Winterizing the home.
- Thread starter Woody girl
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If you only have a plain drill you have to use it or not do the job. I have a number of times had to take a break to cool the bit down before completing the hole. Not great but my dril is quite old and was not a fancy one by even the standards of the day back then. A house warming present from a dad who knew I was not the DIY type so didn't see the point of getting anything good.
Mind you his drill was an old metal B&D corded one (no such thing as battery ones back then and it was orange not the usual B&D green. They were well made back then even the domestic models. It did not have hammer action but seemed to do very well in most stuff. It was older than me!
Mind you his drill was an old metal B&D corded one (no such thing as battery ones back then and it was orange not the usual B&D green. They were well made back then even the domestic models. It did not have hammer action but seemed to do very well in most stuff. It was older than me!
Off topic but:
I love the old B&D drills.
I still have the one that I bought when we moved into this house 47 years ago. I’ve repaired the switch, fitted new bearings and new lead several times. Chucks of various types are consumables. I’ve fitted replacement motors and motor parts in a couple of them.
I have ten (I think) now, of various wattages and vintages. They are all corded. I have just one old battery drill and it’s not B&D. Cord = grunt.
Even my lathe is a B&D attachment.
In my father’s home we had a big mirror - about four feet by four feet. It took two of us to lift it safely. That was held up by rag bolts and rested on a couple of six inch 12 screws sticking out of the wall.
@Woody girl
You probably have done this but I’d check the rings / wire mounting as well.
I love the old B&D drills.
I still have the one that I bought when we moved into this house 47 years ago. I’ve repaired the switch, fitted new bearings and new lead several times. Chucks of various types are consumables. I’ve fitted replacement motors and motor parts in a couple of them.
I have ten (I think) now, of various wattages and vintages. They are all corded. I have just one old battery drill and it’s not B&D. Cord = grunt.
Even my lathe is a B&D attachment.
In my father’s home we had a big mirror - about four feet by four feet. It took two of us to lift it safely. That was held up by rag bolts and rested on a couple of six inch 12 screws sticking out of the wall.
@Woody girl
You probably have done this but I’d check the rings / wire mounting as well.
Lovely sunny day today, so did a bit of tidying in the garden.
Two bin liners of rubbish for the tip, as I've no more composting room. The tardis lid is just resting on top of it and won't click into place. So it's the tip for the rest.
Sorted out all my plastic plant pots and have a bagful for the lady who grows and sells plants in the market. I'm only keeping the old fashoned pottery type ones.
I have a bonfire ready to go this evening, and my hanging baskets are down and emptied ready for next year.
Still plenty to do out there, I need to finish weeding the veg beds and mulching them with cardboard, which stops the weeds and the cats using them as a litter tray while they are empty. Still one bed producing leeks, artichokes, sprouts, and chard, so a quick weed and re net tomorrow.
Last cut of the grass, and I'm done, bar sorting out the tayberry which realy took off this year, and is tangled all through the budlia tree. I'm putting that job off! Plenty of time to prune that back though.
So the garden is almost winterised. Time for a rest and a cuppa.!
Two bin liners of rubbish for the tip, as I've no more composting room. The tardis lid is just resting on top of it and won't click into place. So it's the tip for the rest.
Sorted out all my plastic plant pots and have a bagful for the lady who grows and sells plants in the market. I'm only keeping the old fashoned pottery type ones.
I have a bonfire ready to go this evening, and my hanging baskets are down and emptied ready for next year.
Still plenty to do out there, I need to finish weeding the veg beds and mulching them with cardboard, which stops the weeds and the cats using them as a litter tray while they are empty. Still one bed producing leeks, artichokes, sprouts, and chard, so a quick weed and re net tomorrow.
Last cut of the grass, and I'm done, bar sorting out the tayberry which realy took off this year, and is tangled all through the budlia tree. I'm putting that job off! Plenty of time to prune that back though.
So the garden is almost winterised. Time for a rest and a cuppa.!
You have been busy.
I took a couple more bags to the charity shop, -I found one I can (mostly) depend upon to be taking things.
Still going round after my Father turning off the heating.
He has this thing about damp towels.
it is not my electricity bill either.
I took a couple more bags to the charity shop, -I found one I can (mostly) depend upon to be taking things.
Still going round after my Father turning off the heating.
He has this thing about damp towels.
it is not my electricity bill either.
