Inside Bryn Teg: Difference between revisions

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Although Bryn Teg has only two bedrooms, there are sleeping facilities for up to seven people; duvets and pillows are provided.
Although Bryn Teg has only two bedrooms, there are sleeping facilities for up to eleven people; some duvets and pillows are provided plus bed linen (usually) and towels.


== Downstairs ==
== Downstairs ==


There are three main rooms  
There are four main rooms  
* kitchen [[More on the kitchen]]
* kitchen [[More on the kitchen]]
* scullery and toilet off the kitchen [[More on the scullery]]
* main lounge [[More on the main lounge]]
* main lounge [[More on the main lounge]]
* smaller lounge [[More on the small lounge]]
* smaller lounge [[More on the small lounge]]
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plus  
plus  


* scullery and toilet off the kitchen [[More on the scullery]]
* a recently (Spring 2015) refurbished glass lean-to at the kitchen end of the cottage [[More on the glass lean-to]]
* a rather decrepit glass lean-to at the kitchen end of the cottage [[More on the glass lean-to]]
* a decrepit stone lean-to at the other end [[More on the stone lean-to]]
* an even more decrepit stone lean-to at the other end [[More on the stone lean-to]]


== Upstairs ==
== Upstairs ==


* Double bedroom [[More on the double bedroom]]
* Main bedroom [[More on the double bedroom]]
* Twin bedroom [[More on the twin bedroom]]
* Second bedroom with a double bed and a single bed [[More on the twin bedroom]]
* Recently-renovated bathroom [[More on the bathroom]]
* Bathroom [[More on the bathroom]]
* Toilet [[It is only a toilet!]]  
* Toilet [[It is only a toilet!]]  


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== Heating ==
== Heating ==


Heating is by a wood-burning stove in the main lounge, an electric faux wood-burning stove in the small lounge plus storage heaters - three downstairs and two upstairs.  The one in main lounge is also a convector heater.  There is a small portable fan heater, usually kept in the cupboard under the sink in the scullery, and a fairly portable oil-filled heater, usually kept in the garden chalet.
Heating is by a [http://www.flickr.com/photos/timjdfletcher/2802955139/sizes/o/in/set-72157606982559795/ wood-burning stove] in the main lounge, a new and a smaller wood-burning stove in the small lounge plus dual storage/convector heaters - three downstairs and two upstairs.  There is a portable fan heater in the scullery and two heaters in the garden chalet.


All but one of the windows are double glazed so the cottage is cosy even in the most wintry weather.
All but one of the windows are double glazed so the cottage is cosy even in the most wintry weather.


The stove in the main lounge burns wood, supplemented by coal where necessary.  Supplies of both, plus kindling, are kept in the stone lean-to and there are fire lighters in the glass lean-to. There is also a mass of burnable timber from the collapsed shed at the top of the garden, but please beware that this is riddled with woodworm so do not bring into the house or the lean-tos unless it is going into the stove immediately.  
The stoves burn wood, supplemented by coal where necessary.  Supplies of both, plus kindling, are kept in the stone lean-to and there are fire lighters in the glass lean-to. Please use the stoves only if you will have time to clean them before you leave.
 
With careful management and in exceptionally cold weather the wood burner will stay in overnight and, even if it goes out, it keeps warm until morning.   
With careful management and in exceptionally cold weather the larger wood burner will stay in overnight and, even if it goes out, it keeps warm until morning.   


We are still experimenting with the right balance between this and the storage heaters during cold weather.  Hitherto we have kept all three downstairs storage heaters at about 2/3 full capacity but the one in the main lounge will probably not be required if the wood burner is being used.  The upstairs is usually warm so we keep the two heaters upstairs on low settings.
During cold weather we keep all three downstairs storage heaters at about 2/3 full capacity but the one in the main lounge will probably not be required if the wood burner is being used.  The upstairs is usually warm so we keep the two heaters upstairs on low settings.


We still have not fully understood how to prevent blackening of the glass in the stove doors so advice would be welcome (or even gratefully received!).  Coal appears to cause this promptly so please use it sparingly.  The glass gets obscured if the stove is in overnight but it is usually easy to get this off in the morning before reviving the fire.
We still have not fully understood how to prevent blackening of the glass in the stove doors so advice would be welcome.  Coal appears to cause this promptly so please use it sparingly.  The glass gets obscured if the stove is in overnight but it is usually easy to get this off in the morning before reviving the fire.


