The Best Ways to Keep Your Home Warm in the Winter
Winter is coming fast and with the change of seasons come the coats, boots, and gloves to stay warm. Unless you’re the type of person who likes to stay bundled up for the entire season, you probably try to keep your home warm.
It’s always a precarious balance when it comes to keeping your home warm – too little and you’re shivering, too much and your energy bills make you lightheaded.
Thankfully, there’s more than one way to keep your home warm this winter – some of it ranges from major construction like new windows and insulation, while others are cheap gimmicks that cost next to nothing but make a big difference. Regardless of your budget, you should be able to make your home comfortable for this winter season.
Energy Efficient Construction
If you’re looking to make your home warmer for the winter and have some money to invest into your infrastructure, then there are some construction plans you can carry out to keep your house comfortable and your bills down.
When it comes to keeping your home warm, the best way is to keep the hot air in and the cold air out. Air, like just about anything else, finds the path of least resistance to escape. It turns out that the weak points in your home’s insulation are the doors and windows.
If you have an old-fashioned crank window or a misaligned door, you’re probably losing hundreds of dollars in heating costs per year. Even if your windows aren’t that old, you might want to think about investing in Energy Star certified models that are extra thick to not lose heat through the glass. It’s best to have an expansive look on your home’s heat loss – if your roof is over twenty years old you might want to have someone come out and look at it.
Remember, leaks can go both ways – if water can get into your home warm air can easily get out. Garages too can be a major source of heat loss – they are often poorly insulated and have a much larger door that can radiate heat through it and around the perimeter.
There is also the insulation in the wall to consider. If you’re suspicious that you’re losing any heat in one of your outer walls, merely place your hand on it. If it is cooler than the surrounding area you probably have insufficient insulation in that location.
Aside from this, you might want to look at your HVAC system before the cold winter weather sets in – often times these systems often do the most work around the winter season and it’s important that they are maintained well.
Low-Cost Tricks to Keep Your Home Warm
Aside from the big projects above, there are a few tips and tricks to keeping your home warm that may not be immediately obvious. When it comes to windows one of the easiest things you can do is make sure they are well insulated – covering up any holes around the perimeter on the outside and inside with bead of caulking can do the trick.
To cut back on the heat radiating away through the glass itself, try putting some thick curtains over the window. Aim to invest in ones that have thermal protection; if not, something like a shower curtain can also work well. You can expand on this concept too and apply some curtains to doors to keep your home even more insulated.
If you do go the curtain route just be careful you aren’t cutting back on the natural heat source – keep everything open to let the heat pour in throughout the day and only close them as the sun starts to go down.
If you find that you have large gaps around the perimeter of your exterior doors, take a little time to cover up those gaps with a roll of weatherstripping. The process in replacing or adding weatherstripping is a fairly simple process – just lightly rip away at the old weatherstripping, cut the new strip to the appropriate length of the perimeter of the door, and rip off the paper so you can put the sticky end down first.
If you own a radiator make sure you’re treating and using it properly. Make certain that you keep it cleaned and well maintained, along with ensuring no large pieces of furniture, like couches, are near them as they can absorb a lot of the heat.
To further maximize the use of warm air in your home try setting the ceiling fan to rotate in the opposite direction – this will force the hot air that rises to be dispersed downward.
Use Your Heating Sources Wisely
Often times, people feel the first chill in the air and rush to their local store to buy a portable heater. The problem is that these devices are notoriously inefficient and typically fire up the price of their heating bill well out of proportion to the comfort that they create.
If you do decide to use one of these devices use it wisely – only keep them located in rooms that you’re in, along with keeping the doors closed off to areas that aren’t currently inhabited. Also make sure to always turn off your portable heater when you leave the room, as this is not only energy smart but also fire home safety smart.
It’s best to take advantage of more permanent heat sources in your home if you can. Fireplaces are probably one of the best – not only do they provide a great source of natural heat but they also have a picturesque look to them.
Ensure that you’re only burning wood that’s sufficiently dried out and is rated for indoor use. Also, make sure to follow all proper maintenance and safety features related to your fireplace and chimney – have a certified chimney sweep to check it out for any defects and keep it properly clean so you don’t have any problems this winter season.
When not in use you can keep your chimney shut with the flue or draft. From here, make sure that your HVAC system is going properly throughout the year with a smart thermostat – these devices can be programmed to change the home’s temperature throughout the day based on your schedule.
This helps prevent wasting heat when nobody is home and keeping it warm when there are people there.
Lower Your Energy Bills Using These Tips
Few people like to be cold – and even more in their own home! If you have the budget to invest in an energy efficient home it’s best to do so as soon as you can. It might cost a pretty penny, but the cost of these improvements will pay for themselves in just a few years.
If you’re looking for a simpler and cheaper way to keep your home warm think about the small things like weatherstripping, caulking, and window drapes. Using your heating sources wisely is probably the most important – try to maximize their use without overusing them so that your heating bill is excessive.
Energy Saving Replacements
For this winter, you’ll want to ensure that your home stays warm. At Feldco, we are your go-to home improvement construction company that will keep you warm this winter. It all starts with brand new windows, siding, and doors. Speak to a product specialist and get a free quote today.
