I put it down to this being a tenement flat, with neighbours below, above, and to either side. Very kindly, what they spend on heating also helps to keep me warm. Moreover, the flat is kind of long and thin, with windows front and back, so there is very little actual outside wall. For an old flat without double glazing and with plenty of gaps between the floorboards, it is also surprisingly draft free. I guess these Victorians knew what they were doing when they built this place.
But winter is indeed i-cummin in, and if it is anything like the last two up here, I am going to have to look at some heat-saving ventures. Given that it is a rented flat and I will not be forking out on insulation any time soon, I need to do what I can with what I have. I can close the thick curtains in the living room, but the bedroom curtains are pretty thin, and there are only flimsy blinds in the kitchen and bathroom. I also read a tip about pinning a clear shower curtain over the window as a kind of secondary double glazing. It doesn't sound very attractive, but it might be worth a go if I can find such a thing cheaply enough.
And the other easy tip is draft excluders at the bottom of doors. I seem to have a surplus of towels, so maybe I could roll some up and tie them in place. I could even have a go at covering them. I have a strange zebra-striped blanket thing with sleeves that is falling apart, which might do the trick. Time to dig out the needle and thread, I think.
I did find this web page which has some very useful tips about staying warm in general. Some are bleedingly obvious, but others are more original. I especially liked tip number 16!
3 comments:
What website?
I am so glad your blog is back, Fran. It makes my heart happy.
x
I saw similar hints from a woman who lived in a very snowy part of USA. (Think snowed in and snow over gutters of outside garage. She recommended cling wrap or whatever you call it directly on window glass. She also made shutters at night for windows from cardboard covered on one side with aluminium foil. Foil inwards. And blinds. I don't think I would care for the look of either of these, but it doesn't get that cold down here so I can't really tell. Close blinds at night. It's all about layers, not only in clothing. Close off tops of curtains as this makes for circulation of air and creates a draught.
Down here we can buy rugs like a heated electric throw rug. They are not a cheap investment but use very little electricity. Having one of these does limit mobility! They cost about AUD$100 but peanuts to run.
However hint 16 is definitely the most appealing and one which I too would appreciate.
I 'double glazed' our dining room window with cling-film some years ago. Although its appearance lacks style, it has proved very effective - more so even than the DIY double glazing kits used in the other rooms by the previous owner.
I don't know if that would help you, as cling-film seems to have become thinner in recent years and may be too fragile for double glazing.
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