Cost-effective DIY Steps to Keep Your Home Warmer in the Winter
In many parts of the country, keeping homes warm will be a priority in the coming months as winter brings its frost, wind, snow and low temperatures. Luckily, maintaining a warm house isn't always as costly a prospect as some homeowners may think.
It is possible to keep a home comfortable in terms of temperature without paying more per month to make it happen. Numerous low-tech, affordable tricks can help homeowners with making this happen. Sometimes it's as simple as a DIY solution, and other times it's as easy as a trip to the local home improvement retailer. Nearly always, warming a home can be easier than scrounging together the extra cash to pay off extra-high heating bills every month. Here are examples of how to affordably warm up your house this winter:
1. Turn to your tin foil
Do you have tin foil in your kitchen? If so, then you're one step closer to a warmer home. Slip a sheet of heat reflective foil behind a radiator - this is especially useful for external walls - to ensure that heat is reflected back into the room, instead of escaping to the outdoors. There are tin foil products designed specifically for this purpose, though you could also use high quality varieties of everyday kitchen-use foil as well.
2. Control your curtains
Pay careful attention to which curtains are open at certain times, and make sure you have the right variety for winter use. Throughout the day keep window curtains on the south and west sides of the house open to let heat in. Once the sun sets, close them to ensure it stays inside. It is best to use thick curtains, especially those that include a thermal lining.
3. Seal your single-glazed windows
If you don't have double-glazed windows, and don't have the time to buy and install them, you still have options. You can purchase a transparent film that acts similarly by not offering heat an opportunity to escape. All you need, in addition to the film, is tape and a hairdryer to seal up the windows in your home. Tape the sheet over your window tightly, then use the heat from the hairdryer to seal it. The only downside is that you will not be able to open your windows all winter.
4. Locate your leaks
A window film will help you eliminate some of the drafts in your home, but to make sure you maintain a comfortable temperature you will have to eliminate all of them. Do you have a pet door, is there air slipping through spaces in your doorways or are their leaks in your basement or attic? Locate any possible source of cold air from outside and seal it quickly. Taking care of drafts will improve your homes heating efficiency drastically.
Heating your home doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Instead, you can keep your arms and legs warm by taking advantage of affordable, DIY tricks to keep heat inside and cold air out.
Brought to you by our preferred Partner, HMS Home Warranty. HMS is an industry leader with over 30 years of creating success for clients and providing peace of mind for customers. To learn more click www.hmsnational.com.
