How to Make Cold Bedsit Warm (eg. Curtains)?

dogstarheaven

went to visit daughter over the w/e to help her settle in in new bedsit and found out that the so-called double glazed windows (56 x 48 kitchen and 2 small windows by bed 27 x 30") were draughty as hell. as i haven't had curtains in my house for over 10 years (use venetian blinds), i've somehow thought that the gaps at the tops of the curtains needed closing up and re-did all the hooks and so that they were flush with the track. thought this was the best job i did for her, but then in the morning, the daughter couldn't open the curtains as they were 'fixed' to the track! what did i do wrong? is there another way i could of done this? sorry, but i am a ditz thesedays!

i've asked how about putting clingfilm on the windows but she's dead against the idea (i don't know how effective this is, does anyone?)

apart from a 1.5kw oil filled radiator (not v effective for a room at 10ft x 7ft), i bought a small 3kw fan heater for her and that's helped enormously (apparently 1.80 for 5 hrs to run). thev smal l bathroom is shockingly chilly, that it's not wise to spend more than a few mins in there in the shower.

most of the floor is carpeted apart from the kitchenette.

i hadn't noticed any possible cracks in the walls (i wasn't really looking for any) but if there were, i wouldn't think it'd be possible to refill them and paint over it as it's a rented place.

can anyone advise how best to overcome the cold as well as not being over-reliant on the two heaters she has pls. thanks!;)

nb. thinking about getting curtains off freecycle but they have to be lined, so not sure how likely i'd get 3 lots tho'... what's best material for lining, anyone?

Fruball

Hi DSH :hello:

Rugs, heavy lined curtains etc but also think of wall hangings or bookshelves on outside walls to buffer the cold and keep heat in.

I have bubble wrapped my back door lower panel as it is thin wood, and the glass and that has made a HUGE difference to the warmtm in there.

Otherwise, layering up (I remember your bad winter with no heating a couple of years back, my username was slightly different and we exchanged a few pms PM me if you aren't sure) and hot drinks, soup etc to keep warm... Dressing gown over clothes, hat indoors

Broomstick

A while back on one of the threads someone suggested to me to try silicone lubricant from a hardware shop to unstick curtain rails that were sticking. Worked a dream.

Fleeces to line curtains are very light and add a thermal layer. The fabric is cheap to buy in longer lengths. I've joined two cheap fleece blankets together with curtain tape at the top and use those to cover our front and back doors in winter.

Hot water bottles? I frequently cuddle up to one in the daytime when I'm working at the computer. Really cosy slippers.

Layers of clothes as already suggested, especially thin thermals that can fit under other clothes.

Take care if you put bookcases alongside cold walls if there's any danger of damp. In our old house we ended up with a lot of books and bookcases that got mouldy and we didn't know about them until it was too late.

Good luck
B x

dogstarheaven

Fruball wrote: »

Hi DSH :hello:

Rugs, heavy lined curtains etc but also think of wall hangings or bookshelves on outside walls to buffer the cold and keep heat in.
no room for a book unit or to hang anything on walls as no drilling/nailling/blu-tacking are allowed
I have bubble wrapped my back door lower panel as it is thin wood, and the glass and that has made a HUGE difference to the warmtm in there.found out that her little 'porch' door and her inside door are v. draughty so advised her to buy a door snake
Dressing gown over clothes, hat indoors

when she's out, she wears v. little (youngsters,eh?:eek: but once indoors she puts on her warm fleecy pj's on top of her clothes!:p:p

how do i tackle the gaps in the tops of the curtains as the draught is certainly felt there (and the bottom too)?

also, i brought her down her old electric blanket which she loved over the w/e (wasn't it so cold, didn't think it would in london!)

dogstarheaven

..................

Broomstick wrote: »

A while back on one of the threads someone suggested to me to try silicone lubricant from a hardware shop to unstick curtain rails that were sticking. Worked a dream.
thought it was my fault that the curtains didn't glide with the re-hooking i did
Fleeces to line curtains are very light shall check that out
especially thin thermals that can fit under other clothes.
most of her stuff is at old flat and due to her work, she's not had time to fetch this. it's about 40mins door-to-door but in london after work in rush-hour it's the last thing on her mind.. do i buy her another set of thermals within the space of 2mths???!!:cool:
B x

quintwins

LIne curtains with fleece, ikea do very cheap cost blankets that are fab for this, most curtains have gaps tbh mine are lined really heavy i made them with chenille fabric i got off ebay and some blind lining as it was really heavy and they are fab even with a gap at the top, my bedroom curtain is linned with fllece blankets and safety pins, it means i can take it off in the summer and wash them (unlike my chenille ones which need dry clean!!!)


Would she be willing to put bubble wrap on her bathroom window? it will help keep soem heat in and is already frosted anyway.

You may find in a few weeks she'll come round to your ideas, it's only been a few days, i wnet 3 years without heating when i was younger and by the end of it i was willing to try anything, unfortunatly i was too poor for internet aswell so i didn't have all these great tips)


She could make a door snake from pretty much anything.

Try freecycle for a rug aswell, even if she has carpet it will add an extra layer, i recently got 2 from a free facebook page and there fab really adds warmth to the room.

Don't forget lots of extra throws for cuddling up under.and a hotwater bottle, i miss my electric blanket it was fab but getting out of it into a cold room was really hard

7roland8

Have put lots on another thread about warm clothing etc.

Just a few ideas:

* Line curtains with fleece blankets/throws - I had Ikea ones from Ebay and just tacked them to the back of the curtains.

* Definitley go for the clingfilm double glazing stuff. I do my bedroom every autumn. Buy cheaply off ebay and once it is 'shrunk' with a hairdryer is almost invisible - well worth it and pulls off easily in the spring.

bean55

When living in an unheated house a few years back I tried the cling film "double glazing" on a couple of occasions and to be honest it wasn't much good. Cut down a little of draughts but didn't really help that much with heat loss. Now for reasons I won't go in to I find myself back in an old damp very draughty house, albeit this time with central heating, although it's not really up to the job of heating the house. I have to say I've found oil filled radiators to be a godsend. You have a 1.5kw but if that's the sole source of heat it's probably not enough. Either get another one to have on with it or go for a 2.5kw if possible. They really chuck out some heat and aren't too expensive to run if you get one fitted with a thermostat. Couple it with a timer plug and it should be ideal for that size of room

rising_from_the_ashes

Agree with fleeces attached to curtains etc and other suggestions others have made but just wondered - Can you feel drafts between the windows and frames?

If so, and there may be gaps here - try stuffing these with cling film (it's fab stuff!;)) - tear a strip off, roll so it's a long sausage and stuff into the gaps (a blunt knife/object can help get it in really tight).

This should cut down on a lot of cold getting in the gaps and make things a lot better (brrrrr just remembering the days of waking up and my alarm clock saying it was 4 deg .....:eek:).

For the bedroom - you really don't need this warm as you really only sleep in there!

To make it warm enough to sleep, she could get another duvet and put it on top of the mattress (underneath her), then have a blanket (these are much under-rated now but really warm) on top of her with another duvet on top (and extra blanket if needed). HTH

Molly41

Bubble wrap works a treat for windows and stuffed in cracks. Chexk out the cupboards in the kitchen - I found lots of drafts and stuffed them with bubble wrap.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Is it very damp?

If the air is full of moisture, that will make it feel far, far colder - and a dehumidifier can help with that.

(and make sure she dries her clothes outside/at the launderette if this is the case)