have an absolute glut of berries too :eek:


Need to dig out my proper list & tick things off as I'm a bit sporadic just now and know bits are done but will forget other things Def need to stock up on easily cooked things for the stove (soup, noodles etc) in case of power cuts

Molly41

Becky_2 wrote: »

Unfortunately, I have had to remove the pillows underneath the zink. One of the kitchen cupboards are smelling of damp which only started to smell after I added the pillows. The cupboard is already smelling better so it must be because I stopped the draught underneath the zink.

If anyone has got an idea how I can stop the draught then I would be grateful.

I use bubble wrap and stuff it into spaces and up the chimney. It never seems to smell. I also bubble wrap my patio doors and windows that I keep closed in winter.

Twisted_Cherry

I need to remember to buy some candles, had a power cut last year due to a leak, and sat for 5 hours in the dark waiting for a plumber and an electrician!

I also need a new winter duvet, can anyone recommend a good website to buy one from?

I also need some new curtains for the living room, decorated earlier in the year and temporally put some voiles up, need to buy some lined grey curtains!