A cold home is a terrible thing. You want to be cozy and comfortable at home, but sometimes that just doesn’t seem possible, and it can be worrying to have to turn the thermostat up higher because it costs so much money. Yet if you aren’t warm at home, you could become ill. At the very least, you’ll sleep poorly and that can have an impact on everything else you do. With that in mind, here are some tips to help keep your home warm without having to change the thermostat.
Install Blinds
Curtains might be what you initially think of when it comes to covering your windows, but as nice as curtains can look, they’re not the most efficient option for keeping your home warm. If you want something that looks great and keeps the heat in and the cold out, made to measure Roman blinds are a much better choice.
With curtains, there is a gap in the middle, and even the closest fitting drapes will still have this issue. With Roman blinds, this is not a problem at all, as there is no gap. Plus, when you opt for made to measure, you’ll know that the blinds are going to fit your window perfectly and not leave any additional gaps that could lead to a draught which would instantly make your home colder.
Use The Sunshine
The sun on a cold day might not appear to be doing very much, but you could be surprised at just how helpful it can be. You might not be able to feel the heat yourself, but you can be sure that the sun is warming up your home nonetheless.
To utilise this heat, you need to leave your blinds or curtains open during the day while it’s sunny. This allows as much warmth in as possible. When the sun goes down, cover your windows as soon as possible – this ensures the heat doesn’t leak out. Even with your thermostat turned down, you’ll feel warmer than if you shut out the sun all day.
Is Your Chimney The Problem?
If you have a chimney, but you don’t have an open fire to use, you might be losing a lot of heat without knowing about it. A chimney is meant to draw air up and out, and even if it has a cap, it will still be open to the elements. This means that when it’s cold and windy, cold air will blow down the chimney, and hot air will escape up it because hot air rises. No matter what you do to combat the issue, if your chimney is open and not used, it could be undoing your hard work.
If you don’t use your chimney and the fireplace is decorative, it’s a good idea to get an expert to block the chimney professionally. Don’t try to do this yourself as it could be dangerous, and the results might not be satisfactory. When a professional blocks the chimney in the right way, you’ll not only be safe, but you’ll be a lot warmer too.