Home Winterizing: The Six-Step Ultimate Guide To A Warmer Home
Brace yourselves…Winter is coming… Literally. And now you’d have to prepare your property in order to endure the winter without any major money spending. There are countless tips all over the Internet, but a large part of them are not eco-friendly. So, prepare for the absolute guide of home improvement hacks on how to winterize your home.
Eliminate Daughts
You can easily DIY your way out of this task. To locate and eliminate the air flows, you have to know where to look. The common places you could find air-letting spots are the windows and doors. You have a few ways to cope with the problem like non-vynil curtains which won’t let the heat “sneak out” of your home. Thick drapery is one of the cheapest ways to winter-proof your home. Pull them during the day to let sunlight. Experts advise to keep the blinds and curtains open during the day. This way you’ll use the most of natural light and heat. And the best about this is it’s free.
Double Glazing:
It is considered relatively costly, but has proven effective. If you don’t have the money, however, you could fake it. Apply thin transparent film on the which will function the same way. However, it won’t be as effective as double glazing. Another fact you should consider is you won’t be able to open your doors after you apply the seal. A better alternative is to use self-adhesive foam strips which will exclude cold air and draughts.
Door sweeps on each exterior door are a very good problem solver and will keep snow, water leaks and cold air out of your property. Check and replace the pet entrance. Many cat and dog owners forget heat escapes through there, too. There are insulated pet doors which come with additional benefits like burglary protection.
The Uninsulated Parts Of Your Home
Many people forget the lofts and garage, but they play an essential role of the heat escape. One of the best roof and loft insulation materials cellulose which comes in several variations. This natural material is actually a plant fiber which is often used not only as insulation material, but noise-stopper as well.
Garage:
The garage is the premises you shouldn’t neglect, as it usually shares a wall with your home, thus letting warmth squeeze out of your property. A simple solution to the problem is a solar heater, which will both maintain a constant temperature and will feed on sunlight, reducing your energy bills even more.
The Basement:
The lack of attention to this part of your household often leads to an (to put it mildly) unpleasant chain reaction : old uncaulked windows will let rain and melted-snow water in and cause massive water damage to the foundation of your property. What is more, the functioning water pipes will freeze and burst, thus increasing your home improvement expenses even more. To prevent this, carefully inspect the basement for uninsulated pipes and windows.
Conservatories:
If your home is attached to a conservatory, you should have it inspected and winterized. This part of your home is specially designed to let more light in through the windows ( which in most cases are from floor to ceiling). If the windows are not properly caulked cold air will rush in and make the conservatory more difficult to heat.
Programmable Thermostats
When temperatures are low, it becomes harder to maintain a constant temperature at home without spending a fortune on electricity bills. So, why not get a programmable thermostat? When programmed properly it lowers the temperature when you’re at work and brings it back when you’re home. You’d probably not notice the difference but your monthly electricity bills will definitely decrease with more than 10%. Most of the thermostats are easy to use and have Wi-Fi connection as well, which makes then even more convenient to use.
Furnace
What you should keep an eye on is the water heater. If it’s thoroughly inspected and regularly maintained, it will function better and use up save energy. If you’re eager to test your DIY skills, you can tackle the basic furnace maintenance on your own.
Water Heaters
The energy a heater needs to keep water constantly warm can increase your electric energy bill with 20% .
Don’t worry. There’s a clever hack for this, as well. To reduce energy consumption and and not pay cold hard cash, buy and place an insulating blanket on it. This will increase the heater’s thermal resistance, which means it won’t let it radiate as much heat as before. What is more, you could turn down its thermostat with a few degrees. You probably won’t feel the difference, but your wallet definitely will. If you need to buy a new one, you cheepest alternative is a solar water heater.
Exterior Winter proofing
Roofs
If you decide to inspect the roof yourself, take the necessary precautions to prevent accidents. Once you’ ve done that, inspect the roofing for any cracked tiles or shingles and repair them to prevent severe damage. If there are any chimneys you won’t use, place ventilated cowls . They prevent draughts and warmth slips. If you prefer to light the fireplace and enjoy the cozy atmosphere, you should inspect the chimney thoroughly. In case the burning flues are clogged with ash, they’re very likely to malfunction and return a part of the smoke into the room. Except the thick,stinky fog in the room, there will be black ash residue on the wall.
Gutters
Check, clean and repair the gutters. Keep them clean of leaves and other debris which clog them and won’t let melted snow and ice flow where they’re supposed to. What is more you’ll prevent large water damage to your home’s roof and walls.
External Pipes
Pipes are another part of the exterior you should not neglect. Shutting the water supply to garden hose taps and lines will prevent the water from freezing .
Exterior Walls :
Check for cracks on your exterior walls, especially if there are any creeper plants. Rambler plants cause cracks particularly on exterior brickwork. This allows moisture to penetrate the walls and cause water damage, heat loss . What is more, if the temperatures reach sub-zero levels the problem will surely exacerbate.
Improvements like these, especially those carried out on time will prevent a lot of headaches and won’t leave you with empty pockets. The brave DIY-ers who have more experience won’t find it hard to tackle most projects. However, for those enthusiasts who’re eager to winterize their homes for the winter on their own, there’s always a reliable, home maintenance and repairs tips source to make their lives easier.
