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How many times do we have to tell you? Yes we still all hate summer!

478 replies

FurryDice · 15/08/2018 18:31

(But tentatively looking forward to autumn.)

I felt a bit less sweaty than last time. Hot and muggy here today. Supposed to be 17 and rainy here tomorrow, though! Hurrah!

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PickleNeedsAFriendInReading · 19/08/2018 11:10

Yeah it does sound a bit hard to believe, though I can kind of see that more air circulation would help. But on the other hand, when you are in a small one-bed flat, who can get rid of furniture? All the stuff has to go somewhere, so it's probably more crowded than somewhere that has lots of space and storage cupboards and attics and garages and gardens to put things.

I might try to go see a window blind company and ask for their thoughts, if I can find one with people to actually talk to.

LighthouseSouth · 19/08/2018 11:30

getting rid of the sideboard would mean that we'd have to part with that, which is kind of a shame, but the contents - mostly books - could be stored at my folks without too much trouble.

we already got rid of everything - more than we wanted to - when we downsized, so they are books we want to keep.

do you mean find an "outside blind" company?

if you're on the ground floor you're a good candidate for external window film, though I'd leave it still spring so it doesn't have to endure weather.

LighthouseSouth · 19/08/2018 17:33

Sun shining full on the flat now till sunset
Just looked it up and it's only when time changes we get to the sunset before 5pm
Maybe I should get a handy person to see what, if anything, can be rigged up somehow before then? Wondering if something like nails and string and a couple of sail shades might work? Then look for better solution in March?

Or we could retry the material glued to the windows but the sun melted the glue. Also tried mega Velcro, same problem.

FurryDice · 19/08/2018 18:33

have been reading up and apparently if we get a futon, with all the air flow as it won't reach to the floor, it will help a bit?

I have a futon, @Lighthouse, and I suppose it’s possible that it’s cooler than a sofa bed if that is in direct contact t with the floor. I hate it for other reasons, though - because it’s so low to the floor I can hear downstairs stomping around as it vibrates through the floor. If you got a higher one it might help? Years ago in my student days I had a metal framed one which was much higher off the floor. Actually I really like that bed but it was a bit creaky!

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FurryDice · 19/08/2018 18:40

‘ Liked’ that was supposed to say.

I like the idea of external blinds @PickleNeedsAFriendInReading. I don’t think I could do that here because a) it would asyou say change the whole look of the building and b) there are these Juliet balconies which serve no purpose other than to sit there rusting (and stop people falling out the windows, I suppose).

I will have to look into eternal film. I thought they only put it on the inside but it seems stupid because by that point it’s already passed through two layers of glass. Even internal film would be better than my blackout curtains as they are set apart from the window and allow a vacuum of heat between them and the windows. It’s hard to explain. I definitely need something right up against the glass for next summer.

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FurryDice · 19/08/2018 18:40

Hot and muggy here today. Then 25, 25 and 26 then wall to wall 23s.

I’m so tired of anything over 20 now.

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Yesterdayizdone1 · 19/08/2018 18:46

23 isn't so bad as long as you can cool your home

Yesterdayizdone1 · 19/08/2018 18:47

THis is for my area in Sussex

How many times do we have to tell you? Yes we still all hate summer!
Yesterdayizdone1 · 19/08/2018 18:49

This is London
Where are you getting wall to wall 23's ?

How many times do we have to tell you? Yes we still all hate summer!
LighthouseSouth · 19/08/2018 18:57

Furry, the film is normally put up internally because it wouldn't survive winter weather. Maybe there are better companies who have something that can go outside? I think I waffled about this already but last year we bought film online, fitted it indoors and it made no difference or possibly made it worse.

This year we found the leftovers and stuck it on the outside of the balcony glass and it made a difference, the glass wasn't so hot.

The futon point is interesting, will ponder. It's all "desperately trying to make a difference" at this stage.

Local weather Tweep just said it's actually 26 here today, which makes more sense than what we were told, 23 or so.

mimibunz · 19/08/2018 19:01

My feet shouldn’t be cold in August!!

LighthouseSouth · 19/08/2018 19:03

Furry "Even internal film would be better than my blackout curtains as they are set apart from the window and allow a vacuum of heat between them and the windows. It’s hard to explain. I definitely need something right up against the glass for next summer."

Same here...mentioned in my boring rant about modern building design. I will seriously consider sticking blackout material to the inside of all the windows next summer if that's the only option!

As the book says, the remains of the day used to be the part I looked forward to most....now it's like, fucking hell, hurry up and get dark already!!

FurryDice · 19/08/2018 19:24

It's all "desperately trying to make a difference" at this stage.

Yes, I hear you. As I said upthread I’m already dreading next summer and planning ahead to deal with it. It’s either that or move and I really can’t afford to do that.

As the book says, the remains of the day used to be the part I looked forward to most....now it's like, fucking hell, hurry up and get dark already!!

