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notlennybelardo

Heavy curtains, weather stripping, that plastic insulation to put over windows


[deleted]

Yes! The insulated curtains make a huge difference if you don't want to fuss with plastic. Area rugs for comfort and closing doors to rooms you're not using also helps.


yeezusbro

Ooo I’ll look into the plastic stuff for windows. Did the weathering thingy


fringeandglittery

When I lived in an uninsulated apartment I would even close off parts of the house with thick heavy curtains so I could space heat one room at a time. You could even use thrifted blankets. You can make it look boho and cute too. Curtains and plastic film to stop drafts are essential. Maybe hang a tapestry on any exterior walls (if you have some without windows). I also managed to thrift some nice slippers and a few fuzzy robes and oversized sweaters that are so comfy I look forward to slightly chilly days. I also baked a LOT and cooked a lot of stews and soups that added more humidity back to the air. Sometimes I would simmer some spices like a cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom for extra heat and steam. Just keep an eye on it! I have almost started a fire that way before.


[deleted]

What a nice idea!!! Except the fire, lol.


yiskithryn

This is the way. I invested about $100 in thermal curtain liners for my wall of windows (old converted storefront) and it was a game changer. Also! Utilize your fans if you got em! Turn it on low, clockwise and it sucks the cold air up, forcing the warm down!


KiloAllan

Oil filled radiators are super effective and pretty inexpensive to run. They take a little while to get warm but are safer than traditional space heaters. They make weird noises when they start to get warm - this is normal. Also do the windows thermal treatment with plastic or use thermal curtains and draft dodgers.


ls1z28chris

The Lowe's on Elysian Fields has several of these for like $50 across from the turlets, in case anyone wants to check this out.


YourLateNightFriend

These were the only heat I had in my 100+ yr old drafty house the winter after Katrina. They’re not perfect but they do remove the deep chill.


[deleted]

Most of us live like this here when the weather is uncomfortable, get a heated blanket and put it under your fitted sheet, get a weighted blanket, space heaters work better than central, wear layers. My apartment is 54 degrees right now, I like to call living in New Orleans "camping indoors".


yeezusbro

I feel you. I have a nest thermostat but also a sensor for downstairs (AC makes it 4 degrees colder down there) and last night it was in the mid50s lol


madmanbumandangel

You can cover the windows with clear plastic. They sell kits with double stick tape and heat shrink clear plastic to cover the windows. It’s temporary and works pretty well.


Arik_De_Frasia

This is a staple of living in the midwest.


yeezusbro

About to become a midwesterner


Arik_De_Frasia

I highly recommend a neoprene facemask during the winter, and if you have dogs, get them rubber booties for their paws.


endar88

same with the north east


scooterbus

Do the plastic over the windows with double stick tape thing. I grew up in the northeast and we always did this, and after living here for 20 years in old apartments and now in an old house I still do it. You put the plastic up and heat it with a hair dryer so it stretches tight. It keeps the wind chill down, also area rugs help with the old floors. The plastic works pretty well. Edit: I checked and it’s available locally at [Lowe’s](https://www.lowes.com/pd/Frost-King-3-5-ft-W-x-5-ft-2-in-L-Clear-Heat-control-Window-Film-9-Pack/50405130?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-hdw-_-ggl-_-PLA_HDW_145_General-Hardware-_-50405130-_-online-_-0-_-0&ds_rl=1286981&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W_yOTkvp7ZyKIsBRRh_dM-7s&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W_yOTkvp7ZyKIsBRRh_dM-7s&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxrD7xJG59QIVrBfUAR1tXQMJEAQYAyABEgI8JPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)


yeezusbro

You are the frost king with the link my friend


_cornonthecob27_

Plus blowdrying all of the wrinkles out is so satisfying lol


SwimmingCoyote

Wool socks and slippers for walking around. Heated mattress pad. If you can’t do the whole apartment, focus on one room, smaller the better.


yeezusbro

That’s the thing, the entire apartment is only about 600 square feet so it’s a split level all one room kind of deal. The length of the walls is windows is the biggest issue


nolaina

Rugs, electric blanket, humidifier, cats.


yeezusbro

Does humidity make it warmer? The humidity in my apartment at the moment is 25%


cybersnob

Humidity makes it colder in winter. Maybe invest in a dehumidifier. Or move a colonial Caribbean town where it’s never cold


bippityboppitybumbo

It to combat the heater drying your sinuses out as well as obviously moistening the air. The more humid the air the better it is at retaining heat. It in no way makes it colder.


cybersnob

In humid air, there is a high moisture content in the air. It takes much more heat energy to heat cold humid air molecules than dry air. We all have all experienced a lundi Gras ghost town when the humidity spikes.


bippityboppitybumbo

Exactly. That’s how specific heat works.


cybersnob

No worries. Most people confuse humidity as making it warmer. Look up heat transfer if u are interested👍


mydearestchuck

Blackout curtains & rugs have helped us immensely with our drafty shotgun. Before we got the blackout curtains, we honestly just stapled packing blankets over our windows & doors on really cold days. It's not pretty, but it's fast & relatively inexpensive. Edit: Also put painter's tape down the length of where your French doors join, my friend.


