[happygolucky]

   Thanks for that too about humidity, it actually did not cross my mind .....the sun warms up the rooms so well!!! I too love the back door open, one house had a stable door at the back, that was brilliant, may try that again!!! I think the issue about getting cold is to do something before  you get to the stage when you do not want to do anything,  2 weeks ago I cleaned out the freezer, it now needs a proper clean but I cannot bring myself to stand there in the dark garage getting colder!!

[Alistair]

Whiskey keeps me warm

[in the hills]

You've missed the obvious solution HGL.


Lab. either side of you on the sofa  . Our lab pup has a big fat tum that's just like a hot water bottle and both ours love to be allowed some cuddle time on the sofa. They do really warm you up.

[happygolucky]

I do sit on the floor with the labs by the fire and I sometimes pick up the pup, they are so  lovely to cuddle I agree...but as I have got stiffer I find it harder to get up so often get my face licked or trampled on.   My idea of a wonderful cosy night is the labs around me by a big fire with my husband next to me (well sort of) and a bottle of nice whiskey......warm in all senses!

[tizaala]

Central Heating .......he looks familiar...!

[happygolucky]

  , very attractive BUT I do agree, warm!! I have been far too hot the last few nights due to big fires and me being so wrapped up, as I sit down I start to unwrap, the thermal under garments work very well!!  Not shaved my legs in years

[Bionic]

I have a pair of sheepskin indoor boots that I wouldn't be without. I am also crocheting a balaclava at the moment but that would look funny indoors methinks 


I was making it for when the snow comes and I am out feeding the animals. Problem is snow arrived today and I only started I the balaclava last night. 

[Bodger]

Brrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
This morning has seen the first bit of weather here that's been anything like being cold. We have wind, rain and sleet, my cup runneth over. I'm indoors at the moment warming my finger ends up. There are two fires lit in the house and I'm having a quick coffee before going out for the second round. So far, I've put the horses out into the paddock and given them hay. The stables have been mucked out and left spick and span. At this time of the year, I'm a four barrows full of poop a day man. I'm as regular as clock work.

The pigs have all been fed and extra straw added to their bedding. The ducks are also fed and sorted out for the day.

I'm trying to make this coffee last as long as possible, as I try to put off the inevitable. I still need to get out and feed all the chickens. This morning the hens will no doubt stick their heads out of their coops and wish that they hadn't bothered.
Chilly ! Chilly ! Chilly! Good luck and try to stay as warm and dry as you can.
 
PS. Nearly forgot, the answer to staying warm has got to be coffee and lots of it.

[happygolucky]

SNOW? get knitting pretty quick!!!!  I remember going out last year and I had my waterproof hat, then my parka hood over it and a big soft material scarf tied like a burka and I was so cosy I felt I was in my own world!!!  I would love to light  our fires but then I have to run in and out the rooms feeding them like a stoker on a steam train!!
Good luck keeping warm, today I am off for a long soak then the heating is going on low as we have a viewing....I am getting so excited!!

[Lesley Silvester]

I've been cold for most of the day, despite sitting next to the radiator. This one doesn't throw out a lot of heat. we had BG in to look at it under our contract with them and they said we needed a piece of equipment to filter out the muck in the system. It would only cost a fortune. I decided to wear an extra jumper.

[Spinningfishwife]

 We live in a very tall house that's right on top of a hill, completely exposed on three sides and I can tell within a few minutes of getting up which side the wind is coming from. So I've done my usual pre-winter walk round the house with a lit candle, after dark when I've closed all the curtains and doors. The candle is to look for drafts, it's amazing where drafts sneak in and stopping them up is a good way to keep the cold air out and the heat in.

We changed our windows to double glazed sash and case a few years back, at the same time as we got cavity wall insulation and that made a huge difference but I've still got full length thick lined curtains at all the windows and outside doors, draft excluders, draft sealant round every window gap and round the attic hatches and a baffle put up just below the big stair skylight. I've even blocked up unused key holes. It all helps. Condensation and ventilation? I air out the house every morning whatever the weather but we don't really get much condensation even if I don't. It's a big house with plenty of room for internal air circulation, I have an extractor fan in the kitchen and I only dry clothes in there and the adjoining dining room, if I dry indoors. The bathrooms only need five minutes with the windows open to air out.

[honeyend]

I have two properties 17miles apart in Cambridgeshire one is in a village. The farm is windswept and freezing, when we bought it I could not under stand why there were so many out buildings, mainly its to keep the wind out, so I was in hat, windproof coat with a fleece underneath. 30 minutes later working outside in the village, no hat, no coat and thinking about taking my fleece off in the sun.
 I think you should never under estimate the value of curtains, even thin ones are better than nothing but the are now selling them with thermal linings. If the suns not on the window you might as well have the curtains closed to keep the heat in.
 The house we live in at the moment is new and fully insulated so costs very little to heat, in fact most of the time I am too hot. I remember as a child waking up to frost on the bedroom windows and writing my name it, its a fairy story to my children.

[happygolucky]

Funny you mention curtains, our dogs live in a lean too wooden floored potting shed, I slept in it during the winter when we had pups and I have a thick curtain over the door so I can leave the door open a bit for them to get in and out during the day, and it's really good, it's actually very cosy in here room, they are warmer in there than I am inside if the heating is I off, thick curtains are brilliant, I found some hooks you can push into any fabric, I bought a single very thick throw and have that over our lounge door, the good thing is we have very thick stone walls, so heat does sty in, provided you put the heating on, we have rails around the tops of some walls, apparently they were for hanging heavy curtains around the walls, now that's a great idea in my opinion.  our bedroom is cold but we both get too hot in bed, but not good if you want to hang around in......I ham going to stay in the kitchen if it gets too cold, then I can do some cooking and eating....

[Louise Gaunt]

BG always tell you your system needs cleaning and want to charge a huge amount. We got our friendly plumber to do the system in my daughters house for about quarter the price BG quoted. And it has made a difference, the house gets lovely and warm, although it is in the middle of a terrace .

[happygolucky]

We came off BG as they would decommission our boiler as its old, they would not be able to buy the parts but we could, My ex is a plumber and says our boiler has very little that goes wrong on it and the bits that may go wrong can be bought very cheaply off the internet!!  I never forget years ago, not long after my dad  had died, my mum got BG in as her back boiler went off, it was a therma couple....they took a major part out as they said it was dangerous, she was so upset as she was then on her own, and also then had no form of CH, luckily my ex is a plumber so he soon sorted her out but that was then, they are still the same now, they have to put in parts that are made buy the manufacturer and if the manufacturer is no longer in business then they cannot put any other suitable parts in, a bit like only having VW parts in a car when others are virtually the same but cheaper!!   Our boiler broke down in a house we had before we moved, also several other people had the same problems with their combi  boilers, they had no money and neither did we but we went with out for a while as we did have an open fire, then got a local plumber to put a new boiler in, I have forgotten how much but around £1,000 or less when my friend was paying £3,000 for the same thing to BG..................