The Bluestocking Boxing Day sale: 1 gerbil for the price of 2

[Boiledbeetle]

Previous thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5457910-the-bluestocking-next-stop-christmas

As the patrons, and gerbils, of The Bluestocking Pub sleep off their Christmas Day food and alcohol intake the capybaras will be getting paid double time to move the pub and contents to the new thread overnight.

All welcome, as long as you are a woman. The men have their own pub The Staunch Ally. It's just down the road, then turn left at the bridge.

You don't have to be mad to drink here but it most definitely helps.

Leave the real world behind and join us in the mayhem and surreal life of a pub staffed by gerbils. Where the food is always exactly what you ordered and the drinks don't give you a hangover the next day!

In olden times, didn't they have poles for door curtains which rose/moved as you opened the door? Never seen one IRL.

You can get portière rods, rising curtain poles that attach to the door and allow the curtain to rise as the door is opened, thus stopping it from dragging on the floor. You do need room at one side of the door, though.

We have a pole across the top of our door as the door takes up the whole doorway It means we have to keep the curtain open when we're going in and out, but it makes enough difference when closed to be worthwhile.

Yes, they still make them. Big heavy brass things for big heavy dark curtains.

I could, Damson. The frame is wood and I’m trying to avoid having to drill into plaster, which would be a bigger job. I want a quick, winter bodge, I suppose.

But now I’m wondering if I could screw a pole into the top of the wooden frame, above the door….🤔

That's what we've done.

Since your door curtain works so welll, shouldn't you update your username,
Chersfrozenface😂

Curtain-on-door works well, Swash, you can always fill in the wee holes in the door every Spring when the curtain isn't needed any more.
I'm confident nobody ever inspects the top corners of the inside of my front door, so I just leave them😄

Ooh, thanks! ☺️

Since your door curtain works so well, shouldn't you update your username,
Chersfrozenface😂

😀

But it won’t cover the gaps between the door and the frame if it’s attached on the door, I think @MarieDeGournay That’s where the draught comes through (despite the reduction through my weather stripping). I’d love it to work as it would be easier, but I just can’t see how.

I'm pretty certain Dunelm will make any size, shape, lined, blackout curtain you like so long as you pay them for it.

That's my solution, Swashy. It's a tension rod so it won't hold a lot of weight, but it does the job.

Could you use 2 curtains? Well a curtain and then a smaller bit that would not stop the door opening but cover the gap.

See image

You can get rolls of foam strips that you stick round the door frame that will seal against draughts.

The curtain is only the width of the door at the very top, where it is on the rod, but because it is pleated [it was intended for a window, don't forget, not a door so it is much wider than the door frame] it flares out and extends to cover the door+frame no problem.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
It was a doddle to put up using cup-hooks and a bamboo cane, and it works perfectly well for me every winter, but clearly Other Door Curtain Solutions Are Available.

Actually scratch that if not fixed far enough out/ too long you could end up trapping it in the door on closing.

I do remember going in a house once that had a piece of cardboard stuck to the top of the door and protruding a bit to cover the gap that the curtain couldn't cover.

I've just realised why I stuck a curtain on the internal hall door and not the actual front door. It was because of the exact issues Swash is having!

https://www.dunelm.com/product/ashton-metal-door-curtain-pole-1000247020?defaultSkuId=30917621

I haven't seen these before, (hinged curtain rod that can be swung open, but maybe it could work? It does have mixed reviews, depending on how well it has been fixed to the wall.

If doors opened outwards rather than inwards there wouldn’t be a problem.

a possible solution - if instead of a pole and rings, you use a track with hooks and curtain tape, sewn in a few inches from the top of the curtain, and your material isn’t too floppy, you could get a standy-up bit at the top to overlap the gap between the door and the frame. So the draught comes in below the top of the curtain and (being cold) falls down behind.

i tried to draw a diagram, its not very good.

I've just stopped myself in the act of taking a photo of how the curtain-on-door covers the door frame as well as the door, except at the very top.

I think I've become too emotionally invested in defending my system😏

Thanks so much for all these ideas!

I’ve been busy fixing the dilapidated curtain pole that until down from the bedroom the other day, when I put new blinds up. I was going to put it on Freecycle, but am thinking of adapting it to the door.

Marie, the tension rod would be great. But I’m in the old fishermen's cottage by the sea, and the front door opens straight into the lounge. So there’s nowhere for the tension rod to go. Your set up sounds FABULOUS!!!!

The gaps are on three edges of the frame around the door; bigger gaps on the top and the right hand side, so the top second curtain wouldn’t help the sides, where the door opens. I have weather stripped those, and they’re very effective, but I’m hoping to max out the draught proof ness and make it as cosy as I can.

I’m SO touched by the diagrams! And grateful.

Even if I put the curtain pole on the wooden top frame, I will have to develop some sort of ninja move to try to close it when I leave the house. Happy to try.

Will check out the hinged pole; sounds great. But I am on a budget, hence bodging the old pole. I lack the right size screw so have had to glue one end, but did make it more sturdy on the whole. It has give me something time as it’s still deep snow (and ice now) so didn’t feel the risk of a walk was worth it.

Thank you, Boiley!! I thought I was going mad for a few minutes… ☺️

We once had a curtain rod that was fixed to swivel beside the door as well as onto the door. So when you opened the door, the whole pole and curtain moved with the door.

Twas brilliant. Confused many guests.

I'm loving the bubblewrap idea, Marie. Our bathroom window has lots of small panes, so I'm wondering if getting a large piece of bubblewrap and stretching it over the whole window for the winter might be the way forward.

I've just checked, because I thought I had an exceptionally tedious but very necessary committee meeting tomorrow night.

But it's not till next week. HURRAH!

@Swashbuckled I think @AuntieMsDamsonCrumble has the best suggestion so you can cover the draughty sides of the door. If you can buy a suitable length of fabric somewhere, you don't even need to have it as proper curtain finish because you can use those curtain rings that have a gripper on them to hold it up and just slip the rings over a pole. I've got curtains like that in my dining room - bought the fabric very cheaply from a charity shop and turned a hem up the sides, top and bottom.