Winter draws on

[worms]

.

 

[Flyfisher]

Oh, and I demand to see people's lovely photographs of their homes and their environs in the still autumn light with crunchy carpets of leaves, virginia creeper ablaze, smouldering bonfires, etc. Pleeeeeese.

Can't do smouldering bonfires I'm afraid but I found this "first fire of the autumn" photo from a couple of years ago while sorting out my PC files (or trying to!). As you can see, we have a bit of a 'red thing' going on.

 

[JoceAndChris]

That looks lovely, so warm and cozy and a really sumptuous shade of red. I see you went for the White ceiling too-tricky decision but it looks right there with the fireplace. Think we might make ours orange as the Walls will be but I haven't decided yet.

Anyway, that's a beautiful room!

 

[Flyfisher]

Thanks. I think we probably copped out regarding the white ceiling, being worried about things getting too overpowering. Perhaps we'll be bolder with future decor schemes.

 

[Tom]

I think the white ceiling works rather well, looking at the picture anyway. It helps retain height on top of the large areas of red and reflects the light back into the room well. Very effective

Jaqy

 

[kats]

Its really interesting reading all the different ways that you all keep warm in the winter. My big victorian terrace is one of those that always feels colder inside than it is outside! As we are still in the process of renovation, much of the house is just bare walls and floors. I do try to keep my central heating bills down as much as I can because like most people at the moment we just can't afford it.
I have everywhere taped up to try and keep draughts from escaping from between the floors and skirting boards (where a gale force wind seems to blow). I also have throws in the living room and where my thermals constantly ( marks & spencers are great) thermal socks are great as well.
One thing I must do is get some heavy curtains to hang at the front door where it is always cold.
I wonder if you are like me though? when you have got all nice and cosy in your living room and need to go into another room for something (hot drink/toilet). I dread leaving the warmth of the living room and shiver my way out and back in as quickly as possible lol.
Jen xx

 

[worms]

So, many of us seem to agree that it is colder inside our houses than outside. I'd like someone to explain the physics of this to me, because it has me bewildered.

If it is colder inside than out, then that would suggest that the building is doing a good job of insulating the inside from the warmer air outside, so why doesn't the same happen in reverse when I warm up the inside of the house? It should then retain the heat quite well, shouldn't it? But no, one of my problems is that the house rapidly cools as soon as you stop adding heat. If the fabric of the building can shed heat that rapidly, it should be capable of absorbing the ambient temperature from outside just as quickly.

So is it down to differences in humidity giving us a different "feel" for the temperature or is there some mysterious heat sink in the house that I have yet to find?

 

[JoceAndChris]

I agree with you Worms. It appears to be a maddening situation where no matter what you do it's cold. In my case, I think it's the roof sucking up the heat. The hole in the wall in the dining room is not helping. But at least there are lots of nice fresh breezes and condensation doesn't hang around.

At the weekend I was in a barn conversion that was 22 degrees. New roof, (horrible), underfloor heating under hideous corporate carpet, awful new wooden windows killing all semblance to a barn. I enjoyed a brief respite of warmth, but am happy to come home to my cold authentic period property.

 

[Moo]

Our house (tall georgian windows, no double glazing, no curtains anywhere) is warmer inside in the winter and cooler inside in the summer.
Don't quite know why, but we must be doing something right.

 

[Ushy M]

At the weekend I was in a barn conversion that was 22 degrees. New roof, (horrible), underfloor heating under hideous corporate carpet, awful new wooden windows killing all semblance to a barn.

Joce, if the people you were staying with were friends, I DO hope they don't read this forum.... :wink:

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Moo, isn't your house part of a town terrace? Adjoining walls make a huge difference.

 

[Moo]

Yes, Joss, it is. And it also has lovely thick walls.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Ushy- don't worry- 12 of us rented a holiday home and sat round drunkenly criticizing it, all good fun and no hurt feelings.

Moo- jealous of your neighbourly heat and of Norwich in general too! Already got various sealants, plaster etc all over those new TK Maxx jumpers.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

It mystifys me as to how we were so warm and cosy in our Medieval house in the Holy Land, when we freeze in this 'downsize' in the middle of Bedfordshire. Thin walls, and big windows, ironic really. Oh yes,I forgot, the back of the house has those lovely upvc jobs that keep out the fresh air and makes everything damp. Hey ho, roll on next year when I can make a few more changes. Do you think upvc windows would ever 'drop out' by accident :roll:

 

[Tom]

Do you think upvc windows would ever 'drop out' by accident :roll:

I'm sure if they were hit hard enough with something rather heavy, they could be pursuaded to 'drop out' :lol:

Jaqy

 

[Penners]

I'm writing this in flimsy cotton

Well, you may be cold, but that's warmed me up nicely.

At the risk of sounding hugely patronising, I suggest going back to first principles.

1. Wear insulating clothing in layers. Probably the best thing next to the skin (oo-er) is silk. So good quality silk thermals should be your undercoat. Then build up on top with layers of... well, anything really. Cotton or wool shirts/sweaters, and so on. But I'm not a fan of man-made fabrics, unless they're the really high-tech (and expensive!) materials that are properly breathable. Generally, man-mades will not carry perspiration away from the skin, and you just end up feeling damp, cold and unpleasant.

Nowadays we have a tendency only to wear warm stuff above the waist. Don't neglect your legs and feet, and remember that a great deal of heat is lost through the head.

2. Keep the heat in the house. Try anything to stop heat loss from the building. Loft insulation, double glazing (maybe even just something cheap and temporary, such as http://www.goglass.co.uk/easyfix.pdf), draught strip, thick carpets, heavy curtains, etc.

3. Create heat. If you've made a fair fist of 1. and 2. above, you shouldn't need to heat the building too much. Wood is probably the cheapest fire fuel (carbon neutral, too), but try to make best use of it in a woodburner, rather than having open fires. If you can't do that, then you'll just have to resort to whatever heating method is available to you.

4. Exercise. From the "School Of The Bleedin' Obvious", the more you keep moving and exerting yourself, the warmer you'll be. (You owe me a tenner for that one, Chris. :wink: )

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Perhaps we should start a competition to design the best headwear for each room/task around the house, in our quest to keep warm.

I think I'll start with a cashmere tea cosy hat to wear whilst taking afternoon tea . Penners would look awfully dashing in a black trencher cap.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Perhaps we should start a competition to design the best headwear for each room/task around the house, in our quest to keep warm.

I think I'll start with a cashmere tea cosy hat to wear whilst taking afternoon tea . Penners would look awfully dashing in a black trencher cap.

I have a velvet smoking cap, which I sometimes wear while smoking.

And sometimes wear while fuming...

(Edit) and I'm sure I've posted this before, but:

 

[Penners]

Having no built-in capital insulation, I'm always interested in any suggestions for improved warmth up top. My collection currently includes a selection of vulgar baseball caps (given mostly by my children, and which I refuse to wear), an insulated lumberjack hat with earpieces (highly recommended for winter garden work) and a rather caddish flatcap.

I shall, however, give serious consideration to Joss's tea-cosy suggestion. And perhaps sport a lampshade as a hilarious Christmas jape. I can see my children rolling their eyes even now.

 

[Flyfisher]

My collection currently includes a selection of vulgar baseball caps (given mostly by my children, and which I refuse to wear),

You had me worried there for a moment, until I read parenthesised bit. I didn't have you marked down as a William Hague wannabe somehow. :wink: