Preparing for Winter V

Topher

erin_transport wrote: »

2nd coal bunker purchased today. Second hand from online group.
Plan is to fill one for coal and the other for logs, sticks etc.

Some advice I wish someone had given me when we first set our coal bunker up: put in a fake floor (basically a sheet of wood) before you put the "lid" (as in its whole roof) on the bunker. Make the fake floor slope towards the opening at the front. That way you avoid having to get down on your hands and knees in the snow to persuade the flow of coal out of the hole come a winter blizzard. (True story)

Living_proof

fuddle wrote: »

Living proof my greenhouse has grooves in the metal. I have green clips that slide and twist in the groove. At the moment they are supporting shading cloth but that is soon to be replaced with bubble wrap. When I bubble wrapped my windows in the house they stuck in place just by dampening the glass. I don't think that method of adhesion will be suffice in the greenhouse, specifically not the angled roof. Round my window, to enable it to open, I intend to use clear greenhouse repair tape to help that particular square stick. HTH

Thanks Fuddle, I have used the green clips in the past but the window bit I think was held in place with velcro and I was hoping there was an easier way. I used to leave my bubble wrap on all year as it served to shade the house in summer as well as insulating in winter. That was in Scotland, so I will see how it works in Eastern England.

mardatha

Unfortunately coal tends to freeze solid in bunkers if the temp gets low enough, whatever you do. You need a tyre iron or big solid poker handy to batter hell out of the coal with ..

Living_proof

mardatha wrote: »

Unfortunately coal tends to freeze solid in bunkers if the temp gets low enough, whatever you do. You need a tyre iron or big solid poker handy to batter hell out of the coal with ..

The romance of Scotland, I remember it well!

fuddle

Does coal freeze? :eek::o I grew up with a coal fire and I live in frozzin' County but I never knew that. Talk about pampered! :rotfl:

mardatha

I dono if it's the coal or the condensation in with it, but if it's cold enough then it forms a huge solid bloody mass that is murder to break up. And don't ask me how I know this. :D

greenbee

Are you sure that's coal Mar? And not the elephant...

Witless

mardatha wrote: »

I dono if it's the coal or the condensation in with it, but if it's cold enough then it forms a huge solid bloody mass that is murder to break up. And don't ask me how I know this. :D

I keep mine in 20kg or 25kg bags: a quick drop from even waist height loosens the mix.

(I find that here it's usually fine slack that freezes rather than coal)

WeegieWumman

We had a coal fire in the first years of our marraige. DH would twist and knot a few pages of newspaper, place small pieces of dry coal on top, light the paper with a match, and HEY Presto! the coal would catch fire.
I, on the other hand, had a more sophisticated method AHEM! Along with the coal, I had newspaper, firelighters, creosoted firewood, sometimes sugar and cooking fat, and a sincere prayer to heaven, that I wouldn't have to repeat the entire operation two or three times before achieving success.

Have a relative who tnrew coal into the fire nest and held a match against it and couldn't understand why it didn't immediately burst into flame.

mardatha

My coal is in sacks from the coalman, I think 1cwt each? not sure.
WeegieW I've had coal fires all my life, I love lighting them and tending them. Hate central heating