Prepare Your Home For Winter And Beat The Cold

If you aren’t prepared, winter can be an uncomfortable time. Long periods of dark and cold days, a constant need to wrap up, and the thought of ever being warm again seem a long way away! If your home isn’t prepared for winter, it’s even worse! You feel as though you can’t escape the cold!

With our handy tips, you’ll be able to prepare your home for winter and beat the cold.

Have Your Roof Insulated

According to home logic, 25% of the heat in our house is lost through an un-insulated roof. So by having your roof insulated, you’ll save a considerable amount of heat. It’s also a simple job and needn’t be expensive if you do it yourself.

Have a good look around for energy-saving grants as there is a good chance you’ll be able to get the work done for free or at a very reduced rate.

Make Sure Your Boiler Serviced

A fully functioning boiler is an excellent asset at all times, never mind the winter! With the boiler working as it should, it is less likely to break down and is far more likely to work as efficiently as possible.

A boiler is easy to forget until it’s too late, so make an annual boiler check and service a priority. Ideally, have this done before it gets freezing outside – you don’t want to find out there’s a problem in the depths of winter when your boiler is vital!

Drain Your Radiators

Clearing out your radiators ahead of the winter is a great way to help ensure they work as effectively as possible.

There are plenty of YouTube videos showing you how to do this, but if you aren’t confident enough to do it yourself, ask a handyperson to come around (it’ll be cheaper than a plumber) and will ensure you have a nice, clean, and efficient heating system.

Use Draft Excluders

With the best will in the world, there’s a good chance that despite your best efforts, you’ll still have drafts that come in through the small gap at the bottom of the door frame. Home logic estimates that we lose 15% of the heat in our homes through drafts.

Eliminate these with a draft excluder – they don’t cost much and are remarkably effective at keeping drafts at bay!

Buy Good Quality Curtains

Windows are another source of heat loss. Without resorting to a costly replacement of your windows, invest in some good quality, thick curtains. As well as looking great, the thick curtains will dramatically cut down unnecessary heat loss through windows.

It’s also essential that you use the curtains – don’t rely on blinds to prevent heat loss from your windows. Keeping the curtains closed on winter nights can reduce heat loss by up to 17%.

Keep Internal Doors Closed

Leaving doors open in the house is a way to dilute the effectiveness of the central heating – you’ll be increasing the amount of space the radiators have to heat, reducing the internal temperature.

Keeping doors closed helps retain heat in the room, meaning you’ll be able to stay warm even while the heating is at a relatively low temperature.

Have Your Walls Insulated

Most new houses built after the 1920s will have cavity walls, which leaves a gap (cavity) between a block layer and an outer bricklayer. Estimates say that the average home could save £150 on heating bills by having cavity wall insulation installed.

An additional bonus is that you may be entitled to free cavity wall insulation thanks to grants available to pay for some (or all) of the work!

By following these tips, you’ll prepare your home for winter and beat the cold quickly. But, don’t wait until it’s too late – get started on the work now, and you’ll ensure you have a very comfortable winter indeed!