The what, how and why of going low tech this winter.
Storytime!
My granny, a traditional lady form Limpopo, decided, shortly before her 70th birthday, to marry her European boyfriend. The two had been on again/off again for years, but when he asked her to move to Belgium with him, she said two things.
- “Yes, but not without a wedding ring”, and
- “I never want to see a European winter”…
So, the two loved up septuagenarians informed their children of their plans, had a small wedding with French champagne and started their snowbird existence.
For 13 years they lived in endless summer.
When the first leaves fell each autumn, they’d hop on a Lufthansa flight and head north or south, depending on the season.
You’d think that a man who grew up in Belgium, lived in a house without electricity for most of his life, and even survived WW2, would relish South African open spaces and our relaxed and well ventilated) approach to homebuilding.
This was not the case!
Grand-père was utterly disgusted with how draughty our houses are, so he taught us all about sealing your house to keep the heat in, (or out).
Its no secret that even the smallest crack or gap can completely undermine your heating attempts.
Think about trying to sleep under a too small blanket – it just won’t do!
That is why, this winter, with Eskom doing there very best to take us straight back into the dark ages, we need to get old school.
- Stop draughts under doors with one of those leather sausage doggy beanbag things that they sell at robots.
- Get heavy, thick curtains to keep heat in, and cold out. (Obviously double glazing would be best but that is prohibitively expense for most of us.)
- Wrap your geyser in an insulating geyser blanket.
- Check (or have someone check) your ceiling insolation and ensure that all the gaps and corners are covered.
- Use silicon, tape or even Polyfilla to patch up any cracks around your window frames and ensure that your windows seal properly when they are closed.
I suggest you listen to the old man and feel the difference this winter, when the frosty winds aren’t blowing in through every little crack in your truly South African house.
