the ice man cometh! (merged with keeping warm)

Smiley_Mum

When I was a kid, the first sign of a decent snowfall and I'd be outside in it. Now, I'm the complete opposite as I feel the cold so much. My flat is usually pretty warm but if it's been frosty or has been snowing, then it's top to toe winter woolies. I recall flat sharing with a girl who was very tolerant of freezing temperatures, would wake up in the morning wandering around the place like puff the magic dragon, it was freezing. She'd be in a teeshirt and I'd be wearing a coat cooking the dinner. Needless to say we didn't flatshare for long.

Check this site out for fleecy pjs and they do international shipping too. :think:

http://www.dancestore.com/pajamacity/indexpjs.html

Sparklewing, if you lived nearby you could come round to mine for a cuppa and a warm.

nicki_2

We live in a drafty house as well. Here's what I have done so far :

1) Huge gaps around the doors of our house as well so I made door curtains out of two fleecy blankets I picked up in the charity shop - hooks above the doors, 2 garden canes and some sewing with wool later and I can keep out the draft most of the time. When it gets really cold (to the extent that I won't be going out into the yard) I use pushpins to pin the curtain on the back door to the door frame and then put stuff like paint cans and that against the bottom of the door to ensure the bottom hem is as close fitting and therefore draftproof as possible The front door I need to work on a solution for, especially making a panel in it so that the light can come through the window as its like night permenantly on our stairs otherwise!

2) Fit covers to all motice locks - small job but it does make a difference

3) Brush draftexcluder at the back of the letterbox, the type that is designed for that.

4) Brush draftexcluder on the bottom of the doors.

5) We have airbricks in the two back rooms upstairs but there was a howling gale through it so I covered them up with cardboard which had holes in it. Taped down it still allows some ventilation but also keep the wind (and in DD's bedroom the "spooky noises") to a minimum.

6) All of our windows have blinds, bedrooms have lined curtains (only one set was bought - other sets I made using white sheets stitched to the back of the curtain and then hemmed). Still working on finding a sheet big enough to do the livingroom curtains

7) I'll be sealing a draft that comes from a poorly boarded up fireplace (its plastered over but not very well at all) just above the skirting board with sealant/filler.

8) I have bought 13.5 tog Smartprice quilts from Asda which are very warma and cosy (Less than £7 for a single, Less than £9 for a double!) - summer quilts will be washed and then used as throws on the back of the sofa and chairs and doubling as blankets.

9) All cotton sheets have been put away and I've dug out flannel ones to put on all the beds - 2 per bed plus pillows makes a big difference to the temperature of your bed when you're between them with a winter quilt on. WARNING : If you do this you may never want to get out of bed

10) Layering of clothing is a quick and easy way to cut back on heating costs.

11) Buy a three in one coat (I got mine from Matalan last year or the year before) the fleece is great for autumninal days, the coat can be used for wet days and when together you can probably trek across Alaska :rotfl:

12) Hats - keeping your head warm will making a big difference, even if you only wear a baseball cap! I have to remember to take the hat off though when I go to the shops as they are banned in ALL shops in the area - I just look so lovely with a big red line across my face where I wear my baseball cap tight to keep it on! :eek:

13) Hiking boots keep you feet warm and have a great grip for those icy mornings, team them with hiking socks and you'll be all set

Thats all I can think off for now - but knowing me I'll think of some more

nicki_2

Just remembered one my great-nanna used to do to her airbricks - the ones which have an angled panel to hide the airbrick but still allow ventilation (These are the ones I have BTW) - she used to stuff the gap with crumpled up newspaper which allowed the ventilation but stopped the draft

Jay-Jay_4

I feel slightly smug


2 years ago I was living in an old stone house, in the middle of a field on top of a hill. It had sash windows and wooden doors and was FREEEEEZZZZZIIINNNGGGGG!!!! I even had to put cling film over my daughters bedroom window to stop the curtains blowing around. It was permanently cold in the bathroom and kitchen and getting dressed in the morning was a race against frostbite.

Then we bought this house, ripped everything out and installed double glazed windows, double glazed doors and central heating. This along with serious loft insulation and great carpet underlay means that the house warms up after having the heating on for 30 minutes. I set my heating to come on for an hour in the morning and that's enough for the whole day.

It helps that the sun shines through the window all day but you just can't beat decent double glazing/draught exclusion and central heating

Smiley_Mum

A big bowl of steaming, hot porridge in the morning set me up for the day too. Ready Brek wasn't bad either.



I remember when we were little getting dressed under the bedclothes on Winter mornings it was so cold. I came across some info on this website about keeping warm in Winter. Although it is to do with Winter camping there is some useful info in it.

http://www.macscouter.com/KeepWarm/keepwarm.html

calleyw

Just a couple of points.

If you have gas applicances like a gas fires then don't block the ventliation that you have it is there for a reason.

Nicki said "put stuff like paint cans and that against the bottom of the door to ensure the bottom hem is as close fitting and therefore draftproof as possible"

Sorry but to me that is very dangerous if you ever need to get out of the back door in in an emergency at any time of the day but let alone at night.

I don't think the emergency services would be very impressed either. Note I am not having a go but just stating my own opinion.

But then this comes from a woman who never puts her washing machine on while out or over night. As I know someone who's caught fire lucky it was during the day and while she was there.

Yours

Calley

MATH

I don't think it is as cold as the same time last year. Probably becuase it isn't as wet here and rain always makes you feel cold. We used to have an unwritten law that the heating didn't go on in the mornings until the first week of October and not on in the afternoons/nights untill at least two weeks after that. however, last year we had to break all records and put it on in the middle of September:eek: This year we have no heating on yet, I will change over to winter duvets tomorrow when I change the beds and have a couple of nice throws to pop on the sofas to snuggle into at night. Given the recent price hikes and our 30 year old boiler I dread to think what our gas bills will be like once it turns really cold (which it does out in the sticks).

Smiley_Mum

Here is a link which gives tips on building a high efficient/low emissions fire:

http://www.worldwise.com/howtobuilhig.html

Curry_Queen

Smiley_Mum wrote:

It said on the local news here today that apparently the electricity companies are struggling to keep up with the demand for power so we are likely to get blackouts this Winter.

Now that is scary!!! :eek:

Without electricity I can't keep my reptiles warm and if we get blackouts for long periods then they're really gonna suffer at our winter temps

Time for me to do a bit of forward planning I think and maybe stock up on some heat packs and hot water bottles, so thanks for the warning hun! :A


Edit: Oh and to those asking whose put their heating on yet, no I haven't, apart from one small radiator behind the snake tanks which comes on overnight just to take the night-time chill out of the air for them

caffeinehit

I don't like having to put the heating on if I'm in the house on my own. I have a lovely snuggly dressing gown from Gap (Christmas present), big furry slipper boots from M&S and a blanket to lie under on the sofa. Used together they negate any need for heating unless it's really cold outside.

And porridge in the mornings, with syrup and a sliced banana, is amazing.

My one annoyance is that I haven't yet managed to find a really good pair of gloves for my cycle into work. I think fingers get colder if you're moving fast and the exercise doesn't warm them up. It's only a short ride but even with two pairs of gloves on, my fingers are always really painful by the time I arrive. Any suggestions? Are leather gloves any good?