Stylendesigns
The winter months are soon at hand, bringing with them the threat of rain, snow, and falling temperatures. The rising tide of the climate crisis has also got us on our toes, with colder and more dramatic weather expected across the continental US. As we start reaching for our additional layers, it has perhaps come time to think about how to keep comfortable in what could be a bitter winter; what are some simple ways to improve the warmth of your home?
Insulate!
Firstly, and as a matter of extreme priority, you should address your home’s insulation. Insulative materials are the most impactful passive route you will have to increase the warmth of your home over the winter months – and the good news is that most insulation can be installed DIY.
Insulation can be purchased easily from suppliers like RS Americas, and often for not much; the cost of insulation installation is often bumped by labor costs. Don’t just insulate within your stud walls, though! You should also insulate your attic, to prevent heat escaping by convection.
Rearrange Rooms
Feng shui will not do much for the tangible warmth of the rooms in your home, but rearranging furnishings and appliances could well have a positive impact – if not directly concerning room temperature, then instead about how you perceive the temperature. Moving your couch away from windows or doors, for example, could reduce your exposure to draughts. Portable heaters or stoves could be moved more centrally to the house, to limit the amount of heat escaping via external walls.
Style It Out With Rugs
On the subject of room rearrangements, some key additions can help with energy efficiency and perceived heat within a space. Rugs are an excellent example of this. Rugs on bare flooring add an extra layer of insulation where there is none, improving the insulative qualities of the room. In larger spaces, this may not be so noticeable – but what will be noticeable is the perceived warmth underfoot, where you can walk in socks or even bare feet without having the discomfort of coldness on your soles.
Change Habits
There are habitual considerations to make, too. It may well be that some of the ways you engage with your home are preternaturally ‘cooling’ in nature, such as a propensity to leave doors open between spaces. Closing doors compartmentalizes them, making it harder for air to travel between them and allowing them to hold heat more effectively. The same is true of curtains, where windows can allow heat to radiate outwards with ease if uncovered.
HVAC Maintenance
Finally, and unavoidably, it may be that your HVAC system could do with some cleaning, maintenance, and repairs to improve both its efficiency and efficacy. Where systems are bunged up with dust and lint, airflow can be compromised; regular cleaning and check-overs can ensure the vents are supplying what they need to – and that heat can travel around the
