Despite the sunshine in the middle of the day, the inside of a 1970’s Wanaka bach can be about the same temperature as the interior of your fridge at this time of year. But don’t despair, there is a lot you can do to warm up your home, and the re-use shop can help you out with curtains, hotties, heaters, carpet and material to make door snakes. Our opening hours are 8am – 5.30pm every day, keep reading for some tips on warming your home.
- Insulate. Easier said than done if you’re renting, but mention the $1300 EECA subsidy to your landlord and you might get some traction. If you have a community services card, EECA will pay nearly double that, go to www.eeca.govt.nz. No insulation? Find the warmest pub and stay till closing.
- Declare war on draughts. Weather stripping for doors and windows is cheap and easy. Door snakes are also good if you can see daylight through the bottom. Wanaka Wastebusters has lots of material, and we also sell bags of cotton rags that you can use to stuff your snake. We’re now open 8am to 5.30pm, seven days a week, so pop in on the way down the mountain
- Keep Jack Frost out with long curtains. We sell lots of second-hand curtains at Wastebusters, and you can always add extra lining on the back to make them more effective. If you get new curtains, drop your old ones in to us and we’ll find a new home for them. Pull your curtains as the temperature begins to drop.
- A dry house is easier to heat than a damp one. Opening the bathroom window a crack will help your fan remove the damp air. Bring in fresh air by opening the door and a window when it’s sunny. Children obviously know this, which is why they never shut the front door, no matter how cold it is.