Heating Georgian apartment

jtthom

Been living a year in a Georgian two room apartment and I just remember the difficultly I had in trying to heat the two rooms during the winter months. There's just the two storage heaters in the place, one in each room, and they cost a fortune to run (and the heat doesn't last). Unfortunately the fireplace is all boarded up so that's not an option. Any tips on cutting costs and keeping some of the heat in? Or is it storage heaters all the way?

pinkypinky

Are you renting?

If so, then it's difficult because all the obvious things (replacement windows, insulation) can't be done without owner's permission.

I worked in a Georgian office once and we used to stuff tissue into the window cracks to try seal it up - not ideal because then the windows couldn't be opened, but it did make a difference.

TheBandicoot

What did people do in Georgian times?

Michael D Not Higgins

TheBandicoot wrote: »

What did people do in Georgian times?

Have fires

pinkypinky

They used fireplaces, which the OP said isn't an option.

jtthom

Sorry, yeah I'm renting. And sealing the windows isn't ideal as like you said, not able to open them really! I did try some window sealant before and but with cooking and what not, it was too much hassle.

Michael D Not Higgins

A tip for you OP, try not to heat the apartment but yourself. This isn't always practical, e.g. when having guests over, but wear a thick jumper indoors, keep a blanket on the couch for wrapping up in, have a cup of tea. They're all cheaper than storage heating. Also, if the windows have shutters, close them over when you can at night and open them if the windows face the sun during the day.

o1s1n

In our last place like this I taped all the living room windows closed in the winter with insulation tape.

The windows were particularly bad and it made a huge difference.

sarkozy

I've lived in cold, old houses most of my life, until finally we renovated ours. Insulation, but we'll see how that performs.

It's just heartbreaking to know you're frittering away your money heating a room that oozes heat from every pore. Last winter was really tough for us, and we were lucky in the sense that we had working central heating, but any heat we could keep in vanished once the heating went off. We just couldn't afford to keep heating the house.

Our only real solution, apart from sitting right up against rads, was to wrap up warm indoors. I got a down sleeveless vest/jacket to keep my body temperature up, which made me feel the cold less in my extremities. We'd often have a blanket around us watching TV. We'd have hot water bottles with us. We'd get undressed under the bedclothes. Cooking helped because that warmed up the kitchen. Sometimes, we'd have a shower just to feel warm. Only very occasionally, we'd light a fire. It was hell, really. But that's what people in these old houses used to do, other than sit around the range in the 'warm room' (i.e. kitchen).

Storage heaters are terrible at the best of times, but in old houses, they're next to useless. You might be able to find highly efficient electrical heaters (they're expensive, but look into the Dyson heaters). But beyond draught-proofing those windows and wrapping up, if you're not going to buy another heater, wrap up.

dudara

We've lived in a Georgian apartment for 8 years now, with similar description to yours. Remember that the Georgians managed to live in them just fine.

(1) Do your windows have wooden shutters? Leave the shutters & open during the day to capture the sunlight. Those large windows are great for warming a room. Once it gets dark, close the shutters and the curtains. This will keep a lot of the heat in. If you can't do this because of work, then leave the windows shuttered and curtains drawn during the day.

(2) Make sure to keep internal doors closed during the winter months, and get draft excluders for the bottoms of doors.

(3) Wear jumpers and have fleece throws for when you're sitting watching TV.

Even people in well insulated houses should do all of the above, but these old houses require a bit of vigilance. We also had a 4-bar heater for focussed heat, when the storage heaters just weren't enough.

sarkozy

Heh, this reminds me of the time I lived in a foreign country which got very, very cold in winter nighttime (not so bad during the winter day). Houses were cold, uninsulated, draughty, no central heating or internal fire. Often they were colder inside than outside! I have a bunch of memories sitting literally between two electric oil radiators and in front of a gas bottle fire, wrapped up in a blanket, just to not feel awful. I carried those rads all around the house wherever I went!

We actually don't have it so bad!

As dudara said, of course, heavy curtains and shuttering the windows helps a lot, too.

Thargor

Electric blankets are great and run for about 2 cent an hour, they made all the difference to me surviving in a house with no heat all Winter in Galway a while back. Also keep an eye on p[laces like Aldi, Currys, PC world, woodies etc for large sheets of thick clear plastic, sealing windows up with these for the winter can be the equivalent of double or triple glazing. Heating yourself instead of the apartment is the way to go.

fash

Heavy curtains on the windows ( and use them at night), electric blankets (climbing into a toasty bed from a cold room is amazing- the one thing I miss from my cold apartment),
Plastic sheeting on windows if possible/appropriate- used a lot in London where there are huge old single glazed windows.