Don't be too hard on him. It's his way and it works for him, though I tend to hang towels on a radiator airer that are dead cheap. They hook over the radiator and you hang the towels on that, which means the radiator is not working so hard to heat the room as more warm air is released into the room, which means you can turn the heating down a bit for the same amount of warmth.. Might be an idea to get one for him.
Wouldnt work; Central heating gave up yonks ago and he now has electric spot heaters.
(He was shocked when he found my Nesting Box in Scotland had HOT water...)
Lets not go onto the issue of appliances in the bathroom....
(He was shocked when he found my Nesting Box in Scotland had HOT water...)
Lets not go onto the issue of appliances in the bathroom....
It's that time of year again.
The nights are getting chillier, last night we lit the log burner in the sitting room for the first time this year. Only for a couple of hours, but still. We have had the (mains gas) central heating on for an hour a couple of times this week too.
Today I had my winter load of coal delivered. All bagged and under cover so doesn't deteriorate. Also stocked up on "firelog" briquettes last month, summer price is only 2/3 of the winter price, and got some bags of wood "ends" that thefuel cash-and-carry sells (they are the offcuts from the tidy sized stuff they deliver in the towns). The ends work out great value. It's a big outlay up front, but this is about the last month to buy solid fuel in before the prices increase due to winter demand.
Need to get a couple more bags of the lignite blocks I use in the log burners. They last ages, good consistent heat. I have a couple of bags, but another couple won't go amiss.
Finally been putting curtains up too, one of those jobs that was being put off, but getting it sorted. Needed to buy curtains for the whole place, M&S thermal curtains seem good value. Currently altering lengths on some of the sets so they tuck neatly behind radiators. The actual house is generally fine as all windows and doors were replaced as part of the refurb.
I will spend a couple of hours in the stream tomorrow, removing summer foliage out of the "overflow" part, clearing gratings and making sure I can access the gratings easily. WIll also re-dig the channels which divert the overspill from the natural pond/swamp on the other side of the fence into the stream.
GC
The nights are getting chillier, last night we lit the log burner in the sitting room for the first time this year. Only for a couple of hours, but still. We have had the (mains gas) central heating on for an hour a couple of times this week too.
Today I had my winter load of coal delivered. All bagged and under cover so doesn't deteriorate. Also stocked up on "firelog" briquettes last month, summer price is only 2/3 of the winter price, and got some bags of wood "ends" that thefuel cash-and-carry sells (they are the offcuts from the tidy sized stuff they deliver in the towns). The ends work out great value. It's a big outlay up front, but this is about the last month to buy solid fuel in before the prices increase due to winter demand.
Need to get a couple more bags of the lignite blocks I use in the log burners. They last ages, good consistent heat. I have a couple of bags, but another couple won't go amiss.
Finally been putting curtains up too, one of those jobs that was being put off, but getting it sorted. Needed to buy curtains for the whole place, M&S thermal curtains seem good value. Currently altering lengths on some of the sets so they tuck neatly behind radiators. The actual house is generally fine as all windows and doors were replaced as part of the refurb.
I will spend a couple of hours in the stream tomorrow, removing summer foliage out of the "overflow" part, clearing gratings and making sure I can access the gratings easily. WIll also re-dig the channels which divert the overspill from the natural pond/swamp on the other side of the fence into the stream.
GC
I too have been getting ready for the onset of the colder weather. The Multi-Fuel Stove has been given its annual service, new fire ropes and gaskets, checked the firebricks, cleaned all the ash out, swept the flue and cleaned the glass. Also reblacked the stove but will wait until the weekend to have a smallish fire in there as it requires me keeping the room doors open for an hour or so while the blacking cures.
I think I have enough split oak, smokeless ovals and peat briquettes to last us through, been promised some dried Ash and Hornbeam so I'll need to find room for that outside somewhere. Not had to put the central heating on yet but the boiler has been serviced so we are good to go there. Windows have been cleaned inside and out and the winter weight curtains hung.
We are fairly fortunate that the house (in winter) normally runs around 15c without heating and retains heat fairly well, we just use the central heating for the morning and will use the Multi-Fuel stove of an afternoon and evening. Out comes the big Le Creuset (no30) Dutch oven and stews, curries, pot roasts etc all happily cook away on top of the stove, we also have a cast iron jacket potato cooker that sits on top too.... well if I'm heating the house I might as well save on the gas bill too
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I think I have enough split oak, smokeless ovals and peat briquettes to last us through, been promised some dried Ash and Hornbeam so I'll need to find room for that outside somewhere. Not had to put the central heating on yet but the boiler has been serviced so we are good to go there. Windows have been cleaned inside and out and the winter weight curtains hung.
