Preparing your home for winter is essential so that you can stay warm and cosy as the cold weather draws in. There are a few factors that you’ll need to think about to reduce heat loss, like the type of glazing you have in your windows and if they need to be updated, whether your home is sufficiently insulated, and how well your heating system works. Knowing the best tips and tricks to help you warm your home in the winter is crucial, and can even save you money – below, we’ll look at these 3 factors and how they can help you prepare for adverse weather.
Check your windows
Your windows play a huge role when it comes to keeping your home in the winter months, and there are a few factors you’ll need to consider. Think about the type of glazing you have in your home. There are various types, like single, double, triple, and commercial glazing. If your house is a fairly new build, you will most likely have double glazing – but it’s always worth checking. High-quality double-glazed windows keep the heat in your home, and the cold out. They feature two panes of glass separated by a layer of space between them to reduce heat loss.
If you already have double-glazed windows, checking that they are sealed correctly could be advantageous. If you have any cracks around your window frame, they could cause additional drafts, making your home feel cooler. Triple glazing is another modern type of glazing that is said to provide the same benefits as you would find with double glazing but more enhanced. They are more expensive, and it’s still unknown whether triple glazing will make enough of a difference to warrant paying the additional costs.
Insulation
Before the cold weather sets in, checking that your home has the correct insulation means that you can keep the heat in and the cold out. If you have access to your loft, make sure that it’s appropriately insulated – heat rises, and insulation means you can stop heat loss through your roof. Make sure that wall cavities are also sufficiently insulated. This is one of the most important things you can do when preparing your home for the winter – it can help you save energy and bring your heating bills down, which is essential with the cost of living on the rise. If you turn your heating up and your house doesn’t have the correct insulation, your boiler will have to work harder to heat your home, meaning increased energy usage. You can make the most of your heating by installing and updating your property’s insulation. Even something as small as a doorstop can help!
Check your radiators
When it comes to your radiators and central heating, preparing for colder weather should start in the summer. Turn your heating on and go around your house checking that each radiator is heating up correctly – this helps you to identify any cold spots that could cause an issue when it comes to heating your home. If you find that one of your radiators isn’t heating up as it should, you can diagnose and fix it yourself, or call a plumber to help – they tend to be less busy in the summer, and this way, you won’t be waiting for a repair when you need good quality heating most. make sure you stay up to date with your boiler maintenance so that you’re less likely to be stuck without heating and hot water in the depths of winter.