We had a rather disconcerting experience when lighting the wood burner for the first time this autumn (2008).  It had been exceptionally wet in the previous few weeks so the chimney stack was sodden.  Lighting the fire and thereby heating the chimney caused clouds of water vapour to appear upstairs, particularly in the double bedroom.  Despite the alarm which this caused us, we are assured by the installer of the fire and the local repairer of chimneys, that the vapour is harmless and soon disperses, as indeed we found.
We had a rather disconcerting experience when lighting the wood burner for the first time in autumn 2008.  It had been exceptionally wet in the previous few weeks so the chimney stack was sodden.  Lighting the fire and thereby heating the chimney caused clouds of water vapour to appear upstairs, particularly in the double bedroom.  Despite the alarm which this caused us, we are assured by the installer of the fire and the local repairer of chimneys, that the vapour is harmless and soon disperses, as indeed we found.


When the house is unoccupied in winter, the storage heater in the main lounge should be left on at about 1/3 full capacity and the other four switched off.
When the house is unoccupied in winter, the storage heater in the main lounge should be left on at about 1/3 full capacity and the other four switched off.


Frost stats in various places switch on various forms of heating if the temperature falls close to freezing.  When the cottage is unoccupied in winter all the upstairs doors and all the downstairs doors except the one between the kitchen and scullery (but '''including''' the door to the downstairs toilet) should be left open so that the heat spreads to adjacent rooms.
Frost stats in various places switch on various forms of heating if the temperature falls close to freezing.  When the cottage is unoccupied in winter all the upstairs doors and all the downstairs doors should be left open so that the heat spreads to adjacent rooms.


== Water heating ==
== Water heating ==
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== Water stop cock ... ==
== Water stop cock ... ==


... is at the back of the cupboard under the sink in the kitchen.
... is at the back of the cupboard under the sink in the kitchen under the home-made cover which is there to try to prevent mice getting into the living area of the house.

Latest revision as of 11:49, 22 September 2015

Although Bryn Teg has only two bedrooms, there are sleeping facilities for up to eleven people; some duvets and pillows are provided plus bed linen (usually) and towels.

Downstairs

There are four main rooms

plus

Upstairs

The door at the top of the stairs leads out into the garden. Many of the doors in the cottage are rather low by modern standards and this one is particularly low so mind your head!

Heating

Heating is by a wood-burning stove in the main lounge, a new and a smaller wood-burning stove in the small lounge plus dual storage/convector heaters - three downstairs and two upstairs. There is a portable fan heater in the scullery and two heaters in the garden chalet.

All but one of the windows are double glazed so the cottage is cosy even in the most wintry weather.

The stoves burn wood, supplemented by coal where necessary. Supplies of both, plus kindling, are kept in the stone lean-to and there are fire lighters in the glass lean-to. Please use the stoves only if you will have time to clean them before you leave.

With careful management and in exceptionally cold weather the larger wood burner will stay in overnight and, even if it goes out, it keeps warm until morning.

During cold weather we keep all three downstairs storage heaters at about 2/3 full capacity but the one in the main lounge will probably not be required if the wood burner is being used. The upstairs is usually warm so we keep the two heaters upstairs on low settings.

We still have not fully understood how to prevent blackening of the glass in the stove doors so advice would be welcome. Coal appears to cause this promptly so please use it sparingly. The glass gets obscured if the stove is in overnight but it is usually easy to get this off in the morning before reviving the fire.

We had a rather disconcerting experience when lighting the wood burner for the first time in autumn 2008. It had been exceptionally wet in the previous few weeks so the chimney stack was sodden. Lighting the fire and thereby heating the chimney caused clouds of water vapour to appear upstairs, particularly in the double bedroom. Despite the alarm which this caused us, we are assured by the installer of the fire and the local repairer of chimneys, that the vapour is harmless and soon disperses, as indeed we found.

When the house is unoccupied in winter, the storage heater in the main lounge should be left on at about 1/3 full capacity and the other four switched off.

Frost stats in various places switch on various forms of heating if the temperature falls close to freezing. When the cottage is unoccupied in winter all the upstairs doors and all the downstairs doors should be left open so that the heat spreads to adjacent rooms.

Water heating

Hot water for washing up and baths is provided by an immersion heater; the switch is in the scullery, over the door to the kitchen. The shower heats water as it is used; there is a pull switch in the bathroom for the shower.

Water stop cock ...

... is at the back of the cupboard under the sink in the kitchen under the home-made cover which is there to try to prevent mice getting into the living area of the house.