6 Ways To Reduce Heat Loss In Your Home This Winter
Keeping your home warm may be a top priority during the cold winter months. However, with energy bills said to rise by 30% next year, it is vital to implement strategies to reduce your energy expenses and do your part to save the environment. During winter, energy consumed is usually to keep your home warm. Therefore, heat constantly escaping from your home would mean using more energy to keep you and your family warm. So, how can you reduce your chances of heat loss during the colder months this year? Here are six effective ways.
1. Replace your doors
Your front doors can easily be the focus of your home or its exterior. Your doors can add style, colour and character and give your home an appeal. However, if your doors are old, not only would it make your home less attractive, it also ineffectively keeps the air within a room. At this point, it is practical to consider replacing your door with new steel or fibreglass doors to prevent air exchange. Modern exterior doors are designed for better insulation and usually better.
2. Fill the gaps between your floorboards
Insulating your floors is an excellent way to keep your home warm. Modern home floorings usually have insulated floors to prevent homeowners from requiring additional insulation or replacing existing floors. However, this may not be the case if you live in an older home or have wooden floors. Wood is known to expand and contract as the level of humidity changes. This means that your wooden floors may develop gaps that could cause your home to lose heat over time. Therefore, be sure to fill the gaps in your floorboards by insulating them to keep the heat from seeping through.
3. Draft-proof your windows
Your windows are responsible for controlling how much air gets in and out of the house. However, uncontrolled ventilation may occur when your windows allow for drafts. Home drafts arise when there are gaps between your windows due to cracks, wear and tear, or improper insulation. Therefore, during winter, heat escapes, and more cold air enters the home. In effect, more energy is required to warm up the houses. Draft-proofing your windows is the easiest, cost-effective way to save energy and money in your home. This would ensure that your windows do not allow for heat loss in the house. You can consider secondary glazing of your windows.
4. Install some curtains or blinds
You can keep warm air inside your home by fixing thick, close-fitting curtains and blinds. The blinds and curtains hit your cold window glass and cool it to reduce the draft. It can be helpful to install a pelmet above the curtain rail to improve thermal insulation. Blinds don’t only provide versatility but boost your home insulation and leave less space between slats where warm air can escape. Installing curtains will likewise enhance your home security and decorate your window frames and the overall.
5. Check your chimneys
Your unused chimney is a common cause for dissipating heat. You can use a removable chimney balloon to prevent heat loss when you don’t have the fire on. You might want to get an expert to cap your chimney if you don’t use it at all. During the cold months, nothing is cosier than a crackling fire. If you have a fireplace, it may only be comfortable in appearance. Instead of providing warm air, the fire could be drawing warm air out of your room through the chimney. Paradoxically, if the burning fire isn’t cooling your room, you may be losing heat to your poorly-sealed chimney or fireplace.
6. Insulate your pipes and tanks
Insulating your pipes and tanks is a more straightforward way to save yourself on energy bills. The lagging pipes, water tanks and the insulation behind your radiators can reduce the amount of heat you lose. This means you will spend less to heat your water and keep it warm for extended periods. It could cost you around £15 for a hot water cylinder jack. Fitting it shouldn’t cost you a cent if you are a DIYer. You can likewise follow the manufacturer’s direction.
Home insulation is one of the most effective ways to manage your energy bills and keep your home warmer and comfortable. Warm air escapes your home through the ceiling, windows, floors, and doors. These tips should help you reduce heat loss in your home.
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