It's hot here

I should not complain. My conservatory is finally finished. So, when it is really really sunny, I might miss the opaque plastic. But hey, I can still open my big sun shade. Otherwise I am very pleased. I gained a new room.
I learnt something how not to clean it. Don't use a hosepipe to blast water on it from below. The whole system is constructed to protect against rain (that comes from above). Any water from the wrong direction will cause leaks.

Plastic? Me???

Just changed my mind. And all my apologies to the lovely people who sold me the high quality uPVC plastic windows. They led me out of the contract. Main reason is not that I fell out of love with plastic, the reason I am choosing timber is how the windows look in the room. I would loose the lovely frames. And they are so much part of the original look of the house. I ordered timber and will have to paint them every ten years again and again. (Hopefully).

Coldest March since 50 years

My birthday is in March. And never ever has it been so cold on this day. Met Office gave us a severe weather warning for the weekend to come. There will be snow, lots of snow. Partner is very happy, packed his car, and went of skiing.

Let the Sunshine out

For the last nine years I lived with a plastic roof over my conservatory. This made it nicely hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. Some days to go and this will get a double glazing, sun shielding new roof. I shall be actually able to use my conservatory in the winter. So I hope.

Rear Windows

Buying windows changes your view how you look at life. When I watch films I concentrate on the glass. I just went to Harrogate. Lovely windows there. I also knock on doors. In  the Cotswolds I spotted a lovely old building with quite beautiful windows. "They are plastic, aren't they?", I asked when a lady opened. "Oh yes", she replied, and looked at me suspiciously. Double glazing is not the best starting line for a conversation.

I am turning my House plastic

I moved into the house because I fell in love with the wonderful sash windows. I loved the slight unevenness of the glass, the old wood. And I spent quite a bit of money to get them restored.
Today, I just ordered uPVC windows, replaced the iron gutter with a plastic one. What happened?
 It just makes more sense. It is not the price of timber windows, which indeed look lovely, but they are giant beasts. Nothing has been learned. I would need a window cleaner with a ladder to clean them.

Beware of cold Bridges

I am learning quite a lot. It is actually not enough to insulate some walls you have to insulate all of them. And don't forget the floor and the roof. It is a bit like a teapot cozy. But beware:  If you leave just one gap open, the cold will squeeze into it with all its mighty force. They call it 'cold bridge'.
My house is actually a collection of cold bridges.

OH! NOOO! Planning Permission!

Why did I ask? I blame my job. Writing is such a lonely job. You start browsing the web. Feed some comments in a shallow article. And just out of pure boredom and also because you want to reach out for somebody you send of a little mail asking if you need planning permission. Planning permission to insulate an end of terrace wall that nobody sees but your neighbour. This is what loneliness does to you.
I totally forgot about this mail. But suddenly after four weeks the answer comes back.

Council tells me that I need a planning permission to cover my outside wall with something else than brick. Permission - if it will be granted - will take six weeks and cost 170 pounds. I could heat my house with this money.
While I am writing this I am looking at all the extension that don't need any permission at all. One of them is as big as three houses. The owner calls it a garden shed.

Encounter with Anglian and Everest

If you want double-glazing the two biggies Anglian and Everest head the list. Really easy to get an appointment via website.
Anglian calls back and swamps me with money off voucher. Great, because all the prices are already half price. "Half price of what?" I ask. "Of our standard price", I get the answer. I can't find any prices on the website.
"Do you live alone?", asks the lady of Anglian. "Why do you want to know?", I ask back. They want to have all the decision makers at the table, she explains to me. "We don't want to lose time by coming twice." I am only asking for an estimate. Anglian actually does not show up at all.
But the Everest man comes. He measures everything and is ready to give me a challenging price. He looks suspiciously at boyfriend who is sitting in the lounge and does not get up to join us. Everest man opens up the catalog and starts prep talk. Unfortunately he is half an hour late and I have to tell him to send estimate via mail. I never hear from him again.
Other people get pursued by Anglian and Everest. The easiest to get rid of them is to tell them you want to compare. 

It is so cold that my olive oil in the kitchen turned solid. Time to make a list.

Let's tackle the problem head on. Make a list. I really love my old timer sash windows. they were one of the reasons why I fell in love with this house. I really took good care of them, found a nice team that refurbished them and also draught-proofed them. But If I want to have it warm they have to go.
My conservatory has only a plastic roof. It is as cold in there as it is outside. Which would not be too bad, but the conservatory is connected to my kitchen. Ever experienced hard olive oil? That's what happens in the winter.
My house is an end of terrace house. And to be honest, close neighbours (they are lovely) on one side are just enough for me even though their snuggling up makes your house warmer.
Because I am replacing the windows I can just as well start with internal insulation. The walls have to be redone anyway. What about a new entrance door? Well, this can wait.

Seven degrees. And I am not talking about outside

Just woke up. And it is cold. Seven degrees. And I am not talking about outside. I am talking about my living room. Ok, outside it is -4, and even colder.
But where did all the warmth go. In the evening, with the help of radiator on full blast, coal and wood in the open fire place I brought the heat up to 18. But all the efforts vanished.