How to Create A Cosy Home This Winter
How to Create A Cosy Home This Winter
As the nights are getting darker, they are also getting colder, and the arguments about whether to put the heating on are starting! Heating is a considerable expense for UK homes in the winter, but luckily there are a few ways you can help to bring this cost down this winter and create a lovely cosy home.
Loft Insulation
In some UK homes, up to a quarter of all heat is lost through the roof. It is, therefore, a good idea to invest in loft insulation. Most loft insulation is effective for over four decades, which means the investment is definitely a long-term one. Over this period of time, the amount of money you will save on heating your home only for it to go straight out the roof will more than pay for the insulation.
Window Insulation
There are two key steps to window insulation. The first of these is to draught-proof your windows. You can do this with specialist draught-proofing strips around all windows and doors. This helps to keep your home cosy in two ways; it ensures heat is not leaving your home through the gaps whilst also making sure that no cold draughts are coming into your home. The second step to window insulation is ensuring that the glass you use is energy-efficient. With modern technology advancements, this kind of glass is available for a huge range of products, including Skypod roof lanterns and bifold doors.
Door Insulation
Front doors, especially older ones, can be extremely energy inefficient. The first thing you can do is to use a draught proof strip at the bottom of your door, this has the same effect as window-draught proofing by keeping the heat in and stopping cold draughts from entering. However, sometimes this won’t be enough to have a big impact. In these cases, it is often worth installing solid core doors to replace your old ones. As solid core doors are made from multiple thin layers of wood, they are very energy efficient and can help keep your home cosy.
Wall Insulation
There are several different ways of insulating the walls of your home. It typically depends on how the walls are constructed as to which route you take. If your home has cavity walls, the insulation will fit between the two walls. This is generally cheaper than trying to insulate solid walls. Solid walls are insulated from the inside or the outside. Insulating from the inside is cheaper, but it means you will lose some internal space in your home. Once again, insulation often more than pays for itself over a period of time as it can save you a lot of money on your energy bills each month.
Curtains
Curtains are a simple way to save a bit of money on your energy bills and create a cosy home. The best curtains to use to keep your home warm, are thermal insulated, heavy-weight curtains. This adds an extra layer to your home to keep the warm air in whilst preventing draughts from getting through. Some people believe keeping curtains closed all day can be helpful for keeping the heat in. However, this isn’t always the case. It is usually better to keep your curtains open until at least 3 pm to let any heat from the sun in.
Extra clothes!
If you have tried everything else and are still cold, you can always cosy up in extra jumpers and blankets with a hot drink!
The Best Way to Create a Cosy Home
To create a cosy home this winter and avoid excessive energy bills, a combination of these factors will all play a part. It is important to invest in your home insulation, be that through energy-efficient windows, new doors or added insulation. You can also do some smaller things like using draught excluders and heavy curtains to make a small but noticeable difference.