There’s a chill in the air and the holidays are fast-approaching, and that means keeping our homes warm and cozy. Unfortunately, it can be quite expensive to keep some homes warm, so we’re here to discuss small ways to keep your home warmer and your bills lower!
Proper Ventilation
- Use baffles/draft blockers on the outside of your bathroom fans to ensure cold air doesn’t blow in.
- Reverse your ceiling fans from spring to fall, unless your floors are heated.
- Close vents and doors in rooms that are not in use.
- Break strong winds with a snow fence.
Heat Where You Need It
- If your home has radiators or baseboard heating pipes, line the wall with tinfoil or something similar to reflect heat into the home.
- Be sure airflow from air vents is not impeded and are open where needed.
- Close unused chimney flues and drafts.
- Block the chimney with an insert to reduce heat loss, but don’t forget to remove it if you decide to fire it up.
Insulated Pipes Prevent Heat Loss
- Insulate your hot water/radiator pipes that run through non-living areas.
- Place pipe insulation along the bottoms of exterior and interior doors for draft reduction.
- Attics and their doors are the source of significant heat loss, so be sure yours is very well insulated.
- Insulate your floor with rugs and carpet.
- If it’s extremely cold, hanging blankets on the walls can help insulate a room.
Don’t Let it Fly Out the Window
- Uncover south facing windows when the sun is out to heat things up.
- Insulating window coverings can help keep heat in and cold out. This includes cellular coverings and insulating curtains.
- Open and close blinds with the sun.
- A window insulation kit can help when combined with shades or curtains.
- If you want a quick, short term solution, duct tape and blankets will work. Yes, it’s not cute, but it works.
- A large window can be covered with a clear shower curtain to allow sun in while reducing heat loss. A curtain or shades can help even more.
Add Extra Warmth Where You’d Least Expect It
- Don’t drain a hot bathtub. The excess heat will help keep everything a bit warmer. Better yet, if you know you could lose power, run a hot bath for emergencies.
- Leave the oven open (safely!) after baking. Wintertime is perfect for using your oven and leaving it open can truly heat things up.
- Keep blankets handy for when you’re sitting down. This will ensure you don’t need to turn the thermostat on when your circulation slows down.
- Heated foot warmers can make all the difference in the world! Additionally, wearing slippers or warm socks can keep your body temp up and you nice and cozy.
- A portable heater of any kind can be very effective. These days, they even make small ones that look like little fireplaces! They’re adorable, cozy AND effective!
As always, if you need any other tips on keeping your home looking and feeling great this winter, or you’re thinking of buying or selling your home, get in touch with me today! I’m here to answer all of your questions!
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