Preparing for winter IV

Confuzzled

greenbee wrote: »

I currently have cardboard shutters in my bedroom as I've just moved house and haven't got round to putting up curtain poles everywhere. I hadn't thought about using them as insulation. I may have to retrieve a few more boxes before the movers come to collect them tomorrow!

i STILL have cardboard taped to my windows 6 months after my move to be fair i have a tricky situation about hanging curtains in my dormer windows and whilst i think i've found a solution i have to sew them by hand and lining the curtains for downstairs has taken precedence, however it's great to sew by hand and watch telly, the fabric keeps you warm and most shows don't need 100% attention to follow anyway

my daughter still doesn't have anything in her windows so i'll do hers first as i know the cardboard is helping to keep some of the cold out of my room, her room has the easier fabric to sew anyway, the neighbour gave me some of her old unwanted curtains which i will use but it's a slippy material so it will make it even more 'interesting'

finally broke down and 'tested' the heat today, we haven't tested it yet and it was only 14.5C when we got up, i told myself i wouldn't let the house go below 15c so i kinda had to begrudgingly

i only had it on for 15 min and the house was up to 17.5C again so i'm pleased with that, we're good with between 17-18c on a regular basis and sometimes go as low as 16 if we're not feeling it too much

should be interesting tomorrow, i bet i'll have to run it again *sighs*

Cheapskate

We "tested" our heating for a spell tonight, too, after several days of cool and very blustery weather the house has really cooled down. I have no thermometer, but it feels ok in here now, and the wind has died down so we should be ok for a while now.

My car box is under way, but I think I bought too small a box! :rotfl:

This weekend I'm doing the bathroom window, and bullying DH into ordering a new extractor fan for the bathroom, condensation is shocking in there and we've been without a fan since about February.

A o

bluebag

mardatha wrote: »

Here we go !
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/winter-arrives-scotland-snow-foot-2359241

Stone the crows that's early, wonder if that bodes ill for the rest of us for a white winter, I really hope not. If we get a cold icy winter the threat of power outages looms larger.

lobbyludd

got some tension rods delivered from tax-dodging online retailer today, so extra fleece/interlining for windows upstairs should go up tomorrow.

my lovely dad is giving me for christmas a new radiator in dd's bedroom (which doesn't have one) and removing some pipes that run outside for a washing machine (lol - in the garden!!) that I worry every winter will freeze.

hormones gone haywire again so too hot at 16 degrees inside - every little helps!

jellyjem_2

Does anyone know how to insulate a drafty cat flap? Wondering if there is a way of doing it with bubble wrap but cant figure out how to attach it and a bit worried that the cats claws will get stuck in the plastic.

cornishchick

jellyjem wrote: »

Does anyone know how to insulate a drafty cat flap? Wondering if there is a way of doing it with bubble wrap but cant figure out how to attach it and a bit worried that the cats claws will get stuck in the plastic.

Give the cat his own little linned door curtain.:)

esmf73

Lovely ladies and gents....... I need your help! Previously I've been very well prepared and OH has been working in a well paid job. This winter I don't feel prepared at all. OH is now not working and is on a pension. Although it's a good one, our costs seem to be rising by the day. Know food is expensive, but what can I do. Just when I need it, my common sense appears to have fled. I know this is because I am a full time carer to my autistic son who has been increasing in violence and this is getting tough.

Family dynamics - husband, me, 9yr old autistic son (picky eater) and 8 yr old son. Two cats, two dogs. Animals eat dried food / leftovers and I cook from scratch. What do I need to do to prepare for winter?

My brain appears to have left for warmer climates! I know this is due to stress, but .............
Many thanks

bossymoo

esmf73 wrote: »

What do I need to do to prepare for winter?

My brain appears to have left for warmer climates! I know this is due to stress, but .............
Many thanks

Hi!

First thing, put the kettle on and find yourself a notebook and pen

I tend to group things around:
House (insulation, leaks, dampness, general energy saving etc)
Garden (tidying up, putting toys / furniture away)
Car (tyres, water, screenwash, oil etc plus a few emergency supplies in the boot)
Kids (appropriate clothing, footwear, bedding and so on)
Me (ditto the above)
Supplies (keeping a few bits extra in to avoid the need for going out in very bad weather: loo roll, uht milk, tinned food, basic toilettries)
Medication (especially and critical ones, but also keep a supply of painkillers / cold remedy / throat lozenges etc)

There is a post from RainyDays that is much more thorough - will see if I can find it...

ETA
Here. Not everything will apply to all of us. But you can jot down the ones that work for you.

parsonswife8

Well, it looks like we are all in for it this winter.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/436170/Worst-winter-for-decades-Record-breaking-snow-predicted-for-November


Forecasters last night warned the entire country is set for a horror freeze which will bring brutal winds and fierce blizzards.
Temperatures have already started to plunge as a swathe of cold air from the Arctic has swept across the UK in the past few days.
The first long-range forecasts warn of "recordbreaking snowfall" next month.
Heavy wintry showers are expected to cause widespread chaos with below-average temperatures possibly lingering until February.
Long-range forecasters blamed the position of a fast-flowing band of air known as the jet stream near to Britain and high pressure for the extreme conditions. Jonathan Powell, forecaster for Vantage Weather Services, said: 'We are looking at a potentially paralysing winter, the worst for decades, which could at times grind the nation to a halt.
'Persistent cold snaps with some very heavy snowfall are likely, and I would not be surprised if some records are not broken this year.
'The main issue will be the extreme cold which is showing signs of really bedding in, thanks to freezing winds from the north."
He blamed the 'poorly positioned" jet stream which is expected to be 'blocked" south of the UK, allowing a continual flow of freezing Arctic air.
James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said it was likely to be the worst winter for more than 100 years.
He said: 'A horror winter scenario is likely to bring another big freeze with copious snow for many parts.
'There is also a high risk that we will experience a scenario similar to December 2010 or much worse at times, especially in January.
'This is likely to produce major disruption to public transport and school closures on a prolific scale."
He went on: 'The cold theme from the latter part of October is likely to continue into November - and for the vast majority of the month.
'November could turn out to be a record-breaking month. There is the potential for some significant falls of snow. The northern half is likely to experience the worst conditions.

mardatha

"The northern half is likely to experience the worst conditions."......Oh us again lol. I sort of think they said this last year and the year before that...no? Either way I've finished my first pair of socks and am starting the next pair today lol. With coal, porridge, and woolly socks I can survive anything!!