8 Easy and Smart Ways to Keep Your House Warm During Winter
Are you spending too much when winter arrives? No matter what you do, your house just won’t warm up? Pipes freezing over? Well, you’re not the only one with these problems during the winter season.
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Many homeowners complain that their houses just won’t stay warm, but they get a heating bill that says otherwise. There are lots of ways you can keep your houses warm such as installing electric radiant floor heating, insulating foam sprays, or variable speed heat pumps.
Fortunately for you, we’re here to help you reduce that heating bill and make sure your house and you stay warm all throughout this freezing season.
Here we have 8 easy and smart tips that you can apply yourself to keep your house warm. Let’s not waste any time and check them right away!
Also Read: 7 Interior Design Tips for a Cozy Winter
Check the Exterior Walls
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There are a lot of ways heat loss can occur, but the most common way is through electrical outlets. Luckily for you, there is an easy way to find out whether you’re losing heat and money from your electrical outlet.
All you have to do is to hold the back of your hand near an outlet that is installed on a wall with windows. You also have to make sure it’s a cold day to know for sure.
The moment you feel cold air through the outlet, that’s when you know you’re losing both heat and money. The solution to this is to get some outlet insulating kits or the simple socket sealers. Install them under the faceplate, and you’re good to go.
They are reasonably priced and easy to install. Just think about the money you’ll be saving!
Invest in Double-Pane Windows
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While keeping yourself bundled up under the covers is fun, cold winters can cause you to keep your heater on all day and night. You can minimize using your heater once you install double-pane windows.
Double-pane windows will not only keep you warm, but they are also energy efficient. They usually require an upfront cost. However, it does depend on the quality of the windows.
Sometimes, poor qualities like inappropriately-spaced glass or poorly-manufactured seals can lead to leaks that cancel out saving energy altogether.
Make sure the windows are properly and perfectly sealed, and if you really want to stay warm all winter and not keep your heater on all the time, invest in some double-pane windows. They will change your life, for good.
Keep Your Roof Insulated
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Keeping your roof insulated will also keep your house warm and cozy during those cold, harsh winter days. Without a properly insulated roof, the heat will escape.
Your house will never reach the required temperature on the thermostat. As a result, your furnace will keep pumping out air, and you’ll be wracking your brain trying to figure out why you got such a huge heating bill.
What’s worse is that cold air can get into your house during the cold months from outside. It’s crucial you have a roof that’s insulated correctly. You’ll stay warm, your house will stay warm, and you’ll also save a ton on heating bills.
Everybody wins!
Get Rid of all Sources of Drafts
Another great way to keep your house warm is to get rid of all sources of drafts coming from outside. If you feel like you’ve done this already or can’t find all the sources right away, fret not! There are ways to figure this out.
First off, open up all the ventilation starting from your kitchen to the bathrooms. Light up incense and wait. After a while, you’ll be able to see where the air is getting in from.
The most common places are electrical outlets, exterior walls, door frames, and window frames. Once you fix these spots, you’ll visibly be able to feel the level of comfort changing inside your house within minutes.
So, be smart, get rid of outside draft sources ASAP, and save money.
Maintaining Doors and Windows
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Outdated windows will give you low thermal performance or even cause too much of the interior heat to accumulate outside. That’s why it’s very important you maintain your doors and windows regularly.
Frost itself can pose a big problem as it can create mold if it’s left to linger on wooden frames for too long. There are new designs of windows now that give a higher thermal performance and much better insulation that help to keep cold air outside.
For windows, you can get triple or quadruple weather-stripping or which will improve thermal performance and lower your heating bills. As for doors, you can add caulk to seal air leaks.
Maintaining doors and windows ensure your home and you stay warm at the same time.
Variable Speed Heat Pumps
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Another great way you can keep your home warm is by investing in a variable speed heat pump.
You don’t have to turn it on and off; this heat pump automatically adjusts temperatures and maintains consistency as well. It gives both your heating and cooling systems a more prolonged life.
It’s quite an uncommon tip to use variable speed heat pumps during the winter, but it’s an efficient pump that keeps your house warm without any hassle.
You can also spray your attic or crawl spaces with foam insulation. These sprays help keep temperature constant and also reduce the use of cooling and heating units compared to the fiberglass insulation.
Seal All the Leaks
If you’ve taken all the necessary precautions and you still feel cold no matter how many times you adjust the temperature, then chances are there’s a leak in your home’s ductwork.
These leaks can prevent heated air from reaching certain rooms or places in the house. There is now an aerosol duct sealing spray that uses a computerized sealing process. It finds leaks through the duct system including spaces behind walls or places wrapped in insulation.
If you’re wondering something like this must be pricey, then you’re right; it is. However, it does keep your house warm and also reduces energy costs at the same time.
Freezing Pipes!
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Freezing pipes are another problem you don’t want when you’re already freezing from the touch of cold water every morning. Always allow a small trickle of water to run from the tap; this will help to keep the pipes from freezing over as the water will keep moving.
Remember to open up cabinets under the sink to keep the air circulating around the pipes. External openings such as crawl spaces, basement doors, and windows need to be sealed with caulk, sealant, or weather strippings as well.
Lastly, remember to drain your sprinkler before the cold season starts. Store, disconnect and drain water from hoses and any exterior water spigots to prevent them from freezing over.
Final Thoughts
Winter is a season full of fun for those who love the cold and like to bundle up with hot cocoa near a fireplace. Regardless of your preference, it’s best to prepare your home before the season starts.
We hope our tips help you to keep yourself and your home warm and cozy without spiking up your heating bill too much.
