House temp in winter??

[jennielynn1970]

Ok, so my mother and father complain that I keep my house way too cold in the winter months. I'm always too warm at their house, so I think partly them (ever since my dad had all his heart surgeries and the slight stroke, he's been colder than normal, I've noticed).

Most of my rooms downstairs are big, with high ceilings. During the day when I'm at home (weekends), I'll keep it at 68*... give or take a few degrees. I like it cooler at night, so it's usually about 65*. It's been really chilly at night the last few nights, but I still have my one bedroom window opened about 3" to get in some fresh air.

I don't mind wearing long sleeves and sweats in the house, I mean, to me, that's comfy. I don't like being overly cold. I mean, if my nose is cold, then it's too cold, lol!! I also try to conserve on the gas bill, cause between that and the electric bill for the AC in the summer, it can be really costly.

I dunno. Maybe it's me being cheap but also I feel comfy with it being a little cooler.

What are the normal temps that you guys keep your houses at?? I don't have central air or anything. My house is from 1904, and has the big old deco grates in the walls. I have a new furnace, so it's not like the heat doesn't work... maybe I am being cheap?

Oh, there is a fireplace, but it's gas, and I only ever used it once. I don't trust it.

These were taken the day I moved in... you can see the area a little better with the ceiling and wall grates. Now it's more cluttered, lol.

[chocolatepuppy]

We keep our house fairly cool. About 67* most of the time in the winter, cooler at night. If you're moving, it's fine, it you're sitting around, cover up. Actually, while the furnace is running, you're warm, when it's not, you're cold. Btw, your place looks real nice.

[jennielynn1970]

Thanks for the compliment on the house, lol. I bought it from a pastor's family in 2004, and there really wasn't much to do to it (or so I thought!). Basically, since it's an old house, it just needs things like new electrical (especially the fuse box as I can't blow dry my hair, have my flat iron on, and be running a fan in my room. Sigh. It needs new pipes, and the kitchen is new, it's an extension, but they never INSULATED it when they added it on! I have a portable heater in there for the winter time (as it's on a slab), and it gets down to 42* in there!! Needless to say, when I went to get a new fridge, it was suggested that I not do any icemaker or water in the door because the lines would freeze in the winter.

[kittycats_delight]

The temps in my house are about the same as yours but they are too cold for me. Unfortunately the house doesn't hold heat well. We have a large entrance door that is all glass and steel and lets out a lot of heat. The windows are quite cold too and a lot of heat escapes that way. The cost of gas is quite high here so we also try to keep it down as much as possible. It is not so cold outside here yet but we need the heat on cause the house is cold now. One of those houses that is hot in the summer and cold in the winter no matter what you do. Ideally for me I would prefer it to be about 22° C or 72° F but that is just me.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I'm with you. During the day/evening about 68 is just right...and 65 for sleeping. My parents house was like that, but as they are in their 80's they like it too warm for my taste. When I visit them in the winter I keep a window open where I am sleeping.

I love your hardwood floors.

[catnapper]

Anywhere from 62-65 degrees. We can't stand it any warmer.

Its basically that chilly here in the summer too

[momoffuzzyfaces]

With my arthritis I just can't stand to be cold. I usually keep the furnace on 74 or 76. If you are comfortable in your own home, that's all that matters.

[NoahsMommy]

I think we keep it at 70 in the cooler months...it will go up to 75 in the hotter months unless we're hot, then we turn the A/C on and bring it back down to 70.

I think "70" is comfortable for the three of us. My parents tend to be "eskimo-esque" in that they normally will have the house a lot cooler than I like it, but they've gotten better lately.

Your home may feel cooler beause like you said, you have hard-wood floors and tall ceilings. My parents home is like that too, but with the large tiled floors and very tall ceilings.

Is it really all nice and wintery somewhere??? We're at 85 F right now, with super-fun (NOT) Santa Ana winds of at least 20-30mph. We have every door/window shut and locked and the A/C is on.

[lizbud]

I love your house. I do like the older homes better than newer built.
They have a lot of character. I keep the temp at 68 daytime, 65 at
night.

