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Insulation experiments

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Tacky, tacky, tacky.

Yes, they are towels.

First, regarding my heating experiments, the parts of the house where we actually live and work are quite comfortable. Don’t ask Lloyd.

Second, I believe I covered the whole heating/insulation/plastic-over-the-windows-is-a-joke topic last year.  I had a comforter over the windows last year, and am trying towels nailed and clamped with hair clips.  Nobody sees these windows except us.  And Brad – but he doesn’t care.

Third, I am certifiably crazy.  I’ve been keeping track of our gas bills for the past three years.  Having a low heating bill has become a game, and I’m gonna win.

Fourth: Laugh all you like. It’s 11 degrees warmer on this side.

It may look cold, but it really is.

Holy smokes!

And for my mom, don’t fret.  I’m typing this at the computer and it’s much warmer where I’m sitting.

Taming the wind

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It was a very strange day, what with not talking and all.  Samith came over to borrow our truck, and I think I said five sentences.  Strange.

Anyway, it was a fairly productive day.  I worked on my accreditation stuff for school, did a little housework, and taped off the downstairs guestroom.  You heard me right – tape.

Ignore that strip of whatever that’s hanging down.

This house is seventy-five years old, and the windows (at least the ones that aren’t painted shut) are drafty.  This one faces north, and today was windy, so you could really feel the wind blowing. Last year I used that rope caulk, but I didn’t like it very much.  Tape seemed easier.  I taped the edges of the storm window, then the edges of the actual window.  It was funny, because when I got to the end, I had a little wind tunnel at the lock.

It’s really windy right there.

I taped that off, stuffed some cloth around it, then hung towels over the windows in there, shut the door, then stuffed a towel under the door.  (Lloyd says, nothing says White Trash like towels stuffed everywhere.)  Yessir, there’s a lot of dead air between me and the outside.

EcoFreaky Moment

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I’m really just posting this because I’m tired again and nothing special happened today.  (I slept a lot.)  I looked back through ‘possible post’ pictures and came across these.  I like my Swiffer, but I don’t like the disposable cloths.  I like to use a damp washcloth.  We have a whole stack of white washcloths from WalMart ($5 a dozen, I believe) and they get used for everything in the kitchen.  Anyway, the most satisfying part is after you’ve mopped your floor with them, as I do religiously twice a year –

poke poke poke poke mop

– the dirt that accumulates is so satisfyingly gross.  Then just flip it over and use the other side.  If I’m doing the whole first floor I just keep rinsing out the same cloth.

Yes, it’s disgusting.

There, a disgusting public service announcement from Eco-Freak.

Candle Hack

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We have a candle that someone gave me for Christmas, and Lloyd really likes how it smells. I thought it was vanilla, but apparently it’s called ‘Creamy Nutmeg’.   It’s a Bath & Body Works brand, so I went looking for another one at their store for when I’ve used this one up while heating my house.  Holy smokes!  A little candle is ten bucks, and a slightly bigger one is twenty!!  Are these people crazy?  Don’t they know I’m cheap?  (By the way, did you notice that I’ve added a new category?)

So I’ve begun a new experiment.  I bought the little vial of scented oil that was only $7.50, and I tried melting some tealights in the oven and adding a few drops to the wax.  Hopefully, burning these newly-tinkered-with candles will release an expensive smell in to the air.  (Yeah, yeah – I know they make oil warmers.  Where’s the fun in that?)

Yep. There’s melted wax spilled all inside that dish.

What did I learn?  1)Well, seven minutes in a 200 degree oven was plenty of time to melt the wax….  I think.  (I kinda lost track of time.)  2) Only use the tealights that have metal bases for the wicks.  One of my experimental subjects had no metal base and I couldn’t get the wick to stay after it floated away.  3) Anywhere from two to twenty drops should be enough.  (That bottle top is unreliable.)

Viola!  I’m burning one right now, and I almost think I can smell nutmeg.  If only I had a way to bundle these…..

Window rant

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Happy Birthday, Mom Royuk!! She’s our ‘between’ birthday girl!

Ok, I’ve been keeping this topic secret for awhile, but I’m ready to come out in the open with it. My obsession with temperature has reached a new level. A couple of weeks ago I started to put that shrink-with-a-hair-dryer plastic sheeting on the windows at the top of the stairs. I finished one window, then got out the handy-dandy thermometer to check the difference between a plastic-covered window and a regular window. I wanted to feel the satisfaction of stopping the heat in the house from leaking outside.

Guess what? No difference. None. Exactly the same temperature as the other windows. I felt betrayed!!!! Sure, if the window is drafty, the plastic will stop the air from moving, but we don’t have such drafty windows. This problem required some thought.

You should know that I’m not a fan of curtains. The only curtains we have are the ones in the living room that came with the house. I’ve read about how having heavy drapes that seal off the windows can stop heat loss, but I wasn’t about to go out and spend money on curtains. So…. here’s the first test window.

Is it snowing in here?

Yes, that’s a comforter. Can you say ‘trashy’? Laugh all you want, but it’s for science, not for beauty. This ugly thing is currently blocking sixteen degrees from leaving the bedroom.  Cozy warm side:
Toasty!

Here’s the reading behind the curtain… er, comforter:

Freezy!

So, in conclusion: Get curtains for the winter!. I have other windows in various stages of experimentation (pictures available upon request), but even having regular curtains (or ‘towels’) on a window can make a significant difference. Block the gaps at the top & bottom, it’s even more efficient!

I’m glad that Lloyd hasn’t kicked me out yet. I’m also glad that we don’t have people dropping by that would judge me by my window coverings. It’s good that I’m going crazy now while I can still enjoy it.