Winters could be really harsh and gruesome for individuals and houses alike. Along with that, after a long and hard day at work, you may not want to come back to a chilled home environment. On top of that, it is quite possible that you may have had a rough year just like everyone else and may not be ready to bear any additional costs for major repairs and renovations. Hence, we bring you some cost-effective and easy ideas to winter-proof your home in easy and effective ways.
Creating your fire stock
This is very important if you live in a place where it snows or rains a lot. Generally, the problem with wood burning is that the logs are required to be free of any moisture.
Otherwise, the logs face a lot of problems when burning. Hence, a little preparedness goes a long way. You could either make an arrangement to collect pre cut and kiln-dried wood logs from Buy Firewood Direct so that you do not fall short later. You could stock them safely in your garage or your wood storage.
Extra Layering and Closing the curtains
Even if you do not have double glazed windows, it would not matter much as long as you add in extra layers of thermal and warm material in your curtains. This mechanism would work to keep the rooms warm. You could try this with your blinds, shutters, and curtains.
Also, keeping the windows tightly closed and covered with curtains will help a lot lock in the heat when the sun goes down. However, keep them open during the day so that the sun’s natural warmth keeps the room well heated later.
Seal any Gaps
Irrespective of how little or small a gap is, it still aids in a lot of heat escape. Various cracks around doors and windows are responsible for heat loss. To seal them all up effectively for the season, all you need is good quality insulating tape or a blanket’s fragments.
If you have a non-functioning fireplace, make sure you cover that to prevent any avoidable heat escape. Use silicone-based fillers to fill in floor gaps on the floors. Adding carpets and rugs on wooden floorboards is also a perfect idea.
Turn Off Unnecessary Heating
To avoid unnecessary energy wastage, turn off the heating and radiators in the rooms that are not being in use. Also, making a habit of keeping the doors closed in heated rooms will help to retain the room heat for much longer.
A Thorough Insulation
If certain experts are to be believed, most of the heat gets lost from walls, lofts, and attics. So, make it a point to insulate and fill in warming materials in any gaps and cavities inside the walls so that you can have maximum and most possible efficient heating in a cost-effective way.
Regulating Heating with Thermostat
Thermostats go a long way in regulating the heating of your home in unforgiving cold months. It will help if you put it on a timer to control the house’s temperature. Technically speaking, the temperature setting should be according to the lowest comfortable temperature, typically 18 to 21 degrees. To get the room a bit warmer, the trick is to set your timer to switch to the heating rather than turning the thermostat. Having individual thermostats on each radiator helps to maintain the right temperature.
Covering the Water Heater Tank
Another way to prevent heat loss is by covering the water tank well. Most of the water heaters get installed in the house’s coldest areas like garages, attics, and basements. Use a water heater blanket specifically meant to protect the tank.
By doing this, you will be able to save up to 25% of heat loss. If you are dealing with a tankless water heater, you could apply an inexpensive pipe for some extra insulation.
