Having a cold and drafty home is not a comfortable way to live. You feel as though you need slippers, blankets and sweaters every day and if the temperature plummets your stuck cranking the heat and stacking on the layers. So what can you do to increase the amount of heat your home holds onto in the cold months?
The windows in your home can contribute to a lot of the cold and drafts you feel. Having energy star rated windows installed to update your old drafty ones is one of the best things you can do to keep the heat in your home. Having window treatments put on your windows is another great way to fight the elements. Curtains and blinds can help keep drafts at bay and in the summer time shade the hot sun from entering your home. Making sure the drafts are no longer coming from your windows is a great way to get started on keeping your home warm.
If you have cold hard wood, laminate or tile flooring in your home it can be a very cold house. Laying down area rugs in your home is a great way to keep yourself warm. Not only do area rugs help keep your feet off the cold but they also help reduce noise, echo, and pain if your standing for long periods of time. If you don’t have proper insulation in your sub-floor it can be severely drafty but having insulation contractors come and take a look they can recommend what steps to take to increase comfort and warmth in your home.
The amount of insulation you have in your home can have a huge contribution to your heating costs. 40% of your heating and cooling costs can be reduced by properly insulating your walls, crawl space, and attic. You should have proper insulation in all your walls otherwise it can can cause your home to be colder than necessary in the winter months. Your cupboards can freeze and thaw causing damage inside your home. Your pipes can freeze inside your walls creating issues. There are many other problems that can arise from a poorly insulated home. Getting help from insulation contractors is the best way to combat this problem.
If you want to find out where all your warmth is going and why your bills are so high it is a good idea to have a home energy audit by reputable insulation contractors to determine where the problems are and how to combat them. Get to know your energy usage so you can find the problems and fix them before you spend too much money on heating and cooling costs.
