Why Your House Is Always Freezing

How To Protect Your Home Against Bad Weather Conditions-Chispa MagazineThese days, energy is expensive, and many people are looking for ways to save money on their gas and electric. But the problem is that they are usually fighting a losing battle against their homes. No matter how much money they spend and how long the heating is turned on, it never seems to get warm for long.

The reason for this usually has a lot to do with the building itself. Properties should be viewed as whole systems when it comes to heat retention. They way the whole building operates, from floor to roof, determines how much heat will remain trapped, and how much will escape and be wasted.

Those who are particularly concerned about how much energy their homes are using can get an energy audit: a service that is carried out by a specialist using the latest equipment to see how efficient your house is. These auditors will often produce a report and make recommendations about how you could save money in the future and what measures you could take to reduce your bills.

Most houses lose about 25 percent of their heat through the roof, 35 percent through the walls and 25 percent through the windows and from drafts under doors. Because of the way that roofs are constructed, it’s often much cheaper to get insulation put in the roof than it is to have it installed in solid walls. If your house is new, it’s very likely that you’ve already got insulation in both the roof and the walls, but if your house is older, or Victorian, then there’s a good chance you won’t.

So what can be done to stop your house from turning into an ice block on a daily basis?

Fit Draft Excluders
Because so much heat in your home is lost under doors, it’s a good idea to install draft excluders. They are long, snake-like objects that attach to the bottom of doors. They’re usually made of fabric or material to keep the warmth in and block any draft from coming into your hallway. You can also get draft strips for windows.

Use A Programmable Thermostat
Controlling when your heating comes on is another important consideration. There’s no point heating your home while you are out at work. Most people use a Z-wave thermostat that connects to their WiFi so that they can control it while they are out of the house and make adjustments on the fly. This, in turn, helps them to save on their energy bill.

Find Out If Your Cavity Walls Are Insulated
If you live in a house constructed of brick in the mid-twentieth century, there’s a good chance that it will have cavity walls but no insulation. Getting insulation installed is relatively expensive—about a week’s wages—but you’ll make the costs back in about five years, depending on where you live.

Get Heavier Curtains
Heavy curtains which are properly lined can also make a big difference to keeping the cold out and the warm in. Thicker curtains will create a barrier between the air in your home and your windows where heat can escape.

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Mia Guerra

Mia Guerra

Executive Editor at Chispa Magazine
Executive Editor at Chispa Magazine, Mia Guerra is a writer at heart. Regardless the topic, she loves to investigate, encourage, and ruminate on topics that can make us better people. Aiming to live a Proverbs 31 life, Mia is ecstatic to be following her calling with Chispa. At home she is her husband's sidekick and together they are raising a God-fearing family in Atlanta.

Mia Guerra

Executive Editor at Chispa Magazine, Mia Guerra is a writer at heart. Regardless the topic, she loves to investigate, encourage, and ruminate on topics that can make us better people. Aiming to live a Proverbs 31 life, Mia is ecstatic to be following her calling with Chispa. At home she is her husband's sidekick and together they are raising a God-fearing family in Atlanta.