Keeping warm in an old house may be a no-brainer for some. Why not just turn up the thermostat?
For me, I prefer to save energy and the environment and money to use for something more fun.
Today we are spoiled with the ease of automatic thermostats and comfortable climate controlled rooms.
As recent as the early 1900’s depending on where you lived, only the well-to-do families had central heat.
My grandparents would say how nice and warm the kitchen was because that’s where they had their stove.
WWII poster. Keeping Warm in Winter.
Their coal stove was the only source of heat in a 2000 square foot home until 1938!
Today we have the epidemic of the window replacement insanity many homeowners fall for to save heat and keep warm. We now know that window replacement is just a money making scam. The home insulation craze has benefits but there is so much confusion about what is good today and what will be bad tomorrow. Insulation can allow moisture to ruin an old house and now we find that home insulation is hazardous to our health .
Back to Basics
I’m tired of being marketed to when the real reason for these insulating products is to make someone rich. It seems there are always buts and ifs later.
Keeping warm in an old house can be accomplished by going back to basics. Try to experience old house living as experienced years ago.
Aren’t you bored with hearing the typical suggestions like sealing up windows, etc. What about some of the not so common ways which were so common years ago? Here are some of our suggestions. We hope to hear yours too!
Decorate with heavy curtains – black lined are best.
Portieres have been used to keep drafts out and heat in from Medevil times through the 1940’s. Read my article on Portieres here.
Do you have working shutters? Solid panel shutters – even closed operable louvers will help stop the cold from entering during the night.
A dog will keep you warm. While the body temperature of a human clocks in at a cool 98.6 F, your dog’s body temperature should always range between 99.5 and 102.5 F.
Use your oven – bake something.
Use your stove. Make some homemade soup. Soup will also add humidity to a house which will make you feel warmer. Aside from making soup, I recommend eating it too.
Bed Coverings
Flannel sheets are a must. In additional to blankets, I use my great-grandmothers pierzyna.
A pierzyna is a Polish word for a feather comforter.
Unlike today’s comforters which are quilted or ribbed to keep the feathers evenly in place, the pierzyna is like one large heavy pillow.
Pierzyna airing out in Polish village.
There is no stitching so the feathers can flop around from side to side. It is about 6 inches thick.
Yes, this is nice and warm but I also have several more woolen blankets making the coverings so heavy I can hardly move. But boy is it cozy!
Bed Warmers
Years ago bed warmers were used to warm the sheets.
Hot coals were put in the pan and the warmer was moved over the bed to warm it up.
I have a ceramic foot warmer I use in bed from around 1912. Hot water is poured into it and sealed up then placed under the covers at the foot of the bed.
My favorite way of keeping the bed warm at night is with a soapstone brick. I used to use a regular brick which works good but soapstone holds the heat longest.
I would place the brick inside the door of my 1942 Sunbeam Octopus furnace and let the furnace heat it up for a few minutes.
I would remove it and wrap it in a towel and place it under my bed covers at the foot of my bed.
I now heat it on my stove for 4-5 minutes at medium heat. The brick holds its heat till morning!
Imagine flannel sheets with heavy bed coverings (about 10 inches) and a nice warm brick for your feet. Typing this now, I look forward to going to bed to experience it again!
Although this article is about keeping warm in an old house I just want to mention a side note.
Travelers riding in a horse drawn wagon would put manure on the floor of the wagon and cover their legs with a blanket. The warmth from the manure would keep your feet and legs warm. Call me strange but I think soapstone is better.
Sold by Jewett Farms Workshop, these boot warmers sell for $15
We would love to hear your ideas of keeping warm in an old house – or new house.
Please comment below.
Antique bed warmer fills up with hot coals.
My 1912 Henderson foot warmer gets filled with hot water.
Easy to carry antique soapstone foot warmer for carriage or sleigh
I am astounded at how much heat we literally throw down the drain. Hot cooking water and fluids dumped down the drain is like sticking a radiator outside. Use a slotted spoon, strainer or a pot under a colander to keep the hot, energy-rich water from draining away. Wash dishes in stoppered sinks that hold hot water till it has cooled into the house interior. For a final rinse, flow the hot water over the dishware to collect into the sink. If you love a bath love the hot bath water to act as a radiator till it cools then drain. Turn off your range hood vents and let your ovens cool down with their doors open. Ok I know it’s more cleaning and extra work but you’ll be also be warmer with the added exercise too!
Good ideas – I don’t know how many people think about the hot water, in particular.