Maybe you could get one of those space heaters for them when they visit. They have some very fancy looking ones now that look more like furniture.

[Gin]

Since I'm cheap, I keep the temperature low; 60 degrees during the day, and 55 at night. I just put on my heavy slippers and a coat.

I love your house, with the gorgeous hardwood floors and high ceilings! I live in an old bungalow too.

[jennielynn1970]

My mom and dad were just here, and my mother was wrapped up like an eskimo! LOL! She said she wanted to leave to go to dinner because it would be warmer in the restaurant. I have to admit, since I have not turned the heat on yet, it was 64* when I looked at the thermostat. I guess that is chilly, lol. So, since they are old fogies I turned the heat on just for them!

Calloway also was helpful and jumped up and made himself very comfy between my mom and dad on the sofa and emitted a lot of body heat for them! My mom kept saying how sweet and content he was, and gave him lots of love. She said "It's too bad we have 4 at home, otherwise I'd take you with me." She loves tuxies just like I do, and was totally taken by his sweet face and demeanor. If I could find a little old couple for him, he'd be their perfect companion!

It's not "wintery" here yet, but it's darn cold and windy today. I'd say, mid 50's if that during this afternoon. There is a football game tonight at the highschool stadium, and I want to go just so I can get hot chocolate and french fries and walk around the field. This is perfect football weather!

[critter crazy]

Well we tend to keep the heater down, or even off. We have electric heat, and it gets very costly, so we thrive on our woodstove, but that has a tendancy to get the house a tad too warm. But if we arent using the stove, and rely on our heat, we keep the temp between 65-70. Which I find is perfect!

[jennielynn1970]

The temps in my house are about the same as yours but they are too cold for me. Unfortunately the house doesn't hold heat well. We have a large entrance door that is all glass and steel and lets out a lot of heat. The windows are quite cold too and a lot of heat escapes that way. The cost of gas is quite high here so we also try to keep it down as much as possible. It is not so cold outside here yet but we need the heat on cause the house is cold now. One of those houses that is hot in the summer and cold in the winter no matter what you do. Ideally for me I would prefer it to be about 22° C or 72° F but that is just me.

I two doors at the front of my house. The front door to the outside, then the small entrance way, and the main door to the house. They are both the originals, and had mortise locks in them. They still have the buttons on the side where if you push the one in, it locks the handle and you can't turn it to get in the house even with a key. I found that out 2 winters ago when I locked myself out during a snow storm and the next door neighbor broke the one pane of glass to get me back in, and then closed the inner door and locked me out AGAIN!! Both doors let in a lot of cold air in, the windows too. There are new windows in the kitchen, and new windows on the 3rd floor from when the previous owners remodeled the attic into livable rooms.

I think that my house generally stays cooler downstairs in the summer than my apartments did. Again, I think it's the high ceilings. I hardly used the AC at all this summer, and it stayed fairly cool during the day with the lights off and the ceiling fans running.

I wish I could renovate the fireplace. I hate it. I would love to get something electric or at least not gas. I don't trust the gas logs. Lord knows how long they've been there, lol, and I guess I need to get the chimney looked at as well. I took out the gas water heater and put in an electric one, and am much happier with it.

[jennielynn1970]

Well we tend to keep the heater down, or even off. We have electric heat, and it gets very costly, so we thrive on our woodstove, but that has a tendancy to get the house a tad too warm. But if we arent using the stove, and rely on our heat, we keep the temp between 65-70. Which I find is perfect!

I would LOVE a woodstove! I love being outside and smelling the woodstoves and the chimneys. I'm so jealous of those!!! I have a stinky gas fireplace that when I did turn on and try it out when I first moved in, the living room got really hot, but I don't think the chimney was working right and the fumes got really overwhelming. So... no fireplace! It just sits there and collects dust on the gas logs. Not sure how I'd yank them out either. I'm pretty sure I'd have to have someone cap the gas pipes and then deal with getting the chimney cleaned and checked out as well before I burned regular wood in it.

[Hellow]

Well, i like to keep our house at 72 - 74*F but my parents like it at 69*F, too cold for me.