5 Cost-Effective Ways To Warm Your Home
It’s very important to stay warm in the winter—being cold is just rubbish! Ideally, we’d all have super-efficient, brand-new heating systems that always kept the house optimally heated. Unfortunately, that kind of set-up doesn’t come cheap, and even if it’s affordable, the chances are there will be a wait before installation can go ahead.
So, what can you do to keep your home nice and toasty without spending a fortune?
Insulation
One of the most effective ways in which you can keep your home warm is to insulate the attic. It’s a relatively simple job too—most people will be able to do it in the space of a weekend. Your local DIY store will have insulation material that you can buy, and they will also be able to advise you on which one is the best for you to use.
If you have an older home or you aren’t confident doing it yourself, you will be able to find someone to help you to do it. It’s an investment that is worth making, and that will pay off quite quickly in the form of lower energy bills.
Draft Proofing
This is the most simple and effective method for keeping your home warm. Look for any drafts, particularly in areas around windows and doors and then seal them up using draft excluders. These can be purchased either online or at your local DIY store.
The Energy Saving Trust recommends ensuring that you don’t block ventilation when you are draft-proofing your home. For example, chimneys will still need to be able to get rid of smoke, so if your chimney is the cause of the draft then buy a proper chimney draft excluder, which will minimize the draft, while still allowing your chimney to do what it needs to. You should also ensure that bathrooms and kitchens are well ventilated so that you don’t risk dampness forming.
Scratched And Dented Furnaces
If you need a new furnace to boost the warmth in your home, you don’t need to pay full price! Many manufacturers will offer a discount for furnaces that are in perfect working order, but which have a little cosmetic damage in the form of a dent or scratch.
Check out thefurnaceoutlet.com for a range of available furnaces.
Furniture Placement
Even simple considerations such as where you put your furniture can make a huge difference to the warmth in your house. For example, if your sofa or another large item of furniture is in front of your radiator or other heat source, this will prevent it from heating the room effectively. Move it out slightly to allow the heat to get into the room, and you’ll find that your room is much warmer.
It’s also a good idea to ensure that you don’t put seating in doorways, as they are more likely to be affected by drafts.
Curtains
There are a few ways in which curtains can alter the warmth level in your home:
● If your curtains hang down over radiators, they will stop the warmth from getting into the room. Be sure that curtains stop before they reach the radiator.
● Open your curtains in the morning. They will allow the warmth from the sun to get into your room, providing free heating!
● Close your curtains in the evening. Your curtains act as insulation for your windows, so be sure to draw your curtains at night to keep as much of the heat in as possible.