Ken, I am curious what temperature you keep your thermostat at in the winter? We have been keeping ours at 63, and that feels comfortable. We have a 1890 folk Victorian, and it’s been very cold the last few weeks. I think the old bricks are doing a pretty good job of keeping us warm!
I keep my thermostat at 63 during the day. I have a natural gas space heater to heat part of the house and close the portiers to keep in the heat. At night it’s set to 55! My parents however keep theirs at 72 and I almost die from the heat.
Lately nights have been in the 10-20 below range and I still keep my thermostat set at 57 at night and about 62 during the day. (I lived through the 70’s energy crisis, so around 60 degrees is sort of ingrained.) I am trying to keep lots of fluffy rugs around that will absorb and retain some of the heat. A really nice English made hot water bottle comes in handy, and I couldn’t possibly think of being without those wonderful flannel sheets! I didn’t realize a brick would retain heat for so long – wonder how long a hot potatoe in the pocket lasts?
Finally somebody gets it! I about die when I visit my family with their hermetically sealed house and central heat/AC set to 72. There I’m wearing summer clothes in winter and winter clothes in summer. My house doesn’t have heat or AC, so I adjust my activity and clothing accordingly. True, it doesn’t get below freezing here, but I’m fine with covers, dog, and wide open window with the outdoor temperatures in the 40s.
I appreciate the advice, and words of wisdom from readers, as well! I just purchased a 1946 block house with a not-so-well-insulated crawl space (in fact, let’s call it uninsulated and poorly vented). I froze my way through Feb. (though I ended up doing some of these helpful hints), but remain paranoid about all of the insulation fixes that are currently touted. Guess I’ll do more research before next winter rolls around. Great site!
Hi there Ken. Your antique soapstone is very cool looking. I’d like to use a boot stone on my new off-white ceramic fireplace (Vermont Intrepid) as a kind of warming burner for a pot of warmer (to humidify). Do you think a soap stone will stain or hurt the top in any way?
Christine
Sorry – I really don’t know.
As a business owner of a window repair company: http://www.ArubaWindowRepairMichigan.com, I am delighted that you suggest preserving the original wood windows of a home. You are right! Homeowners are suffering from “window replacement insanity” due to great marketing by window manufacturers.
I can assure you that if you research this, you’ll find that wood windows outlast and are more efficient than vinyl replacements and should be installed or reconditioned by a reputable contractor as opposed to the first name that pops up in any search or advertisement.
Funny you mention using your grandmother’s old pierzyna. We still use these in Germany and central Europe. You can easy buy new duvets at all the stores with bedding. They also come in different weights for the seasons. They are like sleeping under a cloud and even better, it is super easy to make the bed. Growing up in America, I always had to retuck the flat sheets and arrange the bed cover just right. Misery for a child. In Germany, we only use a fitted sheet, then throw the duvet over. Bed-making takes about 30 seconds!
I found 2 pierzynas tucked away in my closet one for a child’s crib and 1 for a twin size bed. Trying to find a place to donate them, But now wondering if I should pull them out and use them.
Probably a difficult thing to give away. I would use them.
My house was built in 1836. Single brick with a collection of non matching drafty windows. I think the wind blows in the back and goes out the front of the house. It’s 42 degrees in my kitchen. The bathroom also freezing. I can feel the outside temperature drop by the amount of cold coming through the walls. Drafts galore. I have a multi-fuel stove which I burn smokeless coal on/in it. But I’m still frozen. Last year I tried toughening up and just using the solid fuel stove and not putting the heating on. I put more layers on instead. Absolutely freezing. I became ill and had pneumonia. Perhaps it’s because I ageing but I can’t cope with the cold now. I find it exhausting. I’m going to line my outer walls, bug up the drafts and pray for milder weather.
I have a low budget so any suggestions please forward to me. Thanks
Wow – that sounds horrible. First your historic windows should have storm windows. The storms should have low-e glass in them. Read my info on storm windows on my windows page. The biggest energy loss problem is through the stack effect. You need to make sure air is not escaping into the attic through pipes etc. That attic floor must be insulated. Also check the attic for openings and the basement. A pipe leading to your bathroom is cut through the floor in the basement. Is there insulation around that pipe in the basement ceiling? If not that hole is quickly sucking up the basement air and air-conditioning the walls on all the floors. These are the basic ways to insulate. You do not need to insulate the walls. Be sure to check out this page. https://www.oldhouseguy.com/insulating-old-homes-toxic/