Getting ready for winter

It’s not such a big task here, especially now that we live in a strata townhouse. Our outdoor work consists of tidying away the patio furniture but that’s only because I don’t like the graveyard look of shrouded chairs. The garden can be weeded and trimmed, or not, as it won’t be a big job in the spring. And besides there are lots of things still blooming. 

 People in colder climates batten down the hatches for the coming months. Our friend Alan dropped in for dinner last week, from PEI and his 12 acre property which requires considerably more work to “get ready for winter”, including clearing beds and stacking the winter wood supply. Having spent one heating season in this house we have embarked on a few changes to improve the energy use and the comfort. This time last year I got into quite a discussion with BC Hydro when it appeared that this house which has a shared wall and is 2/3 the size of our last one was going to cost almost as much to heat. Yes, we are exposed to the wind, but really? So we had an energy audit done and started by tripling the attic insulation which was at a paltry 15R. In the kitchen we had a greenhouse style window over the sink. I liked the extra dimension it gave the room, but it was the stupidest energy design you could imagine. I had to get a ladder to open and close the window in summer because I couldn't reach the handle, and any sounds or breezes from outside were in the room with us. So that went at the end of August in favour of a regular sliding window that actually keeps the weather outside.

Oh and by the way, we found a lovely nest of carpenter ants in the bottom of the window box. Thousands. Someday I’ll tell you about my childhood trauma with those beasts.

carpenter ants scurrying away but already coated with ant powder

In the centre of this house there is a big skylight, fabulous. It’s 13 feet long, 4 feet wide and the box goes up about 10 feet. Across the room from the skylight is the open stairwell that goes down 8 feet. You know where I’m going with this; that’s a 27 foot wind tunnel and we figure too much of our heat is ending at the top of the skylight box. So this week we are experimenting with a clear ceiling to block the rise of heat. We’ve installed a framework that we think looks reasonably decorative and have ordered light weight double cell greenhouse panels that will rest on top. We could have put a fan in the box to drive the heat down but of course if the power goes out, which it never does, the fan wouldn't work. The panels can be removed for summer air circulation or we may hate the look and try something different.

empty framework

panels in place and we think it looks okay

And finally we’ve ordered 2 sets of glass bifold doors, (due November 6) to install between the dining room and living room, hinged so they fold completely out of the way. We want the openness when we want it, but the ability to separate the two rooms, from a heat perspective, should be an improvement. We hope it will mean that the TV room won’t have any drafts from the rest of the house making it easier to heat. It will definitely mean that someone can watch TV and the other someone can enjoy the fireplace in the living room IN PEACE. Not naming names.

So we’ll see. A pox on BC Hydro!

I know you are fascinated by the minutiae of our lives!