Preparing for Winter

groatie_queen

If anyone is looking for a wind-up lantern to have in case of power cuts, Woolworth are selling a combined lantern, mobile phone charger and radio, and mozzie zapper, half price - £15 instead of £30.

HTH

GQ xxx

groatie_queen

I noticed that there were 12 sub-floor vents built into the walls of my house. It is not a big house but is detached. Now, I know the vents are there to allow the sub-floor spaces to breathe, and to prevent timbers from developing nasties like dry rot, but there has always been a sub-arctic feel to the floors in winter, despite carpet, underlay under the carpet, and heavy duty paper under the underlay. It seems that an awful lot of cold air has been swirling around and making the downstairs of the house, particularly at floor level, feel abnormally cold in winter.

So for the next few weeks only, till the early Spring, the vents are taped up with gaffer tape. The difference it has made is enormous, the floors no longer feel absolutely freezing, just normally cold on the kitchen lino, and I've been able to turn the TRV's down on all of the ground floor radiators. And have been able to stop wearing fingerless gloves indoors!

When the weather warms up again I'll take the tape off.

GQ

heather38

my mum has those. she doesn't tape them up but puts a piece of cardboard over them and tapes along the top leaving the bottom unstuck so the air can still circulate

Olliebeak

I can remember my grandparents house in the winter when I was young. We had a couple of steps up to the front door - so the downstairs floors were about a foot above the level of the ground outside the house. The parlour rug used to lift up when there were strong winds outside!

sammy_kaye18

WEll guys i have to give you a :T :T :T

i followed this thread and althoguh had all the best intentions i didnt really do much for winter other than sorting out the winter clothes and blankets for the sofas, wearing a jumper instead of putting heating on when just me in the house etc - literally that was it. Oh i got given some blinds from next door who was just going to bin them and put them up in my living room.

My gas bill for the 3 months over christmas was £75
My electric bill for the last 3 months over christmas was £103.

I think thats pretty bloody good myself! So now i am making a list of things i want to get sorted ready for winter - but doign them ealry - im thinking if i double insulate windows with extra curtains or lining etc then it will benefit in the summer with keeping cold air inside so we stay nice and cool and in winter with the cold air staying outand keeping us snuggly.

Wont be putting any double duvets on the beds in summer (if we have one) though but can get them washed etc i guess

rosieben

Sammy, you're very wise to start early and spread the cost.

If you have large single glazed windows think about using cheapy duvets as curtain linings; you should be able to pick up a cheap one for less than it would cost for linings.

demented_2

demented wrote: »

Hi, have found this thread late, Do you have any instructions on making the Wheat bags please? I think that i would love to make a couple of these.
Thanks a cold demented.

Hi again, I have now made my wheat bags, although i did make them with rice instead. Just make a square out of any old Cotton material. I made mine out of my sons old T shirt. Made a bag about 10 inches by 10 inches.
Sewed up 3 sides of it. Put in about 12 oz of cheapo long grained rice. sewed up the remaining side of the "Bag" and bobs your uncle. I haven't made a cover for them yet as my sewing machine is playing up. Nothing to do with the bags though. Anyway i just pop them into the microwave for 3 mins and they come out all nice and hot, they keep hot for ages, no going back to water bottles for me now. Just one thing, they do smell of cooked rice and feel damp for a short time. but not for long. Who ever posted the original instructions for the wheatbags thank you, you are a Star. I thought that i would post this as 3 of you guys wanted to know how to make them.

sammy_kaye18

thought i would
a) nto only give this thread a boost but
b) make my checklist for this year in anticipation of all the horrid cold weather thatn wales will no doubt be getting this winter

My little boy is starting school in september at that is usuall the beginning fo our rainy season so the last thing i want to do is having to have the heating on all day to keep the flat snuggly for when he gets in from school so need to get a shift on i think. The walk we have two school has two routes - through a park which has no drainage so is completely flooded and ends with a walk across a boggy football pitch, or down a main road which again floods, holds alot of surface water, and is the main bus route so we get splashed and soaked again. So either way we may end up ill this winter yet again.

Its raining here this morning and in a single glazed house that is no fun as it feels super cold, plus there is wind too so its shreiking through the place at the minute which all in all is not a nice feeling. Oh how i wish i could afford double glazing!

Oh well - its boyfriends birthday and its ment to be the first day of summer - yeah so am off to plan my 'to do' list before september rolls around and the horrid rain starts.

princesstippytoes

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

Oh well - its boyfriends birthday and its ment to be the first day of summer - yeah so am off to plan my 'to do' list before september rolls around and the horrid rain starts.

Sammy I have been watching for an up-date on teh "how do I get through to him thread" on the marrages and relationships thread. I'm glad you've sorted out your problems with your bf and your celebrating his birthday. :j Will you post on the other thread to let everybody know your back together because some of them are worried about you.

jcr16

glad this thread has been brought back up, i was only thinking about it last night. When i was frozen when i went to bed. would never know it june !!!!1 i'm gonna be better organised this year. as like sam, come september my little girl starts school, and my son at nursery. so i'll just have baby at home. so i am planning to make sure it nice and warm for when they come home, tired, wet and hungary