How to Stay Warm in a Weatherboard Home?

rohichan on 18/06/2025 - 17:51

I'm in Melbourne, live in an old weatherboard home (owned) for last 4 years. Every winter has been a challenge and the gas/electricity bills soar!

Have a ducted (ceiling) heating in living, dining and rooms. AC in the living. Oil heater in the main bedroom and electric heater in the office room. Floor is timber in the living and carpet in rooms.

Air leaks from windows, under door, from the gaps in timber flooring even though stoppers and carpet is used where ever possible to stop the leak.

Any recommendations to improve this? Should i get an inspection for insulation in ceiling and walls? Should i look at alternatives for heating?

Home & Garden

Comments

  • xuqi on 18/06/2025 - 17:57
    +12

    https://theoodie.com/collections/oodies

  • Davo1111 on 18/06/2025 - 18:02
    +3

    short term:

    close curtains.

    electric blankets
    electric throws

    • kmwa on 19/06/2025 - 13:10
      +2

      Any heating will be expensive and ineffective.
      But you can still be comfortable in a weatherboard if you invest in a few cheap things.
      Dress warmly - long johns and a vest underneath, a body warmer on top.
      An electric blanket will give you a lovely snug nest to climb into at night, and if you leave it on at night, you will be nice and warm when you get up in the morning instead of freezing cold.
      An electric throw will keep you comfortable while you're on your sofa watching the telly at night. And wrap one around your shoulders in your home office. Finger mitts can keep your hands warm while you're pushing a mouse.
      The house might still be freezing cold, but you will spend most of your time in heated comfort, so short spells in the cold (eating, washing, and on the can) will be tolerable.

    • i0k-0RU2zd10c on 21/06/2025 - 21:22

      hot water bottle from the pharmacy for $6.
      Put hot water bottle inside your sleeping bag while you sit on your WFH desk.

  • SYLTB on 18/06/2025 - 18:05
    +1

    Insulate the door, windows gaps by buying cheap stuff from Bunnings. Ceiling heaters are not good already at the ceiling and as physics dictates hot air go up. Also, you (singular and/or plural you) may wear a plush gown if you are not in formal living environment. Finally, just lay down a cheap carpet/rug onto the living room floor.
    I actually waited a bit not to be posting first comment! Lol :)

  • mrkorrupt on 18/06/2025 - 18:08

    jumpers, skivvies, jackets etc.

  • Drakesy on 18/06/2025 - 18:11
    +2

    Burn it.

    • Protractor on 18/06/2025 - 18:52
      +1

      Talking Heads?

    • JIMB0 on 18/06/2025 - 19:52
      +12

      Heat a man’s weatherboard home and it’ll be warm for a few minutes.
      Set it on fire, and it’ll be warm for the rest of its life.

      • Drakesy on 19/06/2025 - 00:33
        +11

        Energy companies hate this one simple trick

        • JIMB0 on 19/06/2025 - 08:42
          +5

          Insurance companies hate it even more.

    • topherboi on 19/06/2025 - 07:24

      It'll provide the warmth OP desires, but only once.

  • 30year old Camry on 18/06/2025 - 18:30
    +9

    Just use your unmetered gas cooktop.

  • Ugly on 18/06/2025 - 18:48
    +3

    Do you have access under the house?
    If you do, you should look at under-floor insulation.

    https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/t5/Whole-of-House/Cheap…

    • jjjaar on 18/06/2025 - 19:40
      +3

      In terms of heat loss, ceiling loses the most, then windows, then walls, then floor. So best to focus insulation efforts in that order (though noting windows are usually cheaper to do, so are worth exploring first).

    • valuer on 19/06/2025 - 19:30

      Yes, this is a good suggestion.

      There will also be cold coming up from the earth if you don't have a concreted basement. You can get black plastic sheeting to cover the earth with as insulation.

      Insulation in the roof. Install new in none or old/thin.

      You can get foam insulation put in to the walls.

      Check for drafts.

      Curtains or install double/triple glazing.

  • AustriaBargain on 18/06/2025 - 18:54
    +8

    You could get rid of the two electric heaters and put in some mini splits. If you own the home and will be living there for 10+ years, it'll pay itself off in savings. The oil and electric heater are both as inefficient as each other.

  • 7ekn00 on 18/06/2025 - 18:55
    +5

    Instead of walking from room to room, jog on the spot from room to room!

    • jjjaar on 18/06/2025 - 19:41

      How does one jog “on the spot” while still moving from room to room?

      • 7ekn00 on 18/06/2025 - 19:41
        +3

        Ahhh, that's the perpetual motion that keeps you warm 24/7!

        • jjjaar on 18/06/2025 - 19:42
          +1

          Ohhhh, that! I thought that was just the early stages of burnout.

      • Muppet Detector on 18/06/2025 - 20:36
        +4

        Moonwalking but faster.

  • Switchblade88 on 18/06/2025 - 19:01
    +2

    I've taken to sticking bubblewrap up on the windows in a (somewhat futile) attempt to keep our power bills under $500/month. This would also likely work well under your floorboards if you can't acquire a more permanent/costly solution like batts or foilboard to stop the drafts.

