Preparing for Winter

Larumbelle

Topher wrote: »

The beauty of this one is that it opens and shuts with the door.

http://www.betterware.co.uk/productdetails.aspx?pid=038080&cid=144&language=en-GB

I made one of these out of two pieces of pipe insulating tube and one piece of slightly padded plastic. Two straight runs on the sewing machine, job done. Barely cost anything.

They also sell these in poundland - depending on whether you have materials onhand, it could be worth looking out for them?

pumpkinlife

This is probably the best place for this, I have a question (as always - sorry!).

Last year we got damp and mould, inside some fitted wardrobes, which is not good in rented accomodation. The landlords have said that if it returns they will be pinning it on us and charging us to remediate as we obviously hadn't kept the place warm enough. I don't have the heating on 24/7, but it did go on everyday and cut in and out due to a broken thermostat. The builder who came to drill ventilation holes in the wardrobe actually said it wasn't us, but that the wall needed airflow, not a tightly sealed wooden unit against it. He has also fitted vents to the frames of all the double glazing to ensure the rooms get adequate ventilation, which he said should have been done at installation.

The vents blow a hoolie into every room. What is the best way to stop that? Heavy curtains? I don't want to block them up for obvious reasons.

I am already thinking about the soups that are coming this autumn and planning my winter storecupboard. Soup in summer just isn't right...

zarazara

I live in a small cottage, but its solid stone walls,apart from the extended part which is cavity wall. Today its cold and I have the heating on. I wish i could just have someway of making it really warm without much heating. I do have woodburners but they do use a lot of wood.

zarazara

Ideas needed. I find wooden blinds and lined curtains help with heat retention. My ground floor is all tiled. I find sheep skin rugs are good.
I wonder if anyone will be going back to th medeavil ways, when they put tapastries [carpets?] on the walls and straw on the floor,or animal skins.

meg72

I do think I would if I could. but would be hard pushed to find tapestrys things etc. I will just make do with extra fleeces, blankets and my trusty hot water bottles.

downshifter

Sounds an excellent idea zz, like you my walls are solid freezing stone and have also had my heating on many evenings this summer - though not tonight as have just come back from walk picking wild gooseberries. The tapestries on the wall sound fantastic. Sometimes I walk out through the door and the heat hits me going out, it's never warm inside. sounds like you're the same.

I have oil heating and have found lots of the ideas on this thread useful in previous winters (draught-proofing, foil behind radiators, roof insulation, curtains everywhere) Also electric blanket (still used most nights now) has been my best friend!)

Animal skin on floor would be good too, though a tad creepy, live animal is best - mine is my dog (live though!!!) lovely and warm to put your feet on.

My treat this year, if I can earn enough, is a heated throw to wrap around myself on the sofa!

Kitchenbunny

zarazara wrote: »

Ideas needed. I find wooden blinds and lined curtains help with heat retention. My ground floor is all tiled. I find sheep skin rugs are good.
I wonder if anyone will be going back to th medeavil ways, when they put tapastries [carpets?] on the walls and straw on the floor,or animal skins.

Not quite, but we do have a curtain across one wall. I think it was originally put there for sound dampening but when the room gets warm it gets lovely and toasty. I've often thought of making quilted hangings for the walls to cover draughty bits and then blanch at how much work goes into them!

We've hung a door curtain directly behind the front door and that does keep a lot of heat in. I need to fix a curtain rail to do the same for the back door as the kitchen is always cold in winter. Brr!

KB xx

mardatha

Actually that's a very good idea - castles were stone walls and they used tapestry wall hangings for heat - so what if you took it a stage further and used thermal lined curtains as wall hangings ? Instead of thick quilted or woollen ones ? That might make a difference to a stone wall.

smileyt_2

mardatha wrote: »

Actually that's a very good idea - castles were stone walls and they used tapestry wall hangings for heat - so what if you took it a stage further and used thermal lined curtains as wall hangings ? Instead of thick quilted or woollen ones ? That might make a difference to a stone wall.

Ooh, I was going to suggest this! Is it a case of 'great minds', do you think? Or more a case of 'fools seldom differ' :rotfl:

Would it work if you pinned one of those silver survival blankets on the back of a fleecy hanging?

I advised my sister last year to wrap a clothes horse in one of these silver foil blankets and stand it behind her bathroom radiator (she has one of those stand-alone oilfilled radiators). She said it did help reflect the heat back into the bathroom and did make a bit of a difference.

annie123

zarazara wrote: »

I wonder if anyone will be going back to th medeavil ways, when they put tapastries [carpets?] on the walls and straw on the floor,or animal skins.

My sons bed/living room is 21' x14' with 12' tall ceilings, in a 1850's vic house, single brick and freezing in the winter.
Every bit of wall is covered in hangings, bit like this one http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Indian-Wall-Hanging-Throw-Dreaming-Sun-140-x-210cm-/190402514909?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Home_Garden_Decorative_Accents_LE&hash=item2c54dfcfdd

Makes a massive difference, he tested it a few years ago and there was a 3c difference behind the hangings, which means the heating on less (15c on 18c off)
Last winter being so cold, especially for us Londoners he added some to the ceiling too, and that made it feel sooo much warmer.

He paid £15 for 2, 8' x6' ones which isn't bad, he's been buying them since he was a teenager, but stopped when our local indian import shop closed down

As it's bl**dy hot here at the mo, they are all down waiting for a wash before going back up in the autumn.

Will be trying this in DD's bedroom here this winter. Its on a north facing corner over an unheated hallway, with single glazed 1939 windows (they do have glazing film on which stops ice forming and whistling winds )
As a 20 year old non hippie type she wants something girly, so I have been keeping an eye out for cheap pretty duvets covers/sheets, or fabric etc in the charity shops.

Wonder if I could knit one out of old jeans or t shirts, thats got me thinking