We are fairly fortunate that the house (in winter) normally runs around 15c without heating and retains heat fairly well, we just use the central heating for the morning and will use the Multi-Fuel stove of an afternoon and evening. Out comes the big Le Creuset (no30) Dutch oven and stews, curries, pot roasts etc all happily cook away on top of the stove, we also have a cast iron jacket potato cooker that sits on top too.... well if I'm heating the house I might as well save on the gas bill too
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Please don't burn lignite, also known as brown coal, also known as peat. It produces a lot of harmful tars, sulphur, and nasties that will, not may, damage your stove and chimney, and put out into the atmosphere lots of very unpleasant heavy metals and poisons, plus leaving the same in the ash. Because of its moisture content and contaminants it is a poor inefficient heating medium.
It is heavily used in the EU/parts of the US, for power production, with associated surrounding area pollution, quite apart from the environmental impact of the strip mining.
It is heavily used in the EU/parts of the US, for power production, with associated surrounding area pollution, quite apart from the environmental impact of the strip mining.
I am not burning lignite coal or peat. The "lignite briquettes" are not actually lignite coal...... they are manufactured from wood waste and they are a low-tar, low sulphur fuel for use in woodburners/multifuel stoves. Here is the stuff: https://www.djdaviesfuels.co.uk/shop/firelite-lignite-briquettes-20kg
I think they call them that because they are made from wood. They were recommended specifically by our stove fitter/sweep as they are low sulphur and burn clear with no tar. Basically compressed wood- more compressed than the usual wood waste briquettes.
You cannot buy lignite (brown) coal in UK these days, in fact I don't think you can buy ordinary housecoal any more, all solid fuels must be clean burn (unless of course you do the "environmentally friendly" thing and salvage old wood of dublious provenance and burn it damp.....
). The selection of solid fuels from the local retailer is quite a strict range: no house coal, only smokeless fuels, manufactured low emission briquettes and kiln-dried wood.Arguably, multifuel stoves (my "log burners" are actually multifuel stoves) are rather more acceptable than woodburners, as the newer ones when used with "approved" fuel (which is all you can buy from reputable solid fuel retailers these days) burn very cleanly. The particulates come from older woodburners especially when using wood that is not dry enough.
I am well aware of the lignite coal issue, not just lignite but also the other types of high-volatile coal burned around the world to generate power e.g. in Germany.... or China.... [places our manufacturing goes due to our artificially high UK energy bills- all in the name of net zero.... madness!]
Incidentally, the Anthracite mined in south Wales is the cleanest and lowest sulphur in Europe if not the world. It is such good quality that most production from the small drift mine goes to make filters for desalination plants- only a small amount is available in the local area as solid fuel. (I can attest to how clean it is, hardly any clinker and a very clean burn with little ash). That's why the mine has survived.
GC
Extra blanket on the bed tonight. Still have the window open so it's a bit chilly early am. The wool duvet is back from the cleaners, aired out and ready to go back on the bed, but my energy levels are still low, so don't feel up to the duvet cover tango. Just bung on a blanket. Done.
Normaly I'm busy this time of year foraging, filling the freezer and getting stuff done, I've not got the energy at the moment due to this stupid post viral fatigue.
I'm having some nice new pir lights fitted front and back next week to add to my security for the darker winter nights.
Bought a camera for the front, when I got it home, found out it was an interior one. Duh! Back it goes. I've absolutely no idea what I'm doing with modern tech.
I've found my thermals, and put them in the top drawer ready for the chilly days, and knitting some new woollen socks.
That's the lot for now. There is plenty of kindling and smokeless fuel, ready for those cosy evenings beside the fire, soup in the slow cooker.
That'll do pig. (For now, anyway)
Normaly I'm busy this time of year foraging, filling the freezer and getting stuff done, I've not got the energy at the moment due to this stupid post viral fatigue.
I'm having some nice new pir lights fitted front and back next week to add to my security for the darker winter nights.
Bought a camera for the front, when I got it home, found out it was an interior one. Duh! Back it goes. I've absolutely no idea what I'm doing with modern tech.