    25m x 750mm for $29 is reasonable, and you can feel it makes some difference to stop cold air sheeting off the glass at night.

    • WT on 20/06/2025 - 07:56

      I heard about this and suggested it to a neighbour and he said it notable

  • JIMB0 on 18/06/2025 - 19:07
    +4

    Insulation is going to be useless until you stop the air leaks. Eco Master has a lot of good info on it along with plenty of DIY videos. Their products are good quality, although can be a bit on the expensive side, if you're creative you can often find a cheaper way of doing the same thing.

    https://www.ecomaster.com.au/i-dont-know-where-to-start/

  • barbarella on 18/06/2025 - 19:18
    +5

    nowhere near as bad as when I was a kid in Vic…old weatherboard house, only ONE wood heater in the lounge…nothing else…I survived somehow :/

  • JimmyF on 18/06/2025 - 19:26
    +1

    Any recommendations to improve this?

    10 tubes of sealer and start filling those gaps.

  • HuzzahIndeed on 18/06/2025 - 19:29
    +1

    John Gustafson - “I’m cold”

    Max Goldman - “Here’s some matches, set yourself on fire.” 🤣

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdtqs-n32Rc&pp

  • AndyC1 on 18/06/2025 - 19:30

    3 Things:

    a) Grab a ladder and get into man hole (not a person hole) to check out the roof cavity. See if you can put some roof bats in the ceiling yourself. Do not put them over any down lights, unless you want to burn the place down. There may be other rules, but in 95% of cases use common sense, so do not put over a bunch of wires that look dodgy etc,
    b) Get into the crawl space under the place and see if you can put up under floor insulation yourself. Google and youtuby how to install under floor insulation DIY
    c) Check out the window and door draft stoppers as they are DIY,

    Overall I think you will have to DIY as it is winter and to get quotes and arrange someone to fix the place will not get it done until spring.

    • blldzd on 20/06/2025 - 11:13
      -6

      Lol literally no-one gives a shit about you calling it a manhole. Insecure little man making up problems to complain about

    • lachhelix on 20/06/2025 - 10:55

      Oh, you're moving to Sweden @jv?

      • jv on 20/06/2025 - 10:57
        +6

        I was björn there…

  • Muppet Detector on 18/06/2025 - 20:45

    Was reading yesterday about how people who live in igloos keep warm.

    It goes something like this=>

    They light a fire inside the igloo causing it to melt a bit. However, the melted bits refreeze really quickly which actually causes some sort of sciency thermodynamics thingy to happen resulting in the igloo to become insulated turning the inside temperatures to 25C whilst it's still -60C outside.

    There must be some relevant principle in there you can apply to your own circumstances. Not sure what it is though.

    • Protractor on 18/06/2025 - 21:57
      +1

      Bulldoze the house down and use the weatherboards (burn) inside the igloo they build?

      In your igloo scenario the ppl inside are actually radiating heat in a much smaller space, and the igloo ice wall is a thermal barrier/insulation .It traps the body heat generated inside, and stops the extreme cold temp getting in.Stationary air is a very good thing in this scenario.

      • Muppet Detector on 20/06/2025 - 21:55

        Maybe, but there was emphasis on the double layer being the factor in the heating.

        Probably helped keep all that people heat and fire heat in.

        Maybe a layer of air trapped between the two layers of ice?

        Made me wonder why the inside of the igloo didn't just keep melting from the internal heat. Probably does and just keeps refreezing. I don't think the article covered that.

        I just associated it with the two layers in a thermos that works to keep the contents warm, so it kind of made sense to me at the time and then just moved on.

        I just sort of skimmed the article, didn't pay enough attention to it.

    • Clickbait on 18/06/2025 - 22:52

      My brain just 'sploded

  • elgrande on 18/06/2025 - 21:05
    +1

    I'm in a similar boat. This year I took a couple of days to seal off all the gaps in doors and windows with weather seal, its made a significant difference, the house is alot warmer.

    • topherboi on 19/06/2025 - 07:27
      +9

      I'm in a similar boat.

      OP is in a house though.

      • Euphemistic on 19/06/2025 - 18:45

        Leaky house vs leaky boat. I know which id prefer.

        • Muppet Detector on 20/06/2025 - 21:45

          Six months in a leaky boat = split enz.

  • Clickbait on 18/06/2025 - 22:55

    May be an option depending on ceiling heights, light and fan locations. you may be able to instal a remote reverse ceiling fan into a light socket, thay gentry pushes the heat back to the floor. It's cheap

  • Wiadro on 18/06/2025 - 23:12
    +5

    Air leaks from windows, under door, from the gaps in timber flooring even though stoppers and carpet is used where ever possible to stop the leak.

    sounds like a house from 2025

    • AUBRX on 19/06/2025 - 12:38

      I can attest to this. It's actually disgusting. The draught you feel over your face at night trying to sleep is so bad it's kept me up at night. In a BRAND NEW HOUSE.

