Winter is here, and our homes are getting chilly. while no one wants to spend a fortune on heating bills to stay warm, is there an alternative? You could bundle on the blankets and sweatshirts, but that won’t protect your pipes or keep the pets warm. No, it would help if you had a budget-friendly, full-home solution – and it’s easier than you think.
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These four tips will keep your home snug as can be no matter how low the mercury drops this winter, and best of all, they won’t cost you a fortune or waste a ton of electricity. In fact, you probably have almost everything you need on hand already.
Shut Some Doors
One of the simplest ways to warm up your home this winter starts with unused spaces, like guest rooms, closets, and basements – you need to shut the door to unused rooms. When you close the door, you trap the heat in rooms you’re actively using while keeping chilly air contained in those empty rooms. For even greater cold containment, you can also place draft guards in front of those doors.
Block Out Windows
If your home is feeling chilly, the first thing you should check is your insulation. Old or improper insulation can let cold air in and warm air out, and old homes may be insulated with such hazardous, flammable materials as horsehair and newspaper. But don’t stop your home assessment at the walls. You also need to check your windows. Have you covered them up?
By installing heavy curtains over your windows, you add another layer of insulation to your home. This is especially important if you have older windows that have lost their infill. And if you don’t have any heavy curtains? You can also hang several lighter layers over your windows; the idea is that each of these layers creates an air buffer between the outside and your home, providing greater insulation.
Mind Your Radiator
Whether you have a traditional radiator or baseboard heat, many homeowners make the mistake of blocking the heat source with furniture, which means your couch is absorbing all the heat rather than allowing it to enter the home. As the temperature drops, take a moment to look at your furniture placement and clear the area around your vents or radiators. After all, if you’re going to block your heat source, you might as well turn the heat off entirely because you aren’t benefiting from having it on.
Pile On The Rugs
Finally, while we all love a beautiful hardwood floor, those chilly panels aren’t your friend during the winter months. That’s why you should warm up your feet – and the entire space – by piling on the rugs throughout your home. Area rugs, runners, and other carpets will not only insulate the space but also give your home a trendy update; layering is in right now.
If your home is feeling chilly, you don’t necessarily need to stoke the fire or turn up the heat. Instead, focus on the little changes that keep the heat inside and circulating. As the old saying goes, “waste not, want not” – so stop letting the heat escape.
