Speaking of winter, and I'd rather not but the fact must be faced, an interesting thing about Halifax is that all the apartments are provided with heat and hot water as part of the rent. Some, like this one, have electricity included too. What's fascinated me about this place is that there are no hot air vents, radiators or little heating units in the walls but we do have thermostats in every room. Some weeks ago I stepped inside the bedroom closet to get something from a shelf and noticed the floor was warm and realized then that all the floors would do the same. I never ran across anything like it before before so I looked it up:
'A radiant floor heating system simply radiates heat upward from the floor to provide optimum comfort and many other benefits. Here is an overview to how it works: A special heating wire is embedded in the slab, ultimately turning the floor into an efficient, low temperature radiator.
The number one benefit of a radiant floor heating system is comfort. Whereas a forced air system delivers heat which quickly rises to the ceiling – a radiant floor heating system "radiates" heat from the floor and delivers the heat evenly throughout the rooms.'
Now that's cool.. I mean warm. Plus, I unpacked my two winter coats, boots, gloves, scarves, and pogo stick. The man at the store told me everyone in Nova Scotia uses a pogo stick to hop over the snow drifts. I may go outside right now to get a little practice in while it's dark enough to hide my incompetence from the neighbors.
❍
ps: The painting is called 'lemon moon' and you're right if you think you've seen a similar one before. I'm still practicing with colors so decided to try a different palette. Here's the other if you'd like to compare:
Aaaaaaah, yes...winter. We haven't turned our heat on yet. We always wait until we cant' stand it anymore and then again, we are very conservative with it; keeping it lowest possible and wearing extra clothes and bedding at night. I can't exactly say I'm looking forward to winter.
ReplyDeleteI like the orange moon-balloons. It's such a pretty color.
I'm smiling trying to imagine you practicing on your pogo stick. :-)
Won't catch me doing that! :-D
Love,
Gina
I bet pussy cats love that underfloor heating system! Curl up anywhere and soak it up. Ideal.
ReplyDeleteor is it pussycats, all one word? Yes, I expect it is. Should've just said cats to be safe.
ReplyDeleteWow, you have a quality apartment with radiant floor heating, lucky you! I love the mental picture of you on a pogo stick, especially in the delightful styles in your paintings. Now I can hardly wait to see a photo of you jumping over a snowbank :-) You won't see me doing that!
ReplyDeleteAh it sounds like someone's take a leaf out of the Roman boo of central heating. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteYou crack me up. The radiant heat does not. That is such a good way to do it.
ReplyDeleteLemon Moon is great. It captures your whimsy and those colors are lush.
Of the two images, I like your newer version best I think.
ReplyDeleteRadiant heat is awesome. Laying it into a slab though is not. But then when I helped install some in a garage 15 years ago, there were no experts, just a notion and some tubing.
I love the eggs as balloons. And, yeah, I love me some radiant floor heating. In Chicago it was on my dream remodeling project list.xoxo
ReplyDeletepagan sphinx - We haven't turned our heat on yet either (still just the closet) and are also in the habit of keeping it low. In Portland we only used the wall heater downstairs in the living room but there winter temperatures are much milder than what we're expecting here. Brrr..
ReplyDeleteMe on a pogo stick isn't likely either :-)
andrew - I think it's pussycats but what do I know? I'm sure they'd love it though.
marja-leena - The building was constructed in the early 60's so I guess they were installing them that long ago. I was surprised because I've never encountered one before.
As always, I'm especially gratified by your compliments. Only in my imagination do I hurtle over snowdrifts :-)
jams - My opinion exactly.
lisa - Always glad to amuse :-) I don't know why they haven't done more places this way.
Even a small painting takes a long time so before I start larger ones I must practice seeing. Glad you like it.
mrmacrum - I think I agree with you even though I did this one faster.
We weren't sure if there were hot water pipes under the floor. How do they make sure the wires don't sink into the cement?
belette - The balloon eggs were nice, if a bit odd, but then everything I paint is that. You probably won't need radiant heating in LA. I'm wishing there was a province further south.
Warm floors, now that is something and it makes all kind of sense to me. Why, oh why can't we have clean and efficient in THIS country?
ReplyDeletePogo hopping ought to keep you in good shape too!
