One look at your energy bills over the colder months, and it’s certain to send a chill up the back of your spine. We’d all like to pay less on our bills, but there are ways you can improve your home’s insulation and hopefully save on the cost of heating and electricity in the process.
Embarking on our self-build process and having to deal with insulation challenges in our old home has certainly helped us develop an appreciation for keeping the heat in by efficient insulation.
Here are four ways that you can improve your home’s insulation.
Add Insulation Into Roof And Walls
Insulation doesn’t need to cost the earth. The materials it’s made out of can come in a variety of forms that suit every budget, and they can make a big difference to the overall warmth of your home.
You can consider adding some additional insulation to your cavity walls by looking at spray foam insulation, something we opted with for our new home, although we did go for a rather wide cavity to help reduce our heating costs across the year.
Loft insulation is one of the best ways to add an extra layer of insulation to your home, and there may even be some schemes that can help with the purchase of materials and indeed installment. You can check the price of this by using this loft insulation cost calculator. Roofs may be a little easier to get to as they’re normally exposed and with this, you’ll likely want to go for something a little thicker anyway.
Keep Doors And Windows Shut
Windows are something you’ll probably keep shut all the time, other than on warmer days during the summer. However, we often leave doors open, and that can mean that you’re letting heat out of the room that you are in.
So whenever you go into a room, and you plan to be in there for a long time, shut the door to conserve the heat. Make sure your doors are also thick enough so that they add to the insulation in your home. The same goes for your windows.
Make sure they are double or triple glazed, so it keeps the cold air out. If they aren’t, and if your doors are old and relatively thin and light, you may need to consider investing in upgrading your windows and doors. It will be a short-term investment for a long-term gain.
Draught-Proof Everything
The draught that’s coming from underneath your door can easily be draught-proofed by fixing a draught excluder to the bottom of the door or having one that you can easily move in and out of the way.
You can either draught-proof the house yourself or get a professional to do it. There may be a lot of gaps or undiscovered holes around the home that are letting out valuable heat, so take some time to go around the home to find these and seal them with fit foam or other suitable alternatives that you can find online. A professional will be able to help you identify these areas with gaps that are letting in draughts.
Fit Blinds Or Heavy Curtains
Blinds and heavy curtains add an extra protective layer to the windows to keep the cold air at bay. Heavy curtains are great if you have low windows, but for higher ones, it’s better to go with blinds that have thermal insulation and are made out of fabric instead of metal. If you are opting for curtains, consider the addition of a veil as an extra layer of insulation.
Got Something to Add?
Take these tips and use them in your own home and you’ll certainly feel and notice the difference.
Do you have insulation tips to add? Comment below and let us know.
Until next time, thanks for reading.
Helen, Nial and Lewis.
Welcome to Pikalily, an award-winning food, travel and lifestyle blog. We are Nial and Helen, a happily married couple from Northern Ireland, who share a passion for food and travel among many things. We became parents to our beautiful boy Lewis in 2017. Follow our adventures through the blog.
