Preparing for Winter

mardatha

Nyk, in my last house when we were waiting for them to re-line the chimney, I cut a big square of thick polythene & stuck it onto the fireplace tiles, just remember to make some wee holes in it or the whole thing sooks & blows (if you know what I mean )

Eltee12

Am almost done!

1. [STRIKE]Buy winter duvet for DS[/STRIKE]
2. [STRIKE]get winter sheets, pillowcases, duvets, duvet covers out of loft[/STRIKE]
3. [STRIKE]wash/dryclean/iron everything listed in 2[/STRIKE]
4. [STRIKE]get scarves, gloves, hats washed[/STRIKE]
5. [STRIKE]stock up on porridge oats (for porridge and also for hob nob recipe)[/STRIKE] mmmmmm, been having for brekkers
6. get autumn/winter clothes down from loft - Started
7. put summer clothes into loft (after decluttering old carp) - Started
8. [STRIKE]buy some snuggly fleecy blankets for TV watching.[/STRIKE]

BigMummaF

nykmedia wrote: »

Any haberdashery, fabric store or maybe even a pound type store should have them or if, like me, you don't live near any shops... €Bay. Or look in the supermarket where you're getting the fleece, as they do a fair bit of stuff in their sewing section. It will be with the pre-packs of elastic, cottons, needles etc I should think, or try the DIY section too.

Next up is dealing with the open fireplace - I need to devise a non-flammable screen of some sort ...

I'm pretty certain you can get a flame-retardant plaster-board. There's a dull memory of seeing something with bright shiny foil on one side, probably for airing cupboards or something. I know they've replaced asbestos with something, but can't recall the name...could be rockwall? Just g00gled 'asbestos replacement' & found this on the first page; haven't read much but might give you some ideas.

Frugaldom

Thanks for info BigMumma, I know about the plasterboard stuff as I've worked with K!ng$pan in a previous life It's like sheets of insulation with silver foil over the top. You also get firebreak type Gypr0c. However, I'm thinking more along the lines of non-tearing tin foil, as it's to literally cover a fire guard so I have something that fits snuggly against the wall and blocks off the open fireplace when the fire isn't lit. I could probably use a blanket of some description, but that's no good if there are liable to be any hot embers still in the grate at nights during cold weather. It needs to be something that won't overheat and then smoulder or ignite.

Excellent news here ... :j when I got up at 7am this morning the house actually felt warm! :j All that was on last night was the slow cooker on timer for the soup. I checked the thermometers and it's 16 degrees! I went outside to see to the livestock and it's almost freezing out there, you can see your breath! So all these little hints and tips picked up on here have really worked beyond anything I could have thought possible. As a result, I will be able to stay within my annual budget for solid fuel & electricity :T

shaz_mum_of__2

Nyk -what about those foil blankets that marathon runners use £land sell them in packs of 2 i have some in my car emergency box

Bibbitybob

I didn't manage to get round to lining my living room curtains last year, but I bought a cream fleece blanket in Asda a couple of days ago... I think 4 of those with two sewn together for each curtain should work. And I hadn't thought of velcro as opposed to sewing, thanks!

daska

what about an emergency fire blanket like you find in kitchens. would that be big enough?

laurel7172

I bought the last four cream fleece blankets (2 for £3) in my local Asda earlier this week. I hadn't actually got around to measuring the living room curtains, you understand, and when I got them home I found that, at 150cm long, the fleeces were about 40cm too short for my long windows. I flirted with the idea of buying some more (if I could get them) and patching them together, but...it is my living room after all.

Tonight I bought four 150 x 200 cm blankets from Aldi for an eye-watering £5.99 each. They're much thicker than the Asda fleeces, though a bit coarser. But they are long enough, and I'll still get the big window lined (tidily) for under £25.

I think I'll sew together the Asda ones to make a snuggly extra layer/duvet protector.

Mrs_Thrify

Evening all,I have just bought the Asda fleeces 2 for £3 one chocolate and 1 cream to add to the collection I have from last year. I have put the cream one up at the window on the landing. I threaded some free nylon string through the hem and tied it to the curtain rail.It looks ok with the cream walls.
I have noticed everyone in the house using the throws I quietly put on the sofa's and chairs.
On the coal fire is going plenty of free wood kindly given to us by a neighbour. No sc on as we will hold out on that for as long as possible.

twiglet98

Having bought the last two (brown) fleece blankets in Asda a fortnight ago, I went today to look for cream ones and they had none. Did get some whoopsied bacon, which partly made up for the 26 mile round trip :eek:, the rest of the shopping was full price. Dropped in to Tesco this evening and they had a new stock of plain pale cream fleeces, 130 x 150 cm, £2 each and nicer than Asda's too. I picked up four that I'll use to line the thinnest curtains, and will get some more tomorrow if it works. They have loosely blanket-stitched ends which may be suitable to put curtain hooks through - though DDs tab-top curtains will need velcro or buttons - but I haven't unrolled them to see if it's on each edge.