Ha! I hear that, too!

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Yesterdayizdone1 · 19/08/2018 19:25

mimi

The temp here is just right now for me but I am wearing top trousers and sock pjs indoors and sleeping with a winter duvet again

PickleNeedsAFriendInReading · 19/08/2018 19:30

yes definitely outside blinds that i'm interested in, if I can find a company. i think they'd work even with Juliet balconies. It just might cost more than expected. I don't like the idea of the film, because a) I've tried internal films and they just don't stay on, they wrinkle and look awful, they don't do much for the glare, and they really don't absorb much of heat anyway, and then you're stuck with them all year round -can't see out of them properly, etc.

I'd much rather proper external blinds that can be raised or lowered as needed. But they do need to be installed in the brick/building. And need remote controls, and separate panels for each separate bit of window/doors. So i've no idea of the cost

But apparently 90% of the solar gain comes with the sun hitting the glass, so anything inside is really not going to do much.

I haven't been able to get the flat below 25 in recent weeks at all. One night at 24.5 at that was a triumph.

FurryDice · 19/08/2018 19:33

Yes, it’s the indoor heat that gets to a lot of us, @Pickle. Which is why I dread the sun and anything over 21/22 is a bit of a mare because it’s so much hotter inside.

I fucking hate this flat because of it.

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Yesterdayizdone1 · 19/08/2018 19:37

Yeah our flat gets v hot to
Thankfully we have a lovely breeze coming in now and flat is 21c atm
East and west facing flat here

Yesterdayizdone1 · 19/08/2018 19:41

😀

How many times do we have to tell you? Yes we still all hate summer!
LighthouseSouth · 19/08/2018 19:51

@Pickle

When I chatted to the mgmt co about it, they said "if you're watching the pennies, don't spend too much on window coverings because the insulated walls are half the problem". So I'm interested that you think 90%. Wouldn't our flats cool down more if that were the case?

PickleNeedsAFriendInReading · 19/08/2018 20:02

I've seen that figure bandied around in a few places. I think the insulated walls are a huge problem once the flats heat up, so the idea is that if you can stop the solar gain in the first place, then it would be Ok. I don't know though. My flat never seems to cool down, until the winter (at which point it's fine, I have to put the heating on sometimes, etc). But it certainly doesn't cool down quickly just because the outside air temp is cooler.

However, I have mostly glass, very little brick. I'm in a corner flat, so two edges facing south and west ,and I'd say about 75% glass 25% brick. So solar gain is a huge factor. Maybe not so much if it's more brick than glass.

I've heard that interior coverings are not much use as so much is already passing through the glass by the time it hits the interior blinds.

FurryDice · 19/08/2018 20:05

Yes, lots of glass here too, but the walls are brick (the outside ones anyway; the inside walls appear to be made from bloody plasterboard, the amount of noise we get).

I definitely think my problem is solar gain.

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LighthouseSouth · 19/08/2018 20:07

Oh wow. 75% glass, yup. I think you can solve your issues with glass covering.

I have seen those buildings around but just thought some greenhouse prevention measures must be installed! Adding to the list of "mad designs"!

FurryDice · 19/08/2018 20:17

Mine isn’t anything near 75% glass, but I’d be interested to know how much of a percentage is glass. The windows are large and cover most of the walls in the living room and bedroom.

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FurryDice · 19/08/2018 20:18

And they’re the worst rooms. Oh and the poxy kitchen which is next to the living room.

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PickleNeedsAFriendInReading · 19/08/2018 20:30

well it's just a guess... on the two outside walls I mean (there are other walls that adjoin other flats, or the inner courtyard). There are two main room, living room/kitchen combined, and bedroom. the bedroom is all glass. The living room has glass for most of the south facing wall, maybe a small section isn't. And then the west facing wall must be at least 50% glass. The rest of the flat is bathroom and corridor. The walls that are glass are pretty much floor to ceiling, either doors, or full length glass, or obscured glass, or I guess there is a section that isn't actually glass but has a sort of opaque finish but is the window. So probably just as much heat through it.

The internal walls are plasterboard, but there aren't many of those - but the main one happens to be between the main windows/doors to the west, and the front door, so preventing cross ventilation.

I don't know why they didn't do more when the flats were being built. I assume that the other flats aren't as badly affected - mine is smaller than most, has the layout that prevents cross ventilation, has two faces that are glass because of corner situation, has south and west aspects, and is ground floor so windows can't be opened at night. I knew is was hot when I bought it, but not this bad - and it's not like I really had any choice anyway, was a desperation move.

I wish they'd do more now, and I'm trying to complain that the flat isn't built to standards fit for purpose, but I doubt I'll get anywhere.

Overheating is a real health hazard, though, and I've read lots of evidence to support that. But it's hard to claim that actual building regulations were breached.