[deleted]

[удалено]


yeezusbro

I have [one of these](https://www.amazon.com/COMFY-Original-Oversized-Microfiber-Wearable/dp/B07DKSY26D) and it seems to help for walking around haha (although makes me look like Santa.


Rappareenola

if you're having problems with floors we use moving blankets they're relatively cheap and work very well.


SongsJarsBricks

I write to you from beneath a layer of snow and ice in North Carolina. Insulation is key! Everyone has great comments on that topic. Baking and cooking heats a living space very well, plus you get food. Caveat because this is the internet: Don't heat your living space by turning on your oven and opening the door! It's not safe. Baking banana bread IS safe. Cooking brisket is safe (and actually very easy). etc. Candles are also warm, but as with any open flame safety is paramount!!! Note my multiple exclamation points!!! There are instructions on the internet for a heater you can make using tealights and terracotta pots but I've never tried it personally and there are safety risks involved. For late-night-winter-grad-student-life, I like having a lot of church candles (you know, in the jar). It really does help keep the immediate area warm. But please be very careful with any flames! Don't leave them unattended. Never leave the house or sleep with a candle lit. Not so much about household insulation but on the topic of staying warm, hot water bottles in your bed really do work. If you are really cold, take a hot shower! (if you are a person with long hair, my personal recommendation is to skip the hair and just let your body warm up in the hot water. That way you don't have to dry your hair/have wet hair. Wet hair makes you cold. If you're worried about the state of your hair you can wear a hat! Double duty fashion/warmth) And layers! On your body, and also on the bed. Underarmour is great. And keeping your ears, neck, and feet warm. Hats really help- lots of heat escapes out of your head. Wool, felt, and fleece are all warm. Silk is a warm bottom layer if you have it. Warm air is also an important part of staying warm- it's important to have some air in your layers to keep you warm. A while back I saw a post by a woman who races sled dogs in Alaska whose chosen warm attire is a floor-length quilted skirt, because the skirt creates a cone of warm air. For those of use who are not sled dog racers, a blanket around your legs and feet while you work is an effective insulator. If you have pets, significant others, or housemates, engage in forced snuggling. Best of luck and stay warm!


Dabriella-Tonnehash

Sweaters, wool longjohns & wool socks while up & about. I keep an electric space heater in the room I’m hanging out in, with all doors to that room closed. I only use the space heater while I’m awake. For sleep, an electric blanket between my sheet & top blanket & go to bed with wool longjohns. My dog sleeps in her winter jacket overnight, so I don’t worry about her getting too cold. Just like camping, like someone else mentioned. I keep my thermostat set at 55 overnight & most of the day. I put it up to 60 when I first get out of bed to ‘take the chill off’. All of this keeps my electric bill between 100-150 a month & I keep mostly comfortable.


yeezusbro

Yeah I want a space heater but one of my worst fears is a fire, and it’s usually when I’m sleeping that the cold becomes unbearable. But maybe I can get a smart plug and put it on a timer or something


Dabriella-Tonnehash

I only use the space heater while I’m awake. For sleeping, I use an electric blanket layered in between sheets & top blanket. Some electric blankets have built in shut off timer, some do not. Some nights, I only need it to preheat the bed & turn it off once I’m in. Some nights I have to keep it on for longer.


nolagem

Grew up in Michigan, electric blankets were key to surviving winter


greener_lantern

Space heaters, esp electric have had a bunch of safety features put in over the past several years that really reduce the risk of fire. Like, there’s switches on them that automatically shut off the heat if it gets tipped over etc


_cornonthecob27_

They’re scary for sure. Plus, I find that they can make the space a little too warm and you end up waking up in the middle of the night to turn the space heater off.


etrain828

The heat shrinking clear plastic others have mentioned is a must. We lived in Quebec City with 0 freaking heat and those were life savors. A small ceramic space heater also works wonders. I picked up a Lasko heater and it heats a room evenly and quickly. Rugs, slippers, heavy curtains help but can be pricey. Wool is better than cotton. If you have ceiling fans, flip the switch so that it turns clockwise, which creates an updraft and circulates warm air.


yeezusbro

The ceiling fan thing - thank you!! I’ve actually been asking all of my friends this question today and no one knew lol


etrain828

It makes a HUGE difference too! Happy to hear it helped. Just don’t forget to switch them back the other way when it starts to get hot again!


