Preparing for Winter V

parsniphead

After starting with good intentions my winter prep came to a halt during the summer.

One of the main jobs done was to get thermal blackout blinds in all my upstairs windows and one in the sitting room. All done and I have noticed the difference so hopefully it will keep the chill off a little more. I have also lined the sitting room curtains with cuddle fleece. I still have the little ones bedroom curtains to line with the fleece.

My portiere rail finally fell apart over the weekend so I need to get something sorted as I have gaps around the door. Also it needs to be cheap as I can afford a new rail. It's also a very awkward space only a door width wide so I'm thinking a small piece of curtain pole or thick dowling on some hooks.

My kitchen is freezing. It has a quarry tile floor. It also has a four inch gap along the bottom of the chimney breast where the fire place was blocked in. That needs blocking up too.

Actually most of the house gets freezing but that's the joy of living in a Victorian terrace with single glazing. Oh fornthe day when it had double glazing.

The car prep needs to be done too. A quick job which could be done if i stopped procrastinating.

So much to do which could have been done before.:eek:

greenbee

Parsniphead - I put an ordinary curtain pole across the front door as there is just enough room to pull the curtain (thermally lined, so quite thick!) behind it. I swapped the bracket at one end for a cup-type bracket so it pulls right back to the wall. You coul do this both ends to allow you to pull the curtain all the way across.

It might also be worth replacing the draught strip in the doorframe (or adding one if there isn't any), and maybe looking at the kind of strip you put on the outside of the doorframe to cover the gap.

Rummer

I think it is challenging if not impossible to determine what the winter will be like so each year I prepare as if it is going to be really bad. That way I hope to at least be vaguely organised.

mardatha

Bear in mind that you can buy full size gorgeous LPG gas cookers, that's what I use. Not an Aga (god I wish) but just an ordinary cooker. This is mine, and the fitter only took £80 to install it. Handy for places like here, where there is no gas.
http://www.cannoncooking.co.uk/products/carrick-cooker.shtml
Handy also for people who want to break away from the big energy companies and their bad service and high monthly payments!

parsniphead

Thanks for the info greenbee.

There is about 1.5 inches between the edge of the door and the hall wall. I thought I would have to put up with the top of the door rubbing against the curtain when I open it but the bracket and cup idea is fantastic. Thanks. It's a thick velvet curtain with a thermal lining so quite chunky.

The draught seal does need replacing but I can only use the foam on. I spent loads on the rubber one once and I could shut the door.

I have also remembered I need to get some new damp traps. They have always worked well and being single glazed my window run with condensation. I tend to squeegee them each morning then give them a wipe.

Right a massive tidy through, some paperwork and then some more winter prepping.

julsifer

julsifer wrote: »

You guys are making me nervous i only remember 2010 winter which was pretty bad around here everyone stopped using their cars and milk and bread was just nowhere to be seen in the shops. I've just realised I'm more prepared for Xmas than winter. This year is the first winter I've got my own car to worry about which gets parked all night in a public car park as OH has the residential parking space at the back of the house (lucky him) and its also going to be my first time being a mummy I haven't even thought about stocking up on medicines and I have only a couple of candles in the house which wont be very good in case of a power cut, no torches what am I doing...oh my god I'm panicking!

Okay since this post i've managed to pull myself together lol I've managed to collect 2 thick door curtains that i need to get poles for and prepare myself for drilling into a wall for the first time. Thicker curtains for livingroom, diningroom/kitchen are up including new tracking for the window that never had a curtain up in the first place, that was easy to drill in to the wooden baton though just straight in, wlls are trickier i hear?
Chimney sweep is booked in for the first week of November all windows were cleaned outside yesterday, bought 10 of the box dehumidifiers i saw someone link on here from Amazon stored away ready, stocked up on toiletries like toilet roll, hand wash, toilet cleaner, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner things we use all the time. Medicine cabinet is also full just need ibuprofen and paracetamol.
I've been making my dad a little car kit for xmas and one for me for now, so far he has, 1 boot tidy, foil blanket, torch and spare batteries, windshield and seatbelt breaker, de icer, container for water, scraper, gaffer tape, CD holder (reecently got a new car that plays CDs and he's super excited about it lol) I want to put jump leads in but dont really know what i'm looking for, he has some useful stuff in his car anyway but also a lot of crap so hopefully the boot tidy will help.
Finally for the baby..buying nappies once or twice a week and adding them to the nappy wall in my wardrobe, was given a room thermometer (groegg) travel cot and high chair from a friend of OHs work very much appreciated not even met them. Bought a £10 moses baket that i need to get new bedding and mattress for aswell as more bedding and blankets for main cot. PHEW!
Oh and im making bread in BM most days now slicing and freezing think thats everything...roll on winter

greenbee

parsniphead wrote: »

Thanks for the info greenbee.

There is about 1.5 inches between the edge of the door and the hall wall. I thought I would have to put up with the top of the door rubbing against the curtain when I open it but the bracket and cup idea is fantastic. Thanks. It's a thick velvet curtain with a thermal lining so quite chunky.

The draught seal does need replacing but I can only use the foam on. I spent loads on the rubber one once and I could shut the door.

This is the stuff I got for the last house http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Full-Door-Metal-Draught-Excluder-Aluminium-5028mm/p/218010

Put it on the outside of the door and it covers OVER the gap rather than filling it in. Doesn't look beautiful, but it works! I used it on the front door, and on the inside back door (there was an outhouse that we converted to a utility room, which was still very cold, so it was worth doing. Use the foam stuff as well. Oh... and in this house, when the builders put the rubber strips back on my doors after painting I couldn't shut the door. They knocked it in all round with a block of wood to make it fit better. I still need a door curtain though, and I think I will even when I have new doors as it's nice to close a curtain in front of the glass.

parsniphead

Thanks for the link greenbee. I shall definately go and have a look at this. It looks pretty good and like it would do the job.

nicki_2

I have that rubber trim around my front door. It can move if you slam the door too hard. I need to put mine back into place after painting my front door. The door curtain is making a difference, I just need to put the other one up on the back door now. I dug out my fleece material yesterday so I'm going to sort stuff out with that this week hopefully. DDs room has streaming windows again, but it doesn't help that she's having sauna style showers right before bed :mad:

Yesterday I had a sort out of my "to go" piles. I'm sending 2 blankets up to my mum which I won't use, and a single wool blanket that was my mums, then mine, then DD's is now the dogs I'm hoping it'll keep him warmer overnight. He's taken to sleeping on top of a folded quilt so that's some progress but he still feels cold in the morning and just wants to snuggle. If I could spare the time I'd happily do it, but mornings are busy so snuggling on the sofa with the dog under the quilt is not an option :rotfl: We still have blankets, and if the heating breaks DD can always get in with me and we can put her quilt & blankets on my bed

greenbee

Nicki - do you have an extractor fan in the bathroom? If not, ban showers in the evening. Quick wash only. Showers in the morning when you can then air the house for 30 minutes to clear the condensation (even if it's cold). As for the dog... he's a collie, and many of them live on farms and spend their lives outdoors. And they have fur, which you don't. The snuggling may not be about being cold, just affectionate.