With winter around the corner, people have started to worry about the cold and how to handle it. Find out what insulation can do to help.
During the cold periods, people tend to stay indoors and turn up the heating system. During this period, the energy bill goes up, and greenhouse gas emissions go high. Despite this fact, it is important for people to keep warm, but how can people keep warm the greener and cleaner way. Below are tips that will help in staying warm during the winter time. The whole idea has warmth without using too much energy. Below are tips that will help you not to be found unawares during this cold season.
1. Use heavy curtains
What most people do not know is that there is an enormous percentage of heat that escapes from homes during the winter due to windows that have not been covered. Thus, this is the reason that people should invest on heavy curtains that will insulate the windows and keep the warmth from escaping. If you do not want to buy one, it is easy to make one at home by using duvets and blankets.
2. Install proper insulation
A house that is insulated can save up to 45% energy that is used for either heating or cooling. Though installing insulation might seem to be an expensive venture, the insulation system ends up paying for itself in the bills that are cheaper.
3. Take time to ensure that cracks and gaps have been sealed up
In an average home, if all the gaps and cracks are added up, then it could be the same as having a meter, or more of a window opened up. Such a space could lead to the heat loss of up to 25% in the home. Thus, before the winter starts, it is advisable to seal up cracks by the use of stripping around the windows and the doors. The weather stripping can be found at your local hardware store, and it does not cost much.
4. Install pelmets
Pelmets can either be a box that sit cover the curtain rods or invisible pelmets that sit above the curtain rod with the back being on the inside part of the curtain. Pelmets do an excellent job at stopping cold air from getting into the room. In case you do not have one in your house, it is easy to get an alternative by attaching a bit of plywood or even corrugated plastic on top of the curtain rail, depending with what you want you can have it out of sight and behind the curtain or popping out from the top of the curtain.
5. Close off any rooms are not being used
Do not have opens rooms that are not in use, they will suck in the heat, and bring out the cold. Thus, it is important to keep the unused rooms closed. Depending on the heating systems that you have installed you can turn off heat in an empty room to reduce the energy cost that is being used.
6. Let the sun in
When the sun is present, you can let it in your house. Sunshine is known to bring warmth in rooms. Â To add on to it is free energy, and there is no reason that one should let the free energy. Â Thus, if you see sunlight during the day, open up the curtains and windows and let the sun get into the house.
7. Insulate hot water pipes
For water pipes, use the insulating tape to cover it so as to reduce the amount of heat that is being lost from the hot water tank. Insulating the water pipes also leads to reduced energy needed to get hot water. An insulating tape is available cheaply at most local hardware shops.
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