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Winter is here, and winter brings cold temperatures. Keeping your home warm in winter can be challenging, especially if you don’t have the right heating system.
Fortunately, there are some winter heating tips that can help keep your home toasty throughout winter and save you money on energy costs at the same time!
Let’s explore a few options you should consider for heating your home this winter!
Table of Contents
- Winter Heating Tips: Seal Windows and Doors
- Open Those Blinds
- Winter Heating Tips: Check the Efficiency of Your Fireplace
- You Need Proper Insulation
- Winter Heating Tips: Don’t Block Vents
- Final Thoughts
Winter Heating Tips: Seal Windows and Doors
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First of all, make sure that windows and doors are properly sealed against drafts and air leaks. This will help keep the warm air inside and prevent cold air from entering your home.
In addition, adding weatherstripping around windows and door frames will also seal off cracks and crevices where hot air can escape.
What’s funny is, as I write this article, I’m reminded of a time when I was a kid, and my family barely got the roof on a new home my father had built before the first snowfall. We had no place else to live, so my father had windows and doors ready to install immediately.
My brother and I were tasked with going around with foam sealant in a can and closing up all the open gaps around the doors and windows. I’ll tell you what, that made a world of difference in keeping the cold out and the heat in! I can’t stress how important this segment of this article is…take care of those gaps!
Open Those Blinds
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Another winter heating tip is to open curtains or blinds during the day on sunny days. Doing so takes advantage of solar gain.
Though this is a simple trick, it can add extra warmth to your home without turning up the thermostat, saving you energy and money. Plus, having some sunshine in your home never hurt anyone!
Winter Heating Tips: Check the Efficiency of Your Fireplace
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If you have a fireplace, make sure to use it as efficiently as possible. While burning wood can be an effective source of heat in winter, it’s important not to over-fire the fireplace so that most of the heat ends up going out the chimney instead of into your home.
Additionally, using glass doors on fireplaces can also help retain more of the heat inside your home. This might come as a surprise – many folks think it’s best to keep the doors open on the fireplace. Nope!
If you have glass doors, they cut down on drafts and essentially optimize the mixture of air and fuel, leaving your fire burning much longer and producing greater heat.
In case you’re wondering, glass doors not only absorb heat, but they also radiate heat that goes through the glass, again producing more heat!
You Need Proper Insulation
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Proper insulation is also essential for winter heating efficiency. Insulation helps keep warm air inside while preventing cold air from entering through walls and attics.
Make sure that your attic and walls have the right level of insulation, and consider adding additional insulation or weatherstripping if necessary. This is important whether you live in a very cold climate or a mild climate – cold will find its way in, and heat will find its way out if your home isn’t property insulated.
This is another one of those areas you don’t want to skimp on. Sure, working with insulation is itchy work, but, for example, if you live in an older home, chances are your insulation can use an update.
Believe me; I know this far too well after living in my fair share of old farmhouses with inadequate insulation. The thermal difference after all the insulation was updated was game-changing!
Winter Heating Tips: Don’t Block Vents
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Finally, make sure to keep heating vents clean and unblocked by furniture or other objects. This ensures that warm air can circulate freely throughout your home and is cut off by obstructions.
Additionally, closing vents in unused rooms can help conserve heat in winter and reduce energy costs.
If you live in an older home, even one only five or ten years old, it can’t hurt to get into your crawlspace or attic and inspect the air ducts. Look closely at the joints and the tape connecting the joints. That tape, if not properly installed, can create an opportunity for warm air that you pay for to escape into your attic or crawl space.
Final Thoughts
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Let’s face it, fuel and electricity aren’t cheap. This winter, make sure your home is ready for the cold temperatures with a little winter preparation.
Heating your home doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult – just follow these simple winter heating tips, and you’ll be in good shape! So take the time now to get your home ready for winter and enjoy a comfortable winter season without breaking the bank!
Learn More:
- Things You Need to Know Before Installing Solar Panels at Home
- 5 Easy DIY Projects to Try on the Weekend
