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.