When the cold winter months hit, we know that having a warm home provides a sanctuary from the bitter weather outside. Rather than breaking the bank, there are other ways of warming up your home. Benefit your inner thermometer and your wallet by reading on to learn about warming your home. We have put together 5 of our top tips for keeping your house warm all winter long.
Close Off Unused Rooms
The bigger the space, the harder your heating system has to work, and the colder your home will ultimately be. Close off vents and doors in spaces that are unused. Storage rooms, guest rooms, and other unused spaces can be opened and heated when necessary, but there is no need to heat them all winter long.
Look at Your Flooring
What kind of flooring do you have in your home? Floors that are not insulated lose a lot of heat, so it may be worth looking into thicker carpet and pads. In rooms with tile, laminate, or wood, adding thick area rugs can go a long way toward providing warmth. Not only do they feel warmer to your feet, but they can provide needed insulation to your floors.
Inspect Your Windows
Sometime when it is particularly cold outside, go stand near your windows. Do you feel the cold air? Draughts and leaking air are common around older windows. The best thing you could do is replace older windows with newer, more energy-efficient models. When that is not an option, thick curtains and drapes (you can even buy ones with thermal lining) can act as insulators. You can also position furniture away from windows so you don’t feel the cold air when sitting, and be sure to let sunlight in during the sunnier parts of the day as a free way to add some warmth.
Insulation
No matter how much you heat your home, if you lose all that warm air to the outside world, it’s all for naught. Have added insulation professionally installed or add some yourself, but make sure walls, roofs, attic doors, and other weak spots are reinforced with added insulation
Repairs and Maintenance
No matter what other tips and tricks we recommend, the biggest determining factor of heat in your home is how well your furnace functions. Furnace repair in Minneapolis, combined with regular inspections, helps to keep your heating system up and running, it means you can catch any problems early on, and it actually saves you money since a well-functioning system is an efficient system.