Ok, on with the serious stuff ...
As you know, we rent. I often feel frustrated that we can't really make significant 'green living' adaptations to where we live - can't put in solar hot water, or grey water systems, etc.
My office in particular is extremely cold, and my desk is right next to the window (next to the only power point, so moving the desk isn't an easy option).
All winter I have torrents of cold air falling onto my lap and legs - I wrap up in a dressing gown with a blanket on my legs, and a hot water bottle under my feet, but it's still ridiculously cold, and not good for my rather crap legs and joints.
The latest issue of G Magazine (which is great up-beat Aussie magazine) has an article about greening your rental home - and one suggestion was to use bubble wrap to insulate your windows!
I have tons of bubble wrap lying around from being a business, and Son's prolific online shopping addiction ;) So I set to work right away with whatever I could find, and a roll of sticky tape :
I put it on bubble side towards the window, and used the minimum amount of sticky tape on the window frame to hold it on - I'd get a better seal if I used tape around all the edges, no doubt, but I want to minimise the tape residue clean up when I take it all off!
The view from the window needs blocking in any case - a bare fence, weeds, and noisy neighbours. It just nicely blurs things :
While it doesn't stop all the cold air, I must say it's pretty bloody good. First thing in the mornings (even after -4ºC (24ºF) overnight) my office sits at around 17ºC (63ºF) without any extra heating. I haven't needed to swaddle up in my dressing gown yet!
we went to a seminar that promoted this as a good interim measure and we meant to try it. Good to see how it looks and works.I can see myself trying that on my bedroom window in particular!
ReplyDeleteps love the new look. Good to see Blogger finally catching up with what's available on other blogging sites.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I love it and I'm so glad it's working for you.
ReplyDeleteBoy, it's really getting chilly in Canberra. I had no idea!
That's a fabulous idea, I might try it on my bedroom windows too. I ahve been seeing new blogger templates on blogs everywhere today. They are great!!! Hope your legs and bits and bobs are feeling warmer today!!
ReplyDeleteNow there's a good idea. Daughter1, who is staying for a while, has been complaining about the cold in her bathroom (it's at the other end of the house so I rarely go in there). AND, I have lots of bubble wrap! I am going right now to try it.
ReplyDeleteA clever idea. It was bloody freezing in Canberra at the weekend!!
ReplyDeleteblutack (not sure how to spell it!) may be better than sticky tape. The kids use it to hang pictures on their walls and windows and it simply peels off.
ReplyDeleteSticky tape will take off the paint work on any surface if left on for a couple of weeks.
Hope that helps :)
Great idea about the bubblewrap.
What a good idea. And you can use alcohol to remove the tape residue.
ReplyDeleteyea, I love the new blogger templates,too. It's about time.
Cool beans! Great solution.
ReplyDeleteI hate to tell you this, but I'm in capri pants and a tank top at 63 F. :) In fact, it's probably 67 in our house now and I'm in jammies... that's our summer and sometimes it gets up to 80. :) hahaha... Oh dear how I suffered in Aus. I was a crabby Abbey. :)
ReplyDeleteThis spring we had the silvered bubble wrap insulation installed in our attic to reflect the heat. It's amazing how cool the ceiling is!
ReplyDeleteIt really makes a difference for our son, who sleeps in a loft bed close to the ceiling.
It will be interesting to see what the difference is when winter rolls around here.
Great idea for using that bubble wrap in an eco energy saving way. Glad to meet you and so glad you joined our Trash to Treasures group over at Raverly.
ReplyDeleteCindy