Although we are still experiencing the glorious days of summer, winter is right at our doorsteps. The sweet warmth of the sun will soon be replaced by chilly rain and wind. We have to agree that winter has its own magic. However, most of us don’t like feeling cold. If you want to minimize the impact of these adverse weather conditions, you may want to consider making small adjustments to your homes starting in the first days of autumn. Here are some tips that can be useful for both reducing your living expenses and heating your home better!
Use Your Curtains Effectively
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As the weather gets colder and heating costs begin to increase, the sun will help you as a natural, healthy, and free source of heat energy. On days when the air is clear, you can use fine tulle curtains throughout the day to invite more light into your home and increase the temperature. But since the weather will get colder as the sun sets, it is good to use thick curtains at night. In this way, cold air from the windows cannot leak through the curtains, and this is reflected positively on your bills.
Close Air Gaps in Windows and Doors
The problem of air leakage is quite common in old-type wood and aluminum windows. By repairing these gaps, you can prevent heat loss and save energy. If you want to repair it yourself, you can easily do so by using window pastes that can be purchased from building markets.
After overhauling the windows, you should also not forget the thermal insulation in the doors. You can use a foam or sponge-shaped apparatus that fills the space between the floor and the door to prevent cold air from entering through the door opening. It is not difficult to save heat by installing these self-adhesive devices under your door.
Harness the Power of Carpets
Carpets, an integral part of home decoration for many of us, are also extremely functional in terms of thermal insulation in winter! Research shows that carpet on the floor increases thermal insulation and saves up to 10% of energy. But at this point, which carpets you prefer is also extremely important. You can imagine that thick carpets spread over large surfaces provide more effective protection against cold from the floor. Besides, carpets with a high number of loops retain heat well because they pass less air. Especially in winter, you can turn to this type of carpet.
Close the Doors of Unused Rooms
Although it may seem like a small detail, closing the doors of unused rooms saves you a lot. The heat inside the house spreads throughout the house. This means more heating costs. Why would you pay more for a room you don’t use? Also, turning off radiators in rooms that you don’t use is one of the methods that you can use. For example, turning on the radiator of your study room just a little before you start working is enough for a warm working environment.
Choose Thick Fabrics
When summer is over, our fancy dresses and thin clothes go back to the storage and we bring thick sweaters and velvet pants out. Why shouldn’t the same apply to our house? Soft and thick blankets, chairs, and sofa covers, old and lovingly worn thick sweaters to protect them from the cold. Plenty of these will be your greatest allies… That’s not all; beautifully patterned bedspreads and warm comfortable house slippers from each other, and a great concept of bringing in the charm of winter to your home will add to the aesthetic.
Keep the Room Temperature Stable
We want our house to be warm in winter. But that may not always be the right attitude. Overheating the interior leaves our immune system powerless against cold weather, which invites diseases. Not to mention a flooded gas bill at the end of the month and the damage that carbon emissions do to nature. The standard temperature set by the World Health Organization for the living room is 21 degrees. WHO considers 18 degrees appropriate for other rooms. Of course, if there are children or elderly people in the house, this temperature can be up to 20 degrees. However, it is useful to keep your thermostat between 18 and 21 degrees.
Pay Attention to the Placement Of Furniture
Among the mistakes made related to home decoration, one of the most usual ones is placing furniture in front of radiators. This causes honeycombs to be unable to effectively distribute heat to the house. So it creates a waste of energy and makes your home a colder place. In winter, a small change in your decoration makes the front of the radiators more convenient to spread the heat.
Direct Heat into the House With the Help of Foils
Foils placed on the wall behind the heating radiators help your home heat up more easily by projecting the heat transferred from the radiator to the wall into the interior. Although it is quite unusual, this method is simple to implement and saves you up to 5% heat.
Place Shelves on Radiators
Putting shelves on radiators can be your savior, especially if you have a house with a high ceiling, or if your heating radiator stands by the window. As you know, hot air rises up. But we want the warm air to stay on the ground. The shelves that you will put on your radiator serve as the perfect barrier for this situation. It both prevents hot air from rising and distributes it inside the house, giving it a horizontal direction.
Reverse Ceiling Fan
Ceiling fans are one of our best friends in summer. The Fan blades pull hot air up and push cold air down, creating air circulation. What if we told you the opposite was possible? By reversing the rotation direction of the ceiling fans, you can heat the interior of the house by 2 degrees more. The clockwise rotating fan blades will pull the cold air up and push the hot air down.
Fireplaces and Wood Stoves
Wood stoves are not widely used today. But it is possible to think of the products in this group as an alternative that adds a nostalgic breeze to the house and warms you with the crunches it produces. But if you’re looking for a more aesthetic and romantic method of warming, you can consider fireplaces. Although building a fireplace is a high-cost option, you can think of it as a long-term investment that will help you reduce your fuel costs.
Bonus: Make Yourself a Hot Drink
Although this article is usually about keeping the house warm, there are also things you can do to warm yourself up. It’s like drinking a brewed tea, a glass of lime that fascinates with its smell, hot chocolate, or a delicious coffee… You can both instantly warm your body and increase your resistance to cold in the long run. You’d better make yourself a delicious hot drink. Sit back and enjoy the view while it snows.
With a series of small measures that we will take when winter comes, you can save both for yourself and for our world. No matter how cold it is outside, we wish your homes to be warm and your hearts to be filled with happiness.