# I'm trying to buy a house - battlements?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-buy-a-house-battlements/557875>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 21, 2010, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-buy-a-house-battlements/557875 "2010-10-21T12:56:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-buy-a-house-battlements/557875/61 "2010-10-28T01:35:34Z")

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> [@Musicat](#):
>
> Obviously we have different comfort levels, but my idea of a cozy sleeping room is not 10 degrees above freezing, unless there is a _whole_ lot of snuggling going on.

Oh, I didn’t say it was _comfortable_. It was just an illustration that even the unfinished house was capable of creating a 40-degree-plus temperature difference in midwinter.

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-buy-a-house-battlements/557875/62 "2010-10-28T01:55:51Z")

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> [@Sunspace](#):
>
> Oh, I didn’t say it was _comfortable_.

What is the difference between “fine” and “comfortable”?

It does seem that temperature regulation on several cloudy days would be difficult without some supplementary heat.

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**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-buy-a-house-battlements/557875/63 "2010-10-28T02:08:20Z")

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> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> What is the difference between “fine” and “comfortable”?

It was fine until I got out from under the covers. 🙂 once I was up, it was chilly. But once I opened the door and felt the difference between +6 and -30 (it has warmed up outside, and a brilliant sun was shining), I knew how well the place could capture heat.

> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> It does seem that temperature regulation on several cloudy days would be difficult without some supplementary heat.

That’s where the thermal mass comes in. Because there is so much heat stored in it, the interior of the house changes temperature slowly. It can compensate for rapid changes.

The worst-case scenario is three or four months without sunlight during cold weather. This would deplete the heat store, and it would take a long time to recharge. For this reason, supplemental heat can be used. Fortunately, our local climate is usually sunniest when it’s coldest.

This technique needs to be used with more than just an eye on the local climate.

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**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-buy-a-house-battlements/557875/64 "2010-11-04T14:49:24Z")

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We’ve [thread=584284]closed on a house. [/thread] Thanks.

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