It all starts in October most times in many cold-prone regions. It could go on all the way to March or April the following year sometimes. That’s a long ugly time of cold to endure. It changes with varying degrees of severity and everyone starts to panic at times. But you don’t have to join the cold fear parties if you’ve done your planning and preparations right. When it comes to cold, it’s cheaper to prepare against it in the summer months and save on some dollars.
During the winter, the prices of anything heating-related spikes up and you definitely won’t be happy about it. So, early planning is still safer and cheaper. Also, winter is known to carry so many health risks along with it. There is the danger of frostbite which occurs when the cold starts to damage parts of your ears, cheeks, nose, chin, fingers, and your toes.
Winter causes hypothermia which is a situation whereby the temperature of the human body falls below 96 degrees Fahrenheit or 35 degrees Celsius as well as heart problems.
Quickly examine these three ways you can keep your home warm and save you the costs and the risks associated with the winter months.
Check The Fireplace And Reduce Heat Escape
You have a wonderful and attractive fireplace which will give you all the warmth you can think of. The professionals behind Buyfirewooddirect.co.uk point out the need to have a fully-functioning fireplace so you can stay warm in cold conditions. You can listen to the fine-sounding roaring flames produced by your magnificent wood fire system. The thing is, something can still go wrong.
While the whole fire setup completes a dreamy romance movie picture where you can cuddle around loved ones and talk stories of love and rumors and news, it doesn’t give anything close to a full house warming effect. The reason is that, the more the fire burns and releases its heat, the more you’ll see that cold air is drawn into the house from every tiny opening anywhere in any part of the house. So it’s like you’re heating up and freezing don all at the same time.
What you should do in this case is to get a glass cover for the fireplace. The glass covering will keep the heated air in the house from running out through the chimney. Close the fireplace flue during the day or whenever you’re not using the fireplace so that you don’t end up doing the opposite of what you intended it for. Yes, you’ll get lots of cold into the house when the flue is left open.
Keep as much heat as possible during the day. It’s the sunlight you’ll use of course. Just make sure that you leave the curtains at those places that are directly facing the sun, opened wide for the rays to penetrate in before you go to work. Get back in time to close the curtains before nightfall.
Did you know that insulated curtains are the best curtains to consider for use in the winter?
There is also the stack effect that happens whenever you use a fireplace. It happens when the atmosphere of the home environment naturally tries to balance the temperature in its own way. It is a process whereby cold air from the outside is collected to counteract the warm room air to give a just-cool temperature. This takes place more in taller homes than in bungalows or one storey. The cold air is sourced from every opening to the house by these atmospheric forces, and in no time the inner temperature would be lying somewhere close to that of the cold outside.
The only way you can deny nature this unwanted phenomenon is to locate and seal every gap in the house through which outside air can pass. Start with the doors and windows and look for tiny spots on them through which air can pass. Tape it up immediately.
There are sometimes air gaps on the bottoms of your doors too. Find a way to seal it up.
Get up to the attics or go down in the basements and peek around for tiny vents there too.
Use Your Ovens Frequently
When you do more baking, –bread, cakes, cookies, pies, pizzas and all– you’ll keep the place warmer. You can decide to keep the oven free of use during the summer and give it its own duty only during the winter months. It’s good too. Get ready to bake and roast all through winter.
Use Radiator Panels To Reflect The Heat
In case you also have a radiator for contributing to the home heating, get radiator panels. They reflect back heat emanating from the radiators allowing the room to warm up rather than the walls.
After all the home warming and winter prepping, don’t you think you should also plan for personal warming. Since you’re the principal beneficiary of warmth, go extra warm by getting your sweaters and robes on. Drink hot tea most times of the day and sleep in thick blankets at night.