Beachbum1 Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 70 freeking degrees??? In the house??? To heck with the dog, I need long johns!! :lol I would suggest lightweight jams or moving to a warmer climate. The jams might to easier. When the house gets below 70, Taylor is glaring at me.....looking like he is ready to leave and walk back to his adoption agency Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feisty49 Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Feisty49 - wow 220 years old in NY. Can you post a photo? (Sorry - off topic but sounds neat.) My house is for sale, or it will be again come spring. I take it off the market during the winter. If anybody is interested in seeing it, it's still listed at this site: http://www.trulia.com/property/3087368048-11290-Route-32-Greenville-NY-12083. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feisty49 Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 (edited) Our house is 120 years old with no insulation in the walls in upstate NY. We've always had it at 60 when we're awake and 52 at night, but in deference to our new greyhound, we've cranked it up to 64 when we're awake and 58 at night. I find she sleeps curled up rather than roaching now, but otherwise she seems OK.... Haven't tried jammies yet as she seems to be warm enough. Does anyone feed their dog more in winter due to the cold? Wow. You'd think one person in 120 years would have been smart enough to insulate the walls! 52? Inside?? I'm pretty hardy, but that's just too cold for inside!!! It's not an issue of being smart, indicating somebody is dumb?? Nice. The problem with insulating old houses is that most of them -- at least mine at 220 years old -- can't have insulation blown in between the outside walls and inside walls because there is no room. From outside in, my house is clapboard, lathe, inside wall (plaster, with one room knotty pine). If insulation were blown in, it would blow all the lathe apart, and that's what outside and inside walls are attached to. One could cover the original clapboard with siding (ewwwww) over insulation, but I won't cover the wood of a house built in 1792 with siding. When my husband passed, I did have insulation blown around the sill in the cellar and in the attic, covering the ceiling and walls entirely. It has cut way down on drafts and just a little bit on heating costs. Edited November 13, 2012 by Feisty49 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFullHouse Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Ours stays at 65 and my dogs are all comfortable with it. They do tend to grow thicker coats in the winter to keep them warm. Our house is well insulated. We had no heat on last night and it was 31 outside. Got up this morning and it was 60 in the house. We replaced all the windows a couple of years ago and that made a huge difference. If it might be the closed bedroom door that bothers her and you don't want her roaming the house, how about a baby gate across your door. Quote Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyandHollyluv Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 (edited) If you are indeed dealing with cognitive decline (nighttime waking in seniors or day-night reversal -- there are many articles about this on the Internet) rather than a temp issue -- my heart goes out to you. I had to euthanize my almost 13-1/2 year old male hound in May due to cognitive dysfunction (which escalated after he lost his two "younger" senior houndmates within three months.). It's a long story ... but twice within one week in May, Chauncy and I pulled an "all nighter." After supper, he couldn't or wouldn't lay down. He panted, paced, and appeared extremely distraught and anxious until dawn. Chauncy could not get close enough to me and when I attempted to go to bed later in the evening, he stood at the side or end of the bed and cried or panted - so I stayed up all night with him. No sleep for either of us. It was awful. Broke my heart. I could not console my sweet boy. I feel the wires were getting crossed in his brain and there was a finite amount I could do to help him other than medicating him to the point of zombie status. Due to his age and the fact that I would not allow my boy to suffer such heartbreaking anxiety, I made the decision to say goodbye. Chauncy is at peace now and no longer has to worry. Hugs to you and Clodagh. Edited November 14, 2012 by IndyandHollyluv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Scouts_mom Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I once spent Columbus Day weekend at my aunt's 200+ year old house in western Mass. No insulation and very inefficient central heat. Thank doG that she provided an electric blanket. I have never been so cold. My aunt did say that she had a horrible time potty-training her boys--they would regress every winter. Anyway I learned that weekend to only visit during the summer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferS Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 My house stays at 64 degrees in the winter. If I want to "treat" us, I will crank it up to 66, but that is all I can afford. The dogs will wear pjs when it is below freezing outside because my insulation in the bedrooms is not great either Quote Forever in my heart: my girl Raspberry & my boys Quiet Man, Murphy, Ducky, Wylie & Theo www.greyhoundadventures.org & www.greyhoundamberalert.org & www.duckypaws.