How To Keep A Poorly Insulated House Warm

No matter your climate, one of the most important things is having a well-insulated home. This will help to keep your place warm in the winter and cool in the summertime.

Not to mention, it will help significantly cut down on your electric bills! So, what do you do if your house is poorly insulated?

To fix the insulation in your home, block your fireplace and check that your roof is insulated.

Also, you can use heavy curtains and blinds, as well as invest in a high-quality HVAC system. Check the windows, and ensure your door sweeps are up to date.

In this article, we will discuss 14 things you can do to ensure that your house is insulated. The best part? Most of these don’t cost much at all!

Despite being a relic of the past, many homes still have fireplaces. The fireplace could have the inverse result despite being intended to keep your house warm.

After all, it’s thought that indoor fireplaces may be unhealthy, especially for older people.

If you don’t use the fireplace, though, cold air from the chimney may cause your home to feel chillier. Sealing the chimney is the best way to prevent cold air from entering.

In order to utilize the fireplace, you can either permanently seal the chimney or install a temporary seal that can be removed.

You can save a significant amount on heating bills each year by sealing your fireplace, which can cut air leakage by as much as 14%.

Roof insulation is frequently inadequate in dwellings with poor insulation. While there are various ways you can try to keep your home warm, installing roof insulation is the most effective long-term solution.

The interior temperature can be significantly changed by insulating the roof, which can reduce heat loss by up to 15%.

Although there are numerous options for roof insulation, foam insulation or fiberglass insulation is typically more efficient. In comparison to other insulation kinds, foam insulation is also less expensive, simpler to install, and maintenance-free.

If built correctly, roof insulation can last up to 100 years, making it a one-time expense. Therefore, if you intend to install roof insulation, use a high-quality, long-lasting insulating material.

Although HVAC heating systems can maintain a greater room temperature, they can also dry out the air in the space. Climates with high humidity feel hotter and dry air feels colder.

In the winter, raising the indoor air humidity will help your home stay warmer and maintain heat longer.

Choose an indoor humidifier and set the humidity levels to around 50% to boost the air’s humidity. Humidifiers are inexpensive and simple to order online.

The most recent humidifiers are excellent for polluted locations because they also clean the air.

As an alternative, you can raise the humidity in a room by boiling a pot of water or a kettle and allowing the steam to circulate around the house. This method of increasing air humidity will definitely boost the temperature over a few degrees.

With higher humidity levels, you’ll feel significantly warmer even though the temperature rise is slight.

Instead of window blinds, you can achieve a similar result using curtains.

Additionally, heavy drapes will act as a barrier between both the warm air within the house and the chilly air outside the window, improving the insulation of your home against the cold.

Additionally, thick curtains can increase insulation in a space, which could result in energy cost savings. Pick blackout curtains with a greater proportion of wool fabric, if you can.

One of the best insulators, wool is ideal for use throughout the winter.

When hanging heavy curtains, it’s a good idea to open them in the morning to let the sunshine in and shut them before dusk. In the cold, some people choose to keep their curtains drawn the entire day.

However, drawing the curtains will keep natural light from entering their homes.

Anytime you want to increase the insulation in your home, you should start with the windows.

Even with the windows closed, 40% of warm air escapes via exposed windows, causing the house to become cold. Installing window coverings is the best technique to stop hot air from escaping from a room.

The warm air in the room is successfully kept from escaping via the windows thanks to window blinds. Select window coverings made of an insulating substance, such as fabric or other natural materials, at all times.

Additionally, window coverings with fewer gaps are better at insulating the home than those that totally close.

Let’s say the windows in your home are drafty and poorly insulated. Then, superior window coverings will keep it warmer in place of flimsy drapes.

This can be particularly useful for emergencies that may arise in the cold. Choose a room with good insulation as your warm location.

To prevent drafts, cover windows, doors, and vents with blankets and bring in additional heating sources, such as a soapstone heater. If you intend to spend the night in this particular room, make any appropriate sleeping arrangements.

Your health may suffer if your body overheats at night, disrupting your sleep cycle. Take a look at cooling blankets made to keep you from becoming too hot as you sleep.

Winter requires a lot of extra labor from your boiler, especially if you live somewhere cold. Your boiler can require servicing more frequently than you anticipate.

Service your boiler at least twice a year to ensure that it is functioning at its best.

Have a certified expert check the boiler’s energy efficiency and check the system for leaks. The effectiveness of your boiler can be greatly improved, and energy waste can be decreased, with a straightforward servicing.

Consider the case where your boiler is old. If so, think about switching to a newer model.

The most recent versions will keep your residence warm with little energy waste and have superior temperature control.

Did you realize that the tiny space under your doors is all it takes to make your room chilly in the winter? An HVAC or heating system’s efficiency can be negatively impacted by even the smallest openings.

Using door sweeps is the greatest approach to insulate the space under your doors.

Typically, nylon or another waterproof material is used to create door sweeps. They keep the cold air from entering the room and are affixed to the door permanently.

Door sweeps keep out pests and are more efficient than covering the aperture with a towel or cloth.

Entryway sweeps should be your top concern if you’re searching for a cheap way to insulate your home.

If the insulation in your home isn’t very good, you may always install heating systems to make it better. However, instead of wasting money on attic insulation, think about setting up electric floor warmers.

Electric floor warmers are more efficient at providing your home with even heating and are suitable for tiled homes.

Comparable to an electric blanket, an electric floor heater is quiet, low maintenance, and energy efficient. In addition, it uses less energy than air heaters, since less air escapes through the flooring.

Compared to standard heaters, certain electric floor heaters have a 25% higher efficiency.

Electric floor heaters’ sole drawback is that they could be a little more expensive initially, even though you’ll end up saving more money on energy bills overall. Additionally, you’ll have to replace the flooring above the floor heaters, which might be expensive.

However, electric floor heaters are an excellent choice if you want to gradually enhance the insulation of your home.

You will need to employ technology to regulate the temperature if your home isn’t constructed with natural insulation. Invest in a heating and cooling system that uses energy efficiently while maximizing heating.

Most heaters are inefficient and need to be adjusted frequently in order to function. Your home will remain at the ideal temperature and you won’t lose heat with a good HVAC system.

Always verify the energy rating and temperature control settings before buying an HVAC system. In order to save more energy, some heating systems offer a temperature control adjustment option that only heats the room as needed.

Attempt to purchase an HVAC system that has a programmable thermostat as well. For energy savings, adjust the temperature in accordance with the advice of experts.

You may maintain a comfortable indoor temperature in the winter while cutting your energy expenses by as much as 10% by lowering the room temperature.