How long do you open your windows for this time of year?

[SpringMeadows]

If you are in the UK, how long do you open your windows for in the morning in winter? We have dogs and I leave them open (including the back door) for an hour or two, first thing in the morning. This is because I like to have fresh air in the house daily, but also because I'm rushing around during that time so don't go and shut them. WHen I get to my desk ready to work, I go around and close them. My DP would open them for 20 minutes and then turn the heating straight back on.

It's true that the house gets rather cold during the time the windows are open but are we supposed to live in a stuffy place? So I'd like to hear what others do. Thank you.

I dont, generally. My house is old, cold and awfully draughty.

5 min bathroom window after shower and bedrooms depending how cold it is byt again just for ventilation in the morning, they stay shut rest of the day. I guess it all depends on the build of your home how much ventilation you need!

xH (still living with him) is obsessive & flaps & complains a lot if any window is open at all, & certainly more than a few seconds in winter. Weirdly however, he may leave the door almost wide open if he pops outside to get something.

But mostly he's obsessed. I have to sneak getting windows open at all. I suppose left to my own devices I'd allow 2-5 minute bursts in random rooms throughout the day, in winter.

There are reasons we got divorced.

Even on the second floor in full view of the street?!

@Kalevala check the conditions for cover wit your provider. We were told if the house isn't secured you're not covered. Secured means all windows shut. I thought it was ridiculous but they look for any route to not have to pay out if the worst happens....

Never. We also don't air the beds. Absolutely nothing happens, we've lived here 7 years and we have no issues with damp or condensation.

Bedroom ones are open at least a crack all the time. bathroom is open always, unless it’s very windy. In winter I open the small ones downstairs for at least fifteen minutes twice a day, longer if it’s warmer than recently.

For those asking about heating, mine is set to kick on at 16 during the day, and this week it has several times, but generally doesn’t.

I suppose if they didn't use the windows to enter or exit, then you could just shut them when you realised. Not that I have anything worth breaking in for!

It’s below recommended temps for health, and below lots of house insurance threshold to cover you for frost damage, but, yeah, you’re toasty.
Unless….is your thermostat in a cold hall? And therefore your actual rooms ar3 much, much warmer?

I open the bedroom and en suite windows a crack in the morning, the extractor fan in the bathroom doesn't stay on once the light is off so I like to air the rooms after a shower.

Rest of the windows get opened if I remember to - not a house prone to damp

Only open bathroom window after a shower and bedroom window at night. It’s a cold house. In the Summer windows are open all the time

How do you all keep your house warm with windows open? My house is freezing even with heating on no chance am opening windows aswell.

I don’t really notice a temperature drop tbh. We have Tado thermostats on radiator that’s have open window detectors on and they turn off when windows open automatically. House is generally set to 20-21 degrees . Opening half the windows for a quick 10-20 mins a couple of times a day doesn’t make any difference to temperature. Obviously on freezing days with no sun it’s more like 10 min bursts, on. Freezing days but sun out it might be 10 mins for back windows in shade, and 20-30 mins for main kitchen and living room with sun out

Never. I didn't actually know this was a thing until MN told me. No issues with damp and mould.

Our bedroom windows get closed when we get up.

Then downstairs 10 mins of fresh air.

Our house has lime mortar and breathes, with open air bricks and suspended floors etc. Its not really a stuffy house.

All my windows are open a crack all day

The patio door is open right now and has been for about an hour as the cats are out for the first time this week (thank god 😂).

Most days as long as its not minus figures the door is open for at least an hour.

Windows on crack most of the day.

Very similar here. Houses need an air….I do it when he’s out.

it’s an old house and breathes anyway…rattle windows etc.

Opening windows for 10-15 minutes doesn't really make much difference to the temperature.

My bathroom window is open all the time unless I go out. Other windows I only open if I'm cooking or it's hot. I hate a damp bathroom!

Also, I'm really skint so if I had all my windows open it'd cost me more to keep my house at the temp I want and I can't do that atm.

Nobody in this house is ever ill, never get colds or any illnesses ever so it's not affecting our health. We have TRVs in each room so all the rooms are definitely 13 or below most of the time.

I am still in shock at the idea some people don't air beds.

I’m not personally into opening windows on a regular basis, other than to air a bathroom, partly because I don’t want our cat falling out an upstairs window! But what no one seems to have mentioned is don’t those of you who have windows open so often have a problem with bugs/wildlife coming in?!

Yes sometimes, but I don't really see it as an issue. They are only bugs.

Although we sometimes get the odd curious squirrel try and come in though the large bathroom window!