Baby It's Cold Inside

Central heat wasn't invented back in 1917 when our house was built by a banker. Originally a four room house with a full porch across the entire front, it was the finest home in Indiahoma. It is wood construction on cinder block foundation. You don't see that much anymore.

I don't know how the banker kept his family warm. We've put in efficiency windows, insulation, a gas fireplace and room heaters, but weather inside remains chilly whenever the temperature outside drops to near freezing. The banker's family must have been tough.

In the mid fifties the owners added a bedroom and an indoor bathroom to the south side of the house. They built a matching side porch the length of the bedroom. I'd like to attach the two porches so they become one big porch circling the southeast corner of the house. But then I'd want to enclose the whole thing so it would be usable space. We don't use our porches much because it's either too hot, too cold, too windy, too bug infested or like now covered in snow and not pleasant enough to sit outside. I wonder if an enclosed porch would make the inside of the house any warmer in winter.

We bought the house in 1982, just in time for Beth to be born, and a few years later added a family room on the back (it quickly morphed into a man cave) and an upstairs with 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. The bedrooms have their own window heaters bought from a hotel that went out of business. They are both heaters and air conditioners. The upstairs is warmer partly because hot air rises. Maybe that's why it's cold downstairs.

We've lived here for almost thirty years and never considered central heat and air. It might be the cost or maybe we just enjoy the pioneer life.