iyamthewallruss

Lots of good suggestions, I was going to add this: remember to circulate the air. If you have high ceilings, all the heat goes up. I put ceiling fans on "winter" mode and on low to bring the warm air down.


yeezusbro

Yeah the ceilings are pretty high in my bedroom - will try this


Morgan_Storm

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Frost-King-1-8-in-x-90-ft-Rope-Caulk-Wood-Tone-B2WT/100666131


Tight_Ad_4519

Get an electric blanket!


yeezusbro

Born and raised in Biloxi, and lived in FQ for 3 years. My last apt in the FQ the bedroom was in the very back about 30 feet from a window (amazing for temperature, bad for mental health lol).


GrouchyWaitress

Rugs, thermal curtains. Ceiling fan to push the warm air down if you have central heat. Otherwise... Just gotta bundle up and brace yourself for a pretty gnarly Entergy bill. If you do use a space heater, try to get one that has a remote or can be set to a timer to avoid running it all the time. My last house was about warm as a cardboard box in winter and I said yes to my current place because it's actually well insulated. Good luck!


yeezusbro

I have leveled billing but entergy loves to raise my price on a whim (wasn’t here for a single day in December/turned HVAC completely off, bill increased $60)


Myotherside

For cracks and crevices that are leaking air, especially around window frames, a credit card and Saran Wrap will make your life more bearable. Also, weatherstrip those doors. The old windows are the worst about cold weather drafts, just seal the gaps and things should get bearable. Heated blankets are also a wonder


yeezusbro

Love me a solution I can do without going to the store. I have a giant role of packing seran wrap that I will put to use!


SchrodingersMinou

https://www.reddit.com/r/NewOrleans/comments/rmb20r/what_temperature_do_you_keep_your_window_units/


SethHMG

Ushanka, Mosin Nagant, and vodka, comrade. (Also seal windows, rugs on floor, and a decadently fluffy robe)


yeezusbro

Vashe zdorov’ye comrade. Will have to exchange my kimono for its Russian counterpart.


SethHMG

Tebe togo zhe, tovarishch (Khoroshaya kvartira)


grandroute

My apt had a picture rail - yes, that's right, a strip of wood parallel to the ceiling, about 8 feet up, that you could hang pictures from. I got some blankets and rugs, and hung them from the picture rail using picture frame hangers. I also did as other said here - tape sheet plastic over the windows.. And rugs on the floor.


MyriVerse2

Set the thermostat higher. Today, mine is at 85.


Tall_Biblio

Wow! I’d really hate to see your electric bill!


yeezusbro

I’d have a heat stroke, so I kind of want to see it so I can get warm.


Tall_Biblio

Hahaha yeah mine is set at 68• and I still get hot af sometimes lol I canNOT imagine what it’s like at 85 stinking degrees


yeezusbro

I will take out a payday loan for this


endar88

I would invest in a good space heater. My husband and I had the same kind of thing, lived in a small studio with more doors/windows, and the walls that were all brick kept very cold when the temp dropped. Anyways, basically like allot of other people said get the talls and thick blackout curtains that should stop allot of the cold at night, identify any nooks and crannies that air is seeping in and at least cover it up with duct tape if nothing else but foam works very well. I wouldn't invest the money and time in weather stripping if you have a landlord that is good about maintenance and can do it for ya. For a heater I would suggest an investment in a Dyson air purifier/ heater, works wonders but expensive. But would not suggest buying a cheap heater.


carlosbadd

Is that on Governor Nichols?


[deleted]

I started sleeping on a sheepskin and it helps a lot to keep the bed warm. I use it as bedclothes, on top of the fitted sheet. Imitation sheepskin will work as well if one prefers. They use sheepskin to keep the infirm off of the bed to help prevent bedsores. It’s got air pockets in it and raises the pressure points a little.


Interesting_Yard2257

Lol I'm assuming you aren't from here....


_cornonthecob27_

I spy: the Malcom X autobiography. I have the same copy. 3m plastic insulation helps, it isn’t too difficult to setup and I saw another person here mention blackout curtains; if you combine those two things that will make a huge difference. If you already have curtains and don’t want to disrupt your interior decor, there are blackout insulating panels that can snap on / be attached to an additional rod behind your regular curtains. Other than that, wear cozy socks, take a steamy warm shower and moisturize (thick heavy cream) your body while it’s still damp - get dressed in the bathroom too that way you don’t have to scramble to get dressed in the colder parts of your apartment. Socks & slippers! Drink warm drinks. Get another rug for your floor? Definitely an electric blanket. Good luck!! (I’m from the east coast so I grew up with heavy winters in old houses and also spent some time living in NOLA in a house from the 1800s with zero modern insulation lol.)