the ice man cometh! (merged with keeping warm)

flubberyzing

As an early Christmas present, my mum got me a draft excluder for my front door. You wouldn't believe the difference it seems to have made to the overall warmth of my whole house!

Until I went to put this excluder by my front door, I'd never noticed the draft that was whistling in underneath the door. Even though I have door curtain, it doesn't quite reach the floor.

I'd really recommend one. Particularly if you have an older house where the front door might not fit as well as it once did.

RAS

Thought I would resurrect this thread, as people need to be thinking about how to keep warm and a few weeks thinking could make a lot of difference if we have a cold snap.

Not sure if this has already been covered but let's start with keeping ourselves warm.

We are 200w heaters anyway, so make use of that heat to keep you warm.

The polar eskimo might well be driving a sledge in minus 50 degrees C but when they put a thermometer inside his traditional clothing, next to his skin it was a pleasant 37 degrees - body temperature.

I am not suggesting you acquire sealskins and polarbear fur but planning you winter wear can make all the diffference.

Think layers. Sort through the clothing and find the following:

1. sleeveless and short sleeved t-shirts and vests that are skin-tight, or maybe just a size of two too small? preferably long enough to tuck into your waistband.
2. Short and long sleeved tops that are well fitted, not quite tight.
3. Every day wear (what you want the world to see)
4. Anything that would be lose normally, so you can fit lots of .clothes underneath, including body warmers and fleeces.
5. Some clothes (fleeces, cardigans, sweaters) that are definately a size or two too big.

For your legs, look out footless tights, tight fitting leggings, thermal underwear and long johns. And leg warmers is you have them.

The basic idea is that you need something close to your skin to trap the warmth that your body exudes as close to it as possible, whether it is a vest or an old T-shirt. You keep that warm from escaping by adding more layers. and by tucking them in.

fuddle

what about feet in wellingtons? Any words of wisdom or corking ideas to keep feet warm that I might not have thought of? My mum swore that a carrier bag wraped around a socked foot before slipped into welly would suffice. I don't think it must have worked as I rememember my feet were really cold as a child.

Dippypud

fuddle wrote: »

what about feet in wellingtons? Any words of wisdom or corking ideas to keep feet warm that I might not have thought of? My mum swore that a carrier bag wraped around a socked foot before slipped into welly would suffice. I don't think it must have worked as I rememember my feet were really cold as a child.

Newspaper in the sole area of the welly and bubblewrap the lower leg (yours) when your put your welly on. Job Done

Pud

mama67

I've bought some fleece insoles for my wellies off fleabay

debtmess

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

They had nifty little kids' hot-water bottles with fleece covers in our local pound-shop the other day. I'd have bought one for myself if I didn't have one already

poundland currently have these again got one today for my feet for when watching the telly , nice size, im tempted to pop one under my coat on the school run

debtmess

RAS wrote: »

Thought I would resurrect this thread, as people need to be thinking about how to keep warm and a few weeks thinking could make a lot of difference if we have a cold snap.

Not sure if this has already been covered but let's start with keeping ourselves warm.

We are 200w heaters anyway, so make use of that heat to keep you warm.

The polar eskimo might well be driving a sledge in minus 50 degrees C but when they put a thermometer inside his traditional clothing, next to his skin it was a pleasant 37 degrees - body temperature.

I am not suggesting you acquire sealskins and polarbear fur but planning you winter wear can make all the diffference.

Think layers. Sort through the clothing and find the following:

1. sleeveless and short sleeved t-shirts and vests that are skin-tight, or maybe just a size of two too small? preferably long enough to tuck into your waistband.
2. Short and long sleeved tops that are well fitted, not quite tight.
3. Every day wear (what you want the world to see)
4. Anything that would be lose normally, so you can fit lots of .clothes underneath, including body warmers and fleeces.
5. Some clothes (fleeces, cardigans, sweaters) that are definately a size or two too big.

For your legs, look out footless tights, tight fitting leggings, thermal underwear and long johns. And leg warmers is you have them.

The basic idea is that you need something close to your skin to trap the warmth that your body exudes as close to it as possible, whether it is a vest or an old T-shirt. You keep that warm from escaping by adding more layers. and by tucking them in.

Thank you Ras x im planning on leggins for under jeans this winter, up until recently i had no idea why i brought myself the pink blue and brown leggins from a very cheap jane norman sale (2 quid a pair) but looking at it this way i have 4 sets of warmth for under my jeans, the vest tops i put away are coming out again as last years vests past there best (in fact my vests were a good 4 years old, not been near primark for anymore, however vest tops will do just the job)

WartimeScrapingofMarmite

calleyw wrote: »

I have just been looking up solar heat catchers.

I might have a try at making one to put in the windows and see what happens.

Google it very interesting and not to hard to make by the looks of it.

Yours

Calley

Thanks Calley, just Googled that and you're right, looks easy enought to make. We have big french doors at the front of the house which are great in the summer but blinkin' freezin' right now....I might have a go at the heat catchers for this window, got everything needed in the garage so it won't cost a penny!:money:

bluebag

WartimeScrapingofMarmite wrote: »

Thanks Calley, just Googled that and you're right, looks easy enought to make. We have big french doors at the front of the house which are great in the summer but blinkin' freezin' right now....I might have a go at the heat catchers for this window, got everything needed in the garage so it won't cost a penny!:money:

I have used them for years, it's quite amazing how much heat they give out.

Another one I use is colums of empty pop cans all with both ends cut out and stacked 5 high and 5 rows wide all taped together into rows of long tubes.

You punch holes in the sides of the bottom row of cans to allow the air to enter through the bottom of the tubes. Paint the whole thing matt black and stand in a sunny window.

The air goes into the bottom get heated and convection drives the warm air out of the top.

Getting the sun to shine however is a little more difficult!

Fruball

I am struggling to find these hm heatcatchers... despite lots of googling.. anyone able to provide a link?

I am loving the bubble wrap on my single glazed kitchen door - plus a fleece curtain... Lived here for over 10 years and never known the kitchen be warm until a few days ago

kids have a fleece on top of them, under their duvet and are toasty in there when I check them

I have even got windows open atm as I am sooooooooooo not used to the kitchen being warm.... Must adjust heating to accomodate new cosy kitchen