I have recently returned to my corner of the Dordogne and I am starting to make preparations to keep my as yet, unrestored old stone house, a bit warmer for the coming winter as I do intend to be here for the first time at this time of the year. My budget for this is minute and so I've ordered several packs of 2ndary glazing that is used with adhesive strips and 'shrunk tight' with the use of a hairdryer.If anyone has experience of using this stuff then I would like to know how they got on with it...was it at all effective.
I am also looking at applying panels in the form of a kit.....PVC which is screwed into place and which "The Old House Guy" (an American conservation site)....rates as being quite effective. My windows date from the turn of the century and have all the old fittings (which I do want to keep, even though I know we had temperatures of -17 for 15 days in my part of the Dordogne about 3 years ago)....so they would need to be made to measure.....Does anyone know of a French supplier of these kits ?
Also I have a lot of exposed plumbing pipework....what is the best way to lag this ? Is that foam tubing the best solution ? And where's the best place to buy it in my area...or even online & get it delivered ?
I do intend to switch on the gaz central heating eventually & have the radiators upstairs set to frost protection until it gets too cold....As we speak (and for the last 2 days temperatures have dropped significantly here, just outside Bergerac), I am looking at Poeles online. This cold snap has made me realise that I would be mad to try to get through the winter without one !
You'll see that I've posted another enquiry about this very subject. Grateful for useful advice as always....
Hi Hilary, as I said on the other thread the cellophane does work, dont worry too much about getting it taught as the hair dryer will get it as tight as a drum. You want to be careful with getting overlap creases in it as the doublesided tape is usually quite sticky. The tape dried out after a while and when it became time to remove it it left a glue residue which was a sod to get off.
Foam insulation works quite well but don't forget it will only keep heat in, on cold pipes it will do nothing as they are cold and even insulated they will still reach the same temperature as their surroundings without additional trace heating. Look for one of the Brico sheds having a promo. On line and delivered, I think your eyes will water at delivery costs in France.