I've found my thermals, and put them in the top drawer ready for the chilly days, and knitting some new woollen socks.
That's the lot for now. There is plenty of kindling and smokeless fuel, ready for those cosy evenings beside the fire, soup in the slow cooker.
That'll do pig. (For now, anyway)
Indeed. I am glad it's not just me that dreads wrestling with the duvet cover!
I have my extra quite on top of the bed now, but at some point I will need to extract my winter duvet from its storage case under the bed (It's a M&S duvet, and they rather helpfully supplied it in a zipped case which is ideal to store the duvet when not in use over the summer).
GC
Glad to hear you're well up on this, don't know why they call it that then. Sorry if that sounded like me sounding off.
As a stove installer I get lots of crap thrown at stoves and air pollution, by ill or totally misinformed eco twats, so words like Lignite make me twitch. As a lifetime pragmatic environmentalist I do care, and would never claim that stoves are perfect, but they really are a pretty good option if used correctly. - Which you clearly do!.
Well I finally cleared the stream overflows...... I ran out of time on Saturday, and we had, ah, a wee bit of rain yesterday..... over an inch in a couple of hours, maybe more. The stream came up as high as I've seen it since the storms of last February, the makeshift "diversion dam" I cobbled together then was doing sterling work.
It went down quickly (the main high spike of water is over within an hour of the rain stopping), and by today the levels were down enough that it was safe to get my wellies on, get a spike (drainage spade) and bushhook, and do a bit of "hydraulic engineering." There's another dump of rain forecast on Wednesday so I didn't want to wait until the weekend.
There was enough flow in the stream to see where it wants to go, so I can make use of that and nudge that to where it needs to go. Where it enters the property, the landowner the other side hasn't cleared it and there's a natural pond formed in what is naturally regenerated woodland- bit like a beaver pond-and the pond outlet now wants to be a foot to the left of the pipe where it "should" come through. I reckon the previous owner used to manage it, the fence there is a very scant 2 rows of new barbed wire. That will be coming out so I can keep the channels the other side clear when the leaves come down.
I also found when clearing the overflow that there was a proper concreted slope and guideway under 6" of soil. I reckon that's 3 or 4 years of silt built up. It will work much better now! The stuff I took out I used to reinforce my diversion dam (which is still doing well, amazing what you can do with a couple of scaffolding planks, a heap of fine shingle/silt from the stream bed, a spade and some motivation).
The previous owner was very clever in a practical way. There's drains all over, we found most of them when we did the refurb..... and the overflow system he built is ingenious. I couldnt figure it out until the first time I saw the flow after a storm, thing is it goes down an hour after the rain stops, so you only see it if you're there at the time.
GC
It went down quickly (the main high spike of water is over within an hour of the rain stopping), and by today the levels were down enough that it was safe to get my wellies on, get a spike (drainage spade) and bushhook, and do a bit of "hydraulic engineering." There's another dump of rain forecast on Wednesday so I didn't want to wait until the weekend.
There was enough flow in the stream to see where it wants to go, so I can make use of that and nudge that to where it needs to go. Where it enters the property, the landowner the other side hasn't cleared it and there's a natural pond formed in what is naturally regenerated woodland- bit like a beaver pond-and the pond outlet now wants to be a foot to the left of the pipe where it "should" come through. I reckon the previous owner used to manage it, the fence there is a very scant 2 rows of new barbed wire. That will be coming out so I can keep the channels the other side clear when the leaves come down.
I also found when clearing the overflow that there was a proper concreted slope and guideway under 6" of soil. I reckon that's 3 or 4 years of silt built up. It will work much better now! The stuff I took out I used to reinforce my diversion dam (which is still doing well, amazing what you can do with a couple of scaffolding planks, a heap of fine shingle/silt from the stream bed, a spade and some motivation).
The previous owner was very clever in a practical way. There's drains all over, we found most of them when we did the refurb..... and the overflow system he built is ingenious. I couldnt figure it out until the first time I saw the flow after a storm, thing is it goes down an hour after the rain stops, so you only see it if you're there at the time.
GC
Finally swept the chimney* and serviced the wood burner on Friday, and lit for the first time yesterday. I deliberately left it later in the year as we tend to light the fire too early and end up burning through the wood pile before spring truly arrives.
*As I can peer up the chimney I removed several hibernating butterflies first.
*As I can peer up the chimney I removed several hibernating butterflies first.
