New house, new problems...

[JoceAndChris]

Well, in the light of how much electricity we use on plug in heaters I think they're a drop in the ocean personally! Really not sure of the costs - will ask Chris.

Thanks worms - that explains it.

 

[Moo]

Thanks to all you kind people the restoration mists are beginning to clear and we have the dim beginnings of a plan emerging from the fog.

Still not certain about the cellar, which will need a bit more than the cursory glance it's had so far. Ideally we'd like to use it (as we do here in Norwich) as a laundry, with our washing machine and traditional drying racks. If it ends up needing the assistance of a dehumidifier it will still be cheaper than running a tumble-dryer.

The kitchen floor decision has now been made. Hurrah!
At the moment the ground level is about 8" below the hall floor, so we'd either have to have a step down or pay a fortune to have it filled in, and then wait for far too long for it to dry out. So it's going to be a suspended wooden one, with (if we decide to cover it) something flexible like lino or vinyl on top (point taken, Penners, about cracking tiles).

I'm going to take the kitchen walls back to bare brick below work-top height, and where they're not obscured by kitchen units I'm going to clad them with (ventilated) wainscotting.

As we'll be inhabiting (deliberate choice of words here - I don't think it could be described as 'living in') the house while all this is going on, we've decided to get the kitchen bit done before we attend to the bathroom, which still functions. Does that seem sensible?

And in between researching kitchens and bathrooms and suchlike we're gradually going through our cupboards and piling stuff in the hall ready for a local charity to take away. It really is amazing how much stuff we've accumulated (and forgotten) over the years.

 

[Penners]

As we'll be inhabiting ...the house while all this is going on, we've decided to get the kitchen bit done before we attend to the bathroom, which still functions. Does that seem sensible?

Definitely!

Keeping oneself well fed is far more important than personal hygiene.

Or is that just me? And perhaps the reason why I'm overweight and friendless?

 

[Moo]

Ah, diddums!

xxx

 

[jocelyn plummer]

It all makes good sense to me Moo, here's hoping for some decent summer weather to enable you to make use of your outside space whilst settling in. Hope the cellar works out well.
Keep posting! xx

 

[agbagb]

Still not certain about the cellar, which will need a bit more than the cursory glance it's had so far. Ideally we'd like to use it (as we do here in Norwich) as a laundry, with our washing machine and traditional drying racks. If it ends up needing the assistance of a dehumidifier it will still be cheaper than running a tumble-dryer.

You might want a rethink on dry clothes in the cellar and removing the moisture with a dehumidifier verses a tumble drier! I'm not sure how long the drying would take on rack in cold cellar but for an extreme example:

Tumble drier 2kw for 1 hour 75% heating cycle = 1.5kw/hrs (vented outside of course)
Dehumifier 0.8kw for 6 hours full blast = 4.8kw/hrs (assuming the cellar is also well ventilated, you'll be drying alot of air from outside as well)

And you'll have less ironing to do!

 

[Moo]

Oh, I don't do ironing! Everything's hung up very carefully (shirts and suchlike on hangers...) and I rely on body heat to remove any residual creases.

However, thanks for those comparative figures; definitely food for thought. Of course, we'll need to take a close look at the cellar first, but as it's really the only place for drying clothes in inclement weather, I'm really anxious to make it work. Do you think that a decent radiator would help?

 

[Lime]

I "do" ironing.
Anything not ironed always looks NOT ironed.
The point of this post?
The water collected by a compressor dehumidifier is ideal to use in a steam iron.

 

[agbagb]

If you insulated a space for drying and added a radiator then forced air through it with fan venting outside, it might work. Just a radiator in a cellar will waste a lot of heat in to the walls and ground outside. It's a tricky one but a tumble drier IMO is the best (current) option all round if it's not a good drying day outside.

 

[Flyfisher]

0.8kW for a dehumidifier sounds a lot. Ours is rated at 180W, though I don't really know how best to match the extraction capability to the size of the room.

My feeling about cellars is that damp is simply part of the deal (unless it has been fully tanked of course), so good ventilation is essential to avaoid staleness and excessive moisture build-up. That's not to say cellars can't be useful, just that they will never be completely dried out by heating or dehumidifying because the walls are sitting against an effectively infinite source of moisture. Drying out the cellar air will simply draw more moisture through the walls until things are back in equilibrium again.

But with good ventilation, clothes should still dry - even in cool conditions - though it'll take somewhat longer than in a tumble dryer.

Whether that's a problem will depend on your particular laundry arrangements. We have a couple of those 'lazy Susan' drying racks and our freashly washed clothes tend to remain on them until we need to wear them again. Given that this can be quite a few days, I'm not really sure how long they actually take to dry - but who cares as long as they are dry when needed? :wink:

(alert readers will have noticed the lack of references to ironing . . . . I'm glad to hear we're not alone, Moo!)

 

[JoceAndChris]

It's probably unfeasible to put a 2nd hand Rayburn down there, and they cost around 3k a year to run on oil , but our basement area is pretty warm and dry thanks to that, and I dry laundry on it continuously, as well as it heating the hot water, the rads, providing hot plates and a slow oven.

Ventilation is good down there as it's only partially sunk and there are a number of windows, and the kitchen door. The sunken cellars and basements under the main rooms would always have been a rather clammy working area I'm sure - aided of course by the fires and ranges!

With heat and ventilation you get good use out of a basement - I'm sure you can make it work for you Moo.

 

[Moo]

Yes, Joce - I think heat, ventilation and crossed fingers are our only option!

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Moo, surely there is not that much washing between the two of you to worry about the cost of occasionally using a vented tumble dryer? Of course, as Joce says, the good old heatstore that shall remain unidentified, does the ironing for you!! :wink: Catch 22 really!!