Peace
well, hmmmm, i guess it's to be expected it will get a little teeny bit colder than portland...damn...glad you're prepared with the stick and the floors...you will love those, we put them in here and adore them in winter, house never gets hot but never gets cold and then off it goes for summer...very sweet, was going to say cool but you know :)
ReplyDeletelove these little paintings , both of them so don't ask me to choose which is best...i love your style and whimsical nature...can't wait to see what you do now that your up there...all that new fodder for inspiration, like the sticks :)
xoxo and thank you for your kindness in your comments lately, they have been very appreciated and my apologies i have been so absent...life's been a bit upside down lately.
x
pogo stix in winter... haven't caught on here yet. we're so behind the times.... but radiant heat has been around here for a while. over the long term, done right , it's much more fuel efficient than most other types, and creates a healthier indoor environment. fluid for in-floor lines usually run through a boiler. if water is used, and it's all on the circuit (as some friends did) the place has an endless supply of hot water.
ReplyDeletesusan... Winter here is coming, but we'd never kniow it. We have had almost three full weeks of dry, sunny 60 to 70 degree (F) weather. I've been on the motorcycle, working outdoors and driving with the window down.
ReplyDeleteWhen the cold does come, and I know it will, I hope it creeps up with a Noreaster off of Lake Superior and not a full blown 20 inch snowstorm like Halloween of '91.
You seem to be enjoying a great adventure. I am still jealous you know. All the new shops, restaurants, coffee shops. The scenery in nature and architecture.
Now you're drawing and painting and being creative. You just picked up where you left off with your beautiful subjects and borders. That little girl running around is you, as you scout Halifax. The best to you and the Mister.
Peace.
liberality - From what people have been saying here radiant heating in floors is quite well known but more expensive to install. I guess the question is why isn't there planning for this everywhere - including Canada?
ReplyDeletelinda - A teeny bit? Damn, I was really wishing for my gloves when we went out for a walk this morning and we're not half way there yet. Glad to know you have radiant heating too but you built your house and I guess most contractors don't bother.
Sometimes I wonder about my mood levels when I paint 'whimsical'. As you know I'm not really that cute..
gfid - Everybody seems to know about this kind of heating but I'd thought it disappeared with the Roman Empire. I wonder what technologies will be forgotten when the current empire goes? I rather hope it's Fox News first.
spadoman - Ahh, you shouldn't be jealous. I haven't seen much further than downtown Halifax since we got here but we'll make another short trip or two before winter settles in and think about spring adventures. Except by then I may need a job.
The creativity was slow in catching up with me this time but I think it's returning. Time will tell. You always say the nicest things.
Seriously? About using pogo sticks in that fashion?
ReplyDeleteWell, now I've read of the best-sounding form of heat ever. I hate the drying blasts that come from the floor vents and that feeling of chill when the cycle shuts off. When my son (the young man who has become my son via blogging) visited us in June from the Philippines I was amazed when he pointed to the floor vents and asked what they were...
Where the warmer colors of the original are more favorites of mine than the cooler ones in the new print, I find myself preferring the latest one. Can't say why, really. :)
I have been away and good to see you finding your feet more firmly anchored in Halifax which all seems mostly positive despite being nearly been blown off your feet on one occasion. But at least in winter are going to stay nice and warm with the floor heating.
ReplyDeleteLovely vibrant colors in both of your paintings and I especially love the expression of both the girl and her kindly distant primate cousin with the flower.
Interesting comparisons with the USA- mostly I note except for some consumables the comparison seems favorable. Coincidentally at the moment roughly both the Australian dollar and the Canadian dollars is reaching or slightly exceeds parity with the US dollar meaning of course both currencies currently are worth about the same. Apart from that there are many similarities between the two countries apart from the climate.
Best wishes
cool art. I'm trying to get by on the radiant heat from a couple of beers nightly.....then just jump under the Hudson Bay blanket.
ReplyDeletelydia - No, not seriously, but I'm beginning to get an inkling winter is serious around here.
ReplyDeleteI've lived in cold weather climates longer than not and I've never run across an active radiant heating system either. I can just imagine your son's reaction to the concept of cold that requires some kind of fire.
I saw the second painting as simpler but my husband pointed out it has more clarity so perhaps that's what you've seen too.
lindsay - I'm trying to anchor but it really was a major uprooting so it will take some time. The concern now isn't the heat in here but whether we'll be able to go outside for longer than ten minutes.
Yes, we have low level US pensions as income so the currency conversions are something we've noticed. The main difference between here and America is the maintenance of a social contract between the government and the public. It could be better but it's not as bad.
okjimm - That's also a very good form of radiant heat - until to have to get up and have a shower.