Preparing for Winter V

cuddlymarm

If it’s any consolation uni mums it does get better. It’s an emotional and expensive time, but your babies have to leave the nest eventually. I remember being sad and tearful  after dropping our kids at uni but then it’s the next step of your life too, with freedoms to do what you want to do. 

Saying that it took me a good six months to learn how to shop smaller ( I have boys) so that I didn’t waste anything 😀

sammy_kaye18

Right I need to start getting myself focused with winter coming
Today has felt like there was a definite nip in the air and I get the feeling that its going to go cold quite quickly. 

I'm currently debating whether to put up a metal rod shed with a canvas cover near my backdoor so I can roll up the canvas cover to just make a roof, and then use it to dry clothes under if the weather is bad. 

I have done nothing in my house accept put up the door curtain that goes from the living room to the kitchen, and brought down two large blankets to get washed and dried before the wet weather returns. 
So I need to sit and write a list of things to do and get sorted / started. 
Im also trying to get the garden prepared and tidied before winter strikes and it gets completely out of hand, with all the help Ive given my MIL this year , my poor garden looks like the house has been abandoned. 

I also would like to pick your wonderful ladies brains please. 

My MIL has a conservatory.
My son has just fixed the roof with some silicone so its back to being waterproof again but it doesn't have a form of heating or lighting in there. 
Now my in laws bred and raised budgies in an aviary but when Storm Darragh hit, it tore part of the roof away and we saved the remaining budgies. Now there is 5 left currently who are in a cage in the conservatory and it appears my MIL has developed an allergy to them but cant face getting rid of them as they were her late husbands (he died a year ago on the 19th) and she usually puts the cage in the conservatory but has to move them into the kitchen overnight in case it gets cold. So come winter they will be spending more time in the kitchen so her allergies will play up. 
Does anyone have any idea of ways I can keep the conservatory at a cosy temperature (think in the aviary they were getting down to 5 degrees before a heater kicked in), without using candles (bad for budgies) and that wont run her electric bill through the roof? 

Mee

I'm rather late washing my winter duvet (10.5 tog) though  I achieved it today. Before I did so, I checked my ancient washing machine manual beyond the washing options and realised to my horror  that I had I clearly missed the care & maintenance section...🙄.  I've now calendarised regular cleaning of the detergent dispenser, annual checking of the water inlet hose.

I really feel for Uni Mums. I remember my mum crying almost everytime I went off to Uni at the start of a new academic year or term. I feel rather guilty now as I never really thought of how my mum felt as she never said beyond the tears...😔

Floss

@sammy_kaye18 I would suggest fitting polycarbonate sheets so the conservatory has an extra layer of "glazing". The polycarbonate will insulate it & it will become quite warm in the summer, so it might be good to be able to remove the panels for the summer.

sammy_kaye18

Floss said:

@sammy_kaye18 I would suggest fitting polycarbonate sheets so the conservatory has an extra layer of "glazing". The polycarbonate will insulate it & it will become quite warm in the summer, so it might be good to be able to remove the panels for the summer.

Thank you Floss
I will go and have a look now and see if thats an option. 
It is double glazed so triple glazing it wont hurt if I use sheeting plus she would still be able to open windows and doors for added ventilation should she need it. 
I'm also thinking she has blinds on some of the windows so maybe if she put them all windows and put them down in the evening it would help to keep heat out too. 
She thinks her only option is to bring them in the kitchen at night so I want to see if there is any way to avoid that but obviously if its too cold then she will. 

Ive also had a think this afternoon and made myself a small list. 
* the door curtain is up for the living room. I have a spare rod though so I wonder if I can then put one up between the back porch and kitchen so the cold air stays limited to the back porch/bathroom so will find out more curtains. 
* MIL gave me a lamp so I will use that on the warm light setting to make the front room feel snugger without the big light being on. 
* Need to put the curtain back up at the front door to keep heat in to stop the thermostat that runs from the hallway radiator kicking in.
* should probably check the radiators work or dont need draining. 
* have a roof inspection on Wednesday to check the state of insulation.
* will insulate the pipe that runs outside from the boiler with old pool noodles and duct tape because when we had that bad winter a few years back, the condensation froze and blocked it and shut the boiler off. 
* need to clear the chest freezer out and make space for some new stock in there or some homemade easy meals. 

SuzeQStan

Hi @sammy_kaye18 - is your thermostat moveable? A lot of them are.  We moved ours a couple winters ago from the hallway to the lounge where we have the log burner going of an evening.  It really helped a lot money saving wise as the hallway gets very little heating in our home.

fionaandphil

@Fruball l1dl have some cheap thermals coming up so may be worth checking those out instead of vests?

Fruball

fionaandphil said:

@Fruball l1dl have some cheap thermals coming up so may be worth checking those out instead of vests?

I will look out for those.  Thank you

Fruball

sammy_kaye18 said:

Right I need to start getting myself focused with winter coming
Today has felt like there was a definite nip in the air and I get the feeling that its going to go cold quite quickly. 

I'm currently debating whether to put up a metal rod shed with a canvas cover near my backdoor so I can roll up the canvas cover to just make a roof, and then use it to dry clothes under if the weather is bad. 

I have done nothing in my house accept put up the door curtain that goes from the living room to the kitchen, and brought down two large blankets to get washed and dried before the wet weather returns. 
So I need to sit and write a list of things to do and get sorted / started. 
Im also trying to get the garden prepared and tidied before winter strikes and it gets completely out of hand, with all the help Ive given my MIL this year , my poor garden looks like the house has been abandoned. 

I also would like to pick your wonderful ladies brains please. 

My MIL has a conservatory.
My son has just fixed the roof with some silicone so its back to being waterproof again but it doesn't have a form of heating or lighting in there. 
Now my in laws bred and raised budgies in an aviary but when Storm Darragh hit, it tore part of the roof away and we saved the remaining budgies. Now there is 5 left currently who are in a cage in the conservatory and it appears my MIL has developed an allergy to them but cant face getting rid of them as they were her late husbands (he died a year ago on the 19th) and she usually puts the cage in the conservatory but has to move them into the kitchen overnight in case it gets cold. So come winter they will be spending more time in the kitchen so her allergies will play up. 
Does anyone have any idea of ways I can keep the conservatory at a cosy temperature (think in the aviary they were getting down to 5 degrees before a heater kicked in), without using candles (bad for budgies) and that wont run her electric bill through the roof? 

Hey Sammy_Kaye!  Hope you are well.  I remember you as one of the regulars on this thread back in the day!  How old are your kiddies now?  They were very little when I was a frequenter on this thread!  Mine were too but have left for Uni etc now.

With the budgies, would a dehumidifier help keep the conservatory warmer? I know it worked for mine when I had one. 
Maybe a greenhouse heater just to keep the chill off?  

Anyone know if the lovely Scottish lady is still on the boards?  I can't remember her name but always saw her avatar/name and thought "mad Arthur" She lived in the highlands from memory and I loved her posts. We are going back a few years as I have been AWOL for some time. 

Cherryfudge

Fruball said:

Anyone know if the lovely Scottish lady is still on the boards?  I can't remember her name but always saw her avatar/name and thought "mad Arthur" She lived in the highlands from memory and I loved her posts. We are going back a few years as I have been AWOL for some time. 

Would that be Treadingonplaymobile or the stripey socks lady? I think both have disappeared. Unless they are under other names, as TreadingonPlaymobile found she had some bad experiences once she become identified. I did enjoy reading both of them and wish them well.