Diane Selwyn

I lived in a Georgian for a while too but luckily had the use of the fireplace. I had a small fan heater that I used to put on for a few minutes in the mornings just to take the chill off the air - I don't think they are actually very expensive if you just use them for a short blast of heat now and then. The landlord had also supplied an oil column heater and in the very cold weather I used to put it on a timer so the place would be a bit warm when I got in. I really found that it made a difference if the flat below mine was empty but unfortunately there is not too much you can do about that.

Slunk

Have the same issue myself. Have the electric heaters but to be honest they are just like throwing money away. There are bay windows in our room and the radiators are under them and when you close the curtains the radiators are behind the curtains. Absolute idiots. Can try mash the curtains behind the Rad but only go in so far.
Believe it or not, onesies keep you quite warm and penny's also have a range of fleece blankets of varying thickness from €6-€16 euro. Good thick socks or big slippers are a must too

The_Conductor

Very interested in this topic.
Note- house is a listed building- so upgrading the windows etc- is a no-can-do......

Any suggestions welcome.

Note- it is being renovated at the moment- so if there is to be extra insulation or whatever installed- now is the time to do so- but conscious of the listed status etc.

Michael D Not Higgins

The_Conductor wrote: »

Very interested in this topic.
Note- house is a listed building- so upgrading the windows etc- is a no-can-do......

Any suggestions welcome.

Note- it is being renovated at the moment- so if there is to be extra insulation or whatever installed- now is the time to do so- but conscious of the listed status etc.

What I've seen in one listed building here is an interior window that fits into the inside frame which provides more insulation. Not sure how easy that is to do as I only saw that in one flat.

NicsM

This will be my 3rd winter in a Georgian apartment - storage heaters are necessary but a waste of money unless you can retain some of their heat.

Like others have said, heating yourself is the best way to go but some sort of draught excluders will make a huge difference. I got one of those cushioned ones from TK Maxx last year and my room noticeably warmed up as a result.

Another good tip is thermal curtain lining, we have really heavy curtains already but this year we're thinking of adding thermal lining to see if it helps.

Brussels Sprout

sarkozy wrote: »

Heh, this reminds me of the time I lived in a foreign country which got very, very cold in winter nighttime (not so bad during the winter day). Houses were cold, uninsulated, draughty, no central heating or internal fire. Often they were colder inside than outside! I have a bunch of memories sitting literally between two electric oil radiators and in front of a gas bottle fire, wrapped up in a blanket, just to not feel awful. I carried those rads all around the house wherever I went!

We actually don't have it so bad!

As dudara said, of course, heavy curtains and shuttering the windows helps a lot, too.

This wasn't New Zealand was it? I couldn't believe it when I was over there. No central heating in almost all of the houses despite the fact that in winter it gets way colder than it does over here. Everyone uses electric heaters. There are even houses made of wood with corrugated iron roofs in the capital city. It's like they're in denial about their climate.

...__...

something I seen called secondary glazing
Its a sheet of thick glass that sits over your existing window held in by a magnetic strip so in summer etc you can take it off easy enough. that will stop the draught from the windows. and its not expensive i had my windws done for around 70 a window.

The door options are tape up the keyhole (or get the keyhole draught excluder only 5 euro or less) big heavy curtain and draught excluders both the underdoor type and the draught tape that goes around the inside of the frame.

If you have an attic insulate on top of it.
reflective radiator foil behind the heaters.
also look at getting a night meter people install storage heaters without doing this its a waste of money if you dont get the benifit of the night rate. (do the esb even do this anymore??)
also look at using a more energy efficent heater like a 2kw oil filled rad on a timer set for every 30 mins or so.
esb have an appliance calculator have a look at did power city etc and work out your energy costs its worth noting if you can heat your place for 20 euro a week on electric thats roughly the same price as a bag of coal so dont think you will be saving having the fire you can set the electric by a timer and have the house warm for when you come home unlike open fires stoves etc.

if things get bad wear a hat and heavy layers thermal tee shirts and cardigans ive found the thermal clothes to be a lifesaver last december.

leave the oven door open when your finished it will spread heat out.

insulating paint but ive seen mixed reviews abouut this and its **** expensive i mean serious price for it.

and a positive attitude is most important remember your living there for a reason if you wanted you could move to a swanky house with central heating and join all them posh people but you live in your place for what ever reason you choose!!!