🔥🧣 Winter safety and comfort: stoves, ventilation, condensation
Winter in Norway is the perfect time for cabins with stoves and glass cabins overlooking snow and water. To stay warm, dry and safe, follow three rules: heat properly, ventilate regularly and control moisture (clothing, cooking, showering). Below is a practical guide with mobile ‘inserts’: checklists, ventilation timers, a condensation calculator, and an ‘emergency kit.’
🔥 Types of heating: how to stay warm and safe
Wood stove.
- Burn dry wood (<20% moisture content). Keep one bundle in the house — ‘drying’ overnight improves ignition.
- Ignition from top to bottom: large pieces at the bottom, medium pieces above, small pieces at the top + kindling; Keep the air vent open for the first 10–15 minutes.
- Before opening the door, add air for 1–2 minutes to allow the smoke to escape into the chimney.
- Never dry things on the stove or close the air vent completely: this causes soot and CO risk.
- Ashes — in a metal bucket with a lid and outside (coals smoulder for up to 24–48 hours).
Electric heaters / underfloor heating.
- Maintain a base temperature (17–19 °C at night) and use the stove to ‘add cosiness’ in the evenings.
- Do not cover radiators with clothes and do not connect several powerful appliances to one line.
Heat pump (air-to-air).
- Use the HEAT mode for heating and the DRY mode for drying/combating moisture after showering/drying clothes.
- Keep the filters clean; direct the airflow around the room, not directly at the glass.
Gas appliances/camping stoves — not for indoor use. Charcoal grills indoors — absolutely not allowed.
🚨 CO detectors and alarms: check upon arrival
CO detector: mandatory in cottages with a stove/gas. Upon arrival:
- Press TEST: there should be an audible signal/indication.
- Check the expiry date on the body (usually 5–10 years).
- Location — according to the manufacturer's instructions (near bedrooms, not behind curtains, not near windows).
- Keep fresh batteries (if autonomous).
If the CO alarm goes off or you feel unwell:
- Ventilate immediately (open windows/doors), leave the cottage.
- Turn off the stove/gas (if safe to do so).
- Call the emergency services and your host (save the numbers in advance).
- Return only after ventilating and checking the cause.
Smoke alarm: test when you arrive, keep the kitchen extractor fan on when cooking, do not leave the oven/stove unattended.
🌬️ Ventilation without heat loss
In winter, ventilate briefly and intensively: 3–5 minutes of draught 2–3 times in the evening + after showering/cooking. This reduces humidity and the risk of condensation, and the walls do not cool down.
Tips for glass shower enclosures:
- Keep micro-ventilation (5–10 mm gap) on the leeward side.
- Turn on the extractor fan/DRY mode on the heat pump after showering/drying.
- At night — basic heat 17–19 °C and closed curtains on peripheral windows (reduces double-glazing cooling).
💧 Drying clothes and combating condensation
Drying clothes.
- Place the dryer near a heat source/ventilation, not on the stove.
- Bathroom + extractor fan/DRY for 30–60 minutes is the best option for wet jackets.
- Shoes — on a stand near a heat source, with air circulation.
- Do not cover glass walls with items — this cools the surface and causes condensation.
Condensation on glass.
- In the morning, wipe the glass and frame with a squeegee and microfibre cloth.
- Monitor the humidity (comfort level 40–55%).
- Reduce sources of moisture: use lids on pots, take short showers, dry items in batches.
🧰 Essential kit and checklist for getting started
What to keep handy: thick gloves/oven mitts, headlamp, matches/lighter, squeegee + microfibre cloth, CO detector (if in doubt, bring one with you), metal bucket for ashes, AA/9V batteries, small fire extinguisher/fireproof blanket (if provided), wet/dry thermometer-hygrometer.
❓FAQ
First, open the air vent on the stove and the window for 1–2 minutes to allow the draught to ‘pick up’ the smoke. Check that the door has not been opened while the damper is closed. If the smoke does not go away, extinguish the fire (close the air vent), ventilate and do not use the stove until the host has checked the pipe/seals. Do not light candles/burners to help — this will make the situation worse.
Immediately ventilate and leave the cottage; turn off the stove/shut off the gas (if safe). Call the host and emergency services; return only after complete ventilation and elimination of the cause. Symptoms of CO poisoning: headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, confusion — if you experience these symptoms, get some fresh air immediately.
In cold weather, this is normal, but there should be no puddles. Reduce humidity: short airing, DRY/extractor mode, batch drying, lids on pots. In the morning — squeegee + microfibre, wipe the frames dry.
Place the dryer near a heat source/ventilation, not on the stove; place boots on a stand with circulation. After showering, use DRY/extractor for 30-60 minutes. Do not completely close the stove air vent ‘to save money’ — you will end up with soot and moisture.
Collect them only with a metal scoop in a metal bucket with a lid. Take them outside to a non-combustible surface (snow/gravel). Coals retain heat for 24–48 hours — do not leave the bucket on a wooden terrace and do not pour them into the rubbish bin.
Yes, 3–5 minutes with a draught: the air will be refreshed, and the walls/furniture will hardly cool down. Repeat 2–3 times in the evening — the humidity will go away, and condensation will decrease.
Only on stable, non-flammable stands and away from curtains/decor. Do not leave unattended, extinguish before going to bed and ventilate — candles also ‘consume’ oxygen.
Always add air for a minute or two before opening — the draught will increase and the smoke will go up the chimney. Open the door slowly, opening it slightly rather than throwing it open immediately; use a glove/tongs.
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