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OPointyDog Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Wow. You'd think one person in 120 years would have been smart enough to insulate the walls! We had a home energy audit done, and that's when we found out that there's no insulation. The guys that came to do the audit thought that originally the builders would have put straw in the walls, but of course over time it decomposed. We had an estimate done on having the foam insulation blown into the walls, and it was over $16,000. We figured out that even if adding insulation cut our heating bills in half (unlikely!) it would take us over 20 years to see the investment pay off. We've tried to be more energy efficient in other ways, and have a brand-new high efficiency furnace that's pretty awesome. And yes, 52 was pretty extreme. Lots of heavy down comforters. Everyone is happier now that the low has been set at 60. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kkaiser104 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 It's always so interesting to hear what everyone keeps their houses at! My parents (in northern Ohio) keep their small-ish house right around 70, though it does drop into the 60s at night. Now that I have to pay my own electric bill, my roommates and I keep it set to 66 during the day and as low as 60 at night, though occasionally we'll just turn the heat off and let it work naturally (if it's in the 40s and 50s). Teddi wears jammies at night if he whines at me and I remember to put them on, though he normally has no issues curling up under a blankie at night instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest itsagreytlife Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 Our house is 120 years old with no insulation in the walls in upstate NY. We've always had it at 60 when we're awake and 52 at night, but in deference to our new greyhound, we've cranked it up to 64 when we're awake and 58 at night. I find she sleeps curled up rather than roaching now, but otherwise she seems OK.... Haven't tried jammies yet as she seems to be warm enough. Does anyone feed their dog more in winter due to the cold? Wow. You'd think one person in 120 years would have been smart enough to insulate the walls! 52? Inside?? I'm pretty hardy, but that's just too cold for inside!!! It's not an issue of being smart, indicating somebody is dumb?? Nice. The problem with insulating old houses is that most of them -- at least mine at 220 years old -- can't have insulation blown in between the outside walls and inside walls because there is no room. From outside in, my house is clapboard, lathe, inside wall (plaster, with one room knotty pine). If insulation were blown in, it would blow all the lathe apart, and that's what outside and inside walls are attached to. One could cover the original clapboard with siding (ewwwww) over insulation, but I won't cover the wood of a house built in 1792 with siding. When my husband passed, I did have insulation blown around the sill in the cellar and in the attic, covering the ceiling and walls entirely. It has cut way down on drafts and just a little bit on heating costs. Wow. Your house is lovely, especially the backyard! It must have a wonderful history. And, yes, those older houses were definitely built differently, with future technologies not in the blueprints. Good luck with the sale! (We are also about to put our house on the market. Ugh). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feisty49 Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 Wow. Your house is lovely, especially the backyard! It must have a wonderful history. And, yes, those older houses were definitely built differently, with future technologies not in the blueprints. Good luck with the sale! (We are also about to put our house on the market. Ugh). Thanks, and good luck to you too! I take the house off the market for the winter 'cause I need a break. It went on the market in April 2010, three years ago from this April. ::big sigh:: The economy back then was very bad, and it takes a special person to want a house this old. No matter how well kept, old houses have issues and problems that a new one doesn't, but a new-house person wouldn't be interested in something this old and vice versa. Again, good luck with your sale. As my RE agent tells me: It only takes one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mld Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 I keep my house at about 59-63 all the time, If company is coming over to stay I may turn it up to 68 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedHead Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 Man, I would FREEZE in some of your houses! I actually thought I was pretty "energy smart" keeping my house at 67 (sometimes 69) and even with that I am often cold. I do know my upstairs is way colder though as my thermostat is downstairs. I put jammies on Teague, he sleeps a lot more soundly with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubcitypam Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 Man, I would FREEZE in some of your houses! When the heater was out it was 59 when we woke up and it was pretty darn chilly to me! It never seemed to bother Buddy but the small ones became instant hot water heaters at night. Last night was our first night in a few at 66 and we basked in the heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mld Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 Is Texas usually that cool! Mind you 59 outside here is t-shirt weather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubcitypam Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 Is Texas usually that cool! Mind you 59 outside here is t-shirt weather 59 F in the day here is long sleeved T- shirt light jacket weather on a walk to me, not to wake up inside the house. Last weeks lows were in the 30's F which was normal. It usually gets colder in Jan and Feb.. I'm no longer in Lubbock, but record low there is -17 F. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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