Preparing for Winter

Savvy_sewing

Just been given a link to this thread as I was talking about my open fires. Off to the begining to start readingLooks like I will have a long read ahead of me.
But I am determind I will be ready for the coming winter in my cottage of many draughts and closeless windows!!!

legio11

Ohhhh i love this thread read it from page one lol and have almost filled my notebook with tips lol

Savvy_sewing

I got as far as page 4. Need to take abreak. Back again soon.

Caterina

Ah hello my fellow preparers-for-winter! Is it that time of the year already? Before we know, carol jingles will be playing in supermarkets and we will begin the countdown....:eek:

This year I am already well stocked for thermal thanks to this thread last year, which started me thinking of preparing well in advance.

Now, of course, I am starting looking forward to the No-Heating challenge! Anyone want to start that one? I am usually good for a no-heating-until-1-November challenge, although due to the twins' whinging I usually cave in towards mid- to late October!

I shall pop in to keep updated, love this thread, it makes me feel like a real OS pioneer! Keep up the good work, OSers! Thank you!

zarazara

This thread has reminded me to book the chimney sweep. earlier this year next doors chimney set on fire!

DdraigGoch

Oooooh, thanks for that, must book chimney sweep x 3 = Thanks, zarazara

My current Prepping for winter consists of getting the builder in to demolish some steps which are feeding water into one internal wall to the extent that the wall is bulging on the inside!!!, to check the ridge tiles and Velux windows, to reroute the rainwater to somewhere where it will NOT run under our foundations [call me old-fashioned, but living on a concrete raft on the top of sludgy clay is not my idea of green/viable living!:eek::eek:] So, Green-R-Us, via BudgetConscious and Frugal-R-Us ... think it's possible? Wait and see ... it's what I have to do, to see if what I am planning is worthwhile or just a whole heap of green hokum - keep your fingers crossed for me, please! :T

karren

I read somewhere on here about using fleeces as curtain liners, anyone tried this?
are teh ikea ones anygood? im thinking of using the fleeses with heading tape on them in the living room, as our house is freezing in the winter, and if i can keep at least one room toasty i can go from there, ive got one draught excluder and aim to make some changes over the holidays.
all tips gratefully received x

newlywed

Oooh that time again....

OH has spent ages sorting out our DG door and windows to make sure they open easier, shut easier and now the patio door no longer has a gap where you can see daylight through :T (and I'm not talking the glass bit :rolleyes:). So hoping for a warmer winter - although I still have the draft excluder I made for the patio door just in case (it's right by the sofa so used to be a cold draft).

I have fleeces and blankets for the beds. The front door has it's draft excluder too.

Still on the list from last year is the thermal curtain linings for the kids room

Eliza_2

Like Mrs Tittlemouse and others I also live in an old solid walled house, exposed to the elements. I don't think the temperature indoors changes all that much from winter to summer, a couple of weeks ago when going outside you would be hit with a wall of heat - like going into hot shops in winter - while inside I'm always in 2 layers, cord trousers, socks etc. In fact this year I'm so fed up with the cold that i'm seriously thinking about moving for the first time in nearly 10 yrs. I've done lots of the tips on here, keeping the heating off until the end of October is not too bad, but keeping it off in mid June is hard when you don't really want to wear the above layers of woollies. Roof insulation was an excellent investment, it's very much warmer upstairs, but fleeces etc on the sofa don't work for me, - I can't sit still for an evening, i like to be doing things, and hate to feel the cold air around me, to say nothing of freezing cold loo seat and damp towels - ugh! The other good thing is an electric blanket, I haven't removed it from the bed this year yet, it was switched on again last night. And often in the winter I leave it on all night on low temperature - even with 2 duvets on top and under it makes all the difference. It means your body is nice and warm when getting up. I don't need thermostats on radiators, if they're on they always need to be at full blast! Clingfilm on windows didn't work, the cats made a hole in it almost instantly and also steam and moisture built up between the layers so that you couldn't see out. But bubblewrap on window in unused room was good.

I'm interested to know what people think about open fires, I have one in the kitchen but it gives off very little heat. Compared with an electric fire I have, which warms the room within a few minutes, the open fire never really gets the room that warm - it looks nice though and is useful for rubbish. And I have a good supply of cheap logs. It somehow doesn't seem to project the heat forwards - is there some sort of gizmo I can buy which will do this I wonder? Otherwise I'm thinking of blocking it off to reduce draughts and just use the electric one. I'd love a wood burner but can't afford it.

Anyway, that's my tuppence worth, have come to work to warm up a bit!

Eliza

Eliza_2

fedupandskint wrote: »

Thanks Seakay,

I tried this already but it makes the room too dark, will look into the DG instead but many thanks for your reply and suggestion :T

Wouldn't this be a good place to put clingfilm-type double glazing, you would hardly notice it and it would make a difference and cost virtually nothing.