  • fisherfriendman on 19/06/2025 - 11:07
    +1

    If you own the house, think about installing Far-infrared panels. They can be about (est to be 400W for a 3mx3m room) and will heat you up without attempting to heat up the room. It'll cost a bit upfront, but it's good for the long term since they use little power to keep you warm.

  • colossus on 19/06/2025 - 13:55

    I was in an old weatherboard Californian bungalow for many years - it's a charm versus cold balance. (and humans versus the huntsmen spiders!)

    Yes, to the insulation, anywhere it can go. Then it's a fix one thing at a time approach.

    Stopping drafts and leaks is the next best thing. And the windows on these, especially if you have lead light windows and/or sash windows are problematic and leak. One of the best things were fibreglass blinds on the inside of the windows. These were good for both summer and winter, and were partially transparent.

    Most things will be expensive, but I guess you already know this!

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 19/06/2025 - 17:51
    +1

    Heavy drapes and pelmets can be very effective in insulating windows.

  • Euphemistic on 19/06/2025 - 18:48
    +1

    Step one. Seal up as many drafts as you can. Even if it means putting some tape over window gaps. Focus on the rooms you live and sleep in. Then prevent air getting to other rooma you dont spend time in.
    See how that goes, then move to insulation.

  • Essem on 19/06/2025 - 19:55
    +2

    As an owner of a weatherboard home with timber floors, when I built 30 years ago, I had foil and batts installed in external and internal walls and ceiling. With 10 foot ceilings heat rises so have ceiling fan in living room that runs permanently. In winter pushes heat down and in summer pushes cool air into passage. Reverse cycle ac in living room.
    Probably difficult to put insulation in now but ceiling fan will certainly push what heating you have that sits on the ceiling around the room.
    I have lecky blanket and flannelette sheets for winter and for sitting around, have wheat bag and the kids old cot quilt on my lap.

  • rohichan on 19/06/2025 - 20:06

    Thanks everyone for your inputs. Will try the suggested recommendations !

  • WT on 20/06/2025 - 08:00

    heated blanket on couch. You can also get small ones to use in office chairs etc

  • Miss B on 20/06/2025 - 09:50
    +1

    Wait for summer, they tend to be toasty and warm in summer.

  • danwylie on 20/06/2025 - 11:04

    Definitely take advantage of any of the Victorian energy upgrades. You can get big discounts on replacing old inefficient heaters, hot water systems etc. Plus ventilation draft stoppers etc. But I echo the rest of the comments, insulate what you can, plenty of people on marketplace selling surplus insulation materials for cheap if you want to DIY. Seal up gaps, and save up for the cost of insulating walls and double glazing windows if you plan on staying there for a long time. My local library rents out energy efficiency kits including a thermal camera which would be great for identifying cold spots and gaps

  • Ahoon on 20/06/2025 - 11:09
    +1

    It’s 2025, you pay a million dollars for a house in Australia and still need three blankets to survive the night. Truly premium materials, design, and workmanship.

  • Atomik17 on 20/06/2025 - 11:35

    Pellet or wood heater

  • blitz on 20/06/2025 - 14:37
    +1

    Get a thermal camera and see where your heat is going.

  • tessel on 20/06/2025 - 19:54

    Put insulation in roof. Easy to do. Is it physically hard? Yes, but not hard to do. Next, you can do a lot of insulating the walls yourself. Start with one room and pull the plasterboard off. Yes, it'll get dirty as shit but tear the old pasteboard off and put in wall insulation on the external wall. You can even buy and hang plasterboard yourself. Honest, it's not hard. Pay a plasterer to come and tape and mud the joints. Then paint the walls and repeat in your next room.

    As for windows, assuming not double glazed, get bubble wrap two sheets join them together with bubbles facing inwards and tape to windows. Make a pelmet for window and get thermal curtains. Get insulation for under house of it is raised. You honestly can do most of the work yourself.

  • Hangryuman on 20/06/2025 - 21:31

    first best cheapest major difference in comfort will be from adding ceiling insulation - DIY

    https://pricewiseinsulation.com.au/blog/ceiling-insulation-i…

    https://homeinsulationonline.com.au/products/r6-0-bradford-g…

    • Ahoon on 21/06/2025 - 17:11
      -1

      Great way to guarantee future headaches.

      You're basically laying a soft, fluffy nest for rodents, bugs, and dust to settle into over the years.

      Roof leak or even just condensation trapped from poor airflow? Enjoy slow timber rot and mould patches in your ceiling frame.

      And when it’s time to fix these issues, you’ll be dealing with a ceiling full of compacted, dusty, bug-infested insulation that stinks like damp rats.

      It is a way to dump the recycled trash as a product.

  • Waltervp on 22/06/2025 - 18:05

    I think most has been covered. But new R6 pink batts in roof is easy, rugs and underlays for them, thicker curtains, definitely a reverse cycle heater in the lounge area, one which may blow through a door into other parts of the house.

    I suggest first thing is to get a reverse cycle heater!!

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