Many of us spend more time in our properties during the colder winter months, but with the cost of energy on the rise how do you get your home ready for winter?
We have put together a guide to help you create a consistently comfortable space, no matter the weather conditions outside.
As outside temperature drops, you may notice your home struggling to maintain warmth inside, even with your central heating turned on. This may be because you have old and/or damaged windows. The windows and doors fitted into your home could hugely affect how the space performs in the winter months.
When windows and doors become old or damaged, they allow the warm air from your central heating systems to escape while letting cold air and draughts in. This will make your space cold and make your heating bills more expensive.
When you choose new windows and doors, it’s important they are double glazing. Many older properties have single glazing, which will hugely compromise the comfort of your home in winter. Double glazing is filled with an inert gas between the two glass panes to minimise heat transfer.
Old worn out double glazed profiles can also lead to mold and mildew. This is because they are allowing moisture from the outside to make its way indoors. Moisture exposure can lead to mold and milder, which could lead to health issues.
Our windows and doors have been created with thermal efficiency in mind, helping your home better retain heat in winter. Create a cost efficient and more sustainable property when you invest in our energy efficient profiles.
Our timber profiles are constructed using multiple layers that have their grain travelling in opposite directions. This will prevent moisture absorption throughout the entire frame and boost natural heat retention. Our range of aluminium windows is crafted using a thermally broken and polyamide stripped profile, helping to improve a home’s heat retention.
To winter proof your home and improve energy efficiency, consider hanging heavy curtains to keep cold out. When it’s cold, windows and doors can allow heat to escape and cold air to enter. This will force your central heating system to work harder in winter.
By reducing air leaks, sealing your windows, and hanging curtains that block out cold draughts, you can save money and maintain a warm home.
There are curtains that are specially made to help improve thermal efficiency. Thermal curtains and heavy curtains which contain a layer of acrylic foam. They are specially designed to offer enhanced levels of insulation and prevent air from entering or escaping the room. Thermal curtains will also offer acoustic insulation, and minimise external noises.
Foam strips, draft excluder brushes and chimney balloons can help stop cold air from entering your home. Gaps around older windows and doors as well as chimneys and letterboxes can let draughts into a home.
You pick up DIY self-adhesive strip, which are low cost and easy to fit. They may take a minute to fit but they make a noticeable difference. Many homeowners also use a fabric ‘sausage’ draught excluder around doors in winter.
Our windows and doors are fitted with airtight seals to minimise leaks and draughts without you needing to enhance them yourself.
Bleeding your radiators is a simple task but can hugely improve the efficiency of your home. Bleed your radiators once a year to ensure no air is trapped inside. The trapped air causes poor circulation inside the radiator, so only parts of your radiator will warm up. Bleeding your radiator may help you feel your heating quickly, so you won’t have to leave it on longer.
Bleeding a radiator is an easy task. To release the air, protect any nearby surfaces with a cloth and have a small bowl ready to catch the water. We recommend you do this when the system is cold and it must be turned off. Open the air vent, you may need a vent key or a screwdriver. Once water appears and air has escapes, you can gently close the vent.
25% of homes lose heat through a roof. Addressing roof issues could help you maintain a thermally efficient home this winter. Adding insulation underneath roofing tiles or shingles can greatly enhance energy efficiency, reducing energy costs and carbon emissions.
It is also essential that you check your guttering and downpipes before winter sets in. Heat is lost much quicker through damp walls than dry walls. Walk around the outside of your home on rainy days to check that water is correctly discharging from the guttering.
If water is running down your walls, clear your gutters and gulleys of leaves and blockages. Use shop brought gutter cleaning products to ensure rainwater doesn’t cause any blockages over the winter months. If you notice your gutters or gutter brackets are cracked, damaged or missing parts then you will need to replace them before the weather turns.