How To Have A Winter-friendly Home?
Winter can be fun, too, if you have a perfectly warm home to stay in. But that doesn’t seem to be an easy task altogether! You have to make preparations and make the necessary changes to your home while keeping the expenditure low!
To help you out, here are some easy, cozy, cost-effective, and proven ideas to follow.
Let The Sun Inside your Home
Sunlight is warm and comforting any time of the year. Make sure your home gets enough of it during the day time. To welcome the sunshine inside your home, keep your south-facing windows open in the morning and shut them down as the sun gets cold.
Don’t Let The Draft Inside
Even the draft sourced from a single leak is enough to bring down the temperature of your home well. Take a close look around; try to find out any leak or gap through which cold air can get in and seal it.
To start with, check the places where they are commonly found, such as around windows, window frames, door frames, wiring holes, and outlets on exterior walls. Seal the leaks using high-quality caulk and expanding foam. Insulate the outlets with socket sealers or outlet insulating kits.
You can have air leaks around your chimney as well. Fix them, and keep the flue closed when you do not have a fire.
Add weather-stripping if your doors and windows have visible gaps. Choose to get triple and quadruple weather-stripping for better thermal performance.
To spot drafts, here is what you can do
- Wait for a windy day.
- Close all doors and windows.
- Light an incense stick.
- Carry it to places where you suspect leaks, hold them there for some time, and observe its smoke.
- If at a spot you find the smoke fluttering, or blowing across the room, you’re sure to have a draft there.
Upgrade
If yours are old single and double-pane windows, they are more likely to be weak in retaining the temperature of your home. It is good to replace them with newly-designed ones that are better as insulators.
You can also think of replacing your screen doors and windows with storm doors and windows until the weather gets warm again. And upgrade the insulation of your roof, too, if needed, and keep your home cozy and warm all through the winter.
Choose Right Textiles For The Winter
Winter textiles are old and effective insulators to keep our bodies and homes warm. However, their performance can be improved by applying them right.
Heavy Curtains
Using heavier curtains not only keeps the warm air inside, but it also prevents the cold air from coming in. Keep them closed at night. Consider hanging one in your front door, too. So, when you open it, the curtain keeps the cold air out.
Rugs
To escape a cold floor, use rugs in your rooms. Also, place a bath mat in front of the sink to keep your feet warm while you are in the bathroom.
Microfiber Sheets
Flannel or microfiber sheets are warmer than your sateen or percale ones; it would be better to replace them for the winter.
DIY
If you don’t have a draft snake, use a rolled-up towel at the base of your doors to keep the draft away.
Move Around Your Furniture
If your wall is cold or poorly installed, move your sofa, chair, or bed away from it to save yourself from getting cold. Place a seat in front of a sunny window to enjoy warmth during the day time while you have your leisure or work or study at home.
If your sofa or any other big furniture is obstructing the radiator, move it from there to let the hot air circulate freely around the home.
Try putting an aluminum foil behind your radiator under the window, placing the shiny side towards it. This way, you can make the heat bounce back into the room to make it warmer.
However, if you don’t want to miss the comfort of sitting in front of your radiator; you can choose to buy small propane heaters; they are light and portable to be carried anywhere you go.
Use Smart Heat-Controlling Devices
A smart thermostat allows you to control the heating arrangement of your home wirelessly. They also have a home zoning system, which works in a way that circulates heat (or cooling) in those places you use the most.
They usually consist of a timer that warms up your home as soon as you get in from work. And also, they can be programmed to turn off your heating unit when you are not at home, making you save a good amount of money.
Use A Humidifier
Humidifiers are very affordable, and they elevate the moisture of the air, making it feel warmer than it really is. Using this allows you to set your thermostat at a lower temperature while you still enjoy your desirable warmth, cutting out the heating cost.
Run Your Fan In A Clockwise Direction
Most of the fans nowadays let you have a ‘Winter mode’; a small switch to make them run in the opposite directions.
If your place has tall ceilings, then that is the most heated place in your home. Make the heat recirculate through your home by running your fan on low speed in a clockwise direction, as it will push the warm air back down after it reaches to the ceiling.
Finally, Plant Your Garden Trees Right
Planting the garden trees in the right location helps you deal with the cold winter air. Have evergreen trees on the northern side to block the cold air. On the southern side of your home, plant those trees that lose their leaves in the winter. So that the sun can easily get inside your home through the window.