Cellular Shades. Cellular shades, or honeycomb shades, are one of the most energy efficient window coverings you can buy. They use a series of honeycomb-like cell pockets to trap air around your windows, keeping your rooms warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Thick curtains are one of the main ways to protect your house from losing heat through the windows. Curtains with a thermal lining are a relatively cheap option, says Brennand. "The thicker the better," adds Archna Luthra, consumer analyst at moneysavingexpert.com.
Double or triple glazing your windows can cut heat loss significantly. If you don't want to take on the cost of calling in a pro, you can buy a shrink-film window kit to help insulate your windows in the winter. Add a rug—or several.
Exterior doors: Install a door sweep along exterior doors to help keep cold air from entering your house. Curtains: Put up extra thick curtains. Consider buying ones with thermal lining for extra insulation. Weather stripping: Seal gaps between doors and side jambs with long pieces of weather stripping.
The reasons your house is cold even with the heat on could be because of poor insulation, your furnace not working properly, rooms with high ceilings, or your heating system doesn't cover the whole house. Each of these issues can prevent your home from properly heating.
The best way to winterize your windows is to add a sealed layer of plastic or glass over the window. And the cheapest, easiest way to do this is by installing an interior window insulation kit. Keep out those winter winds by sealing up your drafty windows.
The idea here is to apply Saran Wrap over the entire window, including the frame. By overlapping the strips, you create a continuous surface of the plastic. In theory, this plastic prevents icy breezes and moisture from getting into your home. It also won't damage your windows.
Poor insulation can also cause temperatures to drop inside your home. One of the most obvious signs that you have poor insulation is cold drafts coming from vents, light switches, outlets, and exterior walls. If it's properly insulated, you shouldn't be able to feel any air coming from these areas.
Your house could be cold due to an old air filter, a faulty furnace, improper insulation, or leaky ductwork. The simple fixes, like replacing an air filter, are relatively easy to complete. However, if the heater itself needs repairs, it's best to call in a professional to take a look and determine the problem.
Clogged air filters could be causing cold air to blow out of your vents. A dirty air filter can block airflow over your furnace's heat exchanger, which can cause it to overheat.
What causes this? One explanation may be convection currents, or the lack of them. The room's thermostat is likely to be positioned roughly midway between floor and ceiling. On a 20°C day in the summer, the temperature in the room will be within a few degrees of the temperature outside, so you will feel comfortable.
Drafts are caused when a house's warm air leaks out and gets replaced or even pushed out by that sneaky, cold outside air. Not only does can this make you uncomfortable in your own home, it also makes your heating less efficient.
Injection foam insulation is the answer to insulating walls without removing drywall. There are several types of injection foam available out there, including the RetroFoam product we use. These materials don't require the drywall in your home to be taken down.
Simply put, cold walls are caused by poor insulation. If your home is poorly insulated, it means that heat from inside the home is easily escaping to the outside. Warm air moves from inside the rooms, passing through the walls to be lost outside. Without insulation, there's no barrier to keep the heat in.
Internal wall insulation is done by fitting rigid insulation boards to the wall, or by building a stud wall filled in with insulation material such as mineral wool fibre. Internal insulation: Is generally cheaper to install than external wall insulation.
The benefits are significant. Honeycomb shades can block heat about as well as a 1/8 inch sheet of insulated foam. Their R-value (or, their ability to insulate against heat flow) ranges between 2 and 5. In comparison, a typical double pane window has an R-value of 1.8.
Modern window technology makes new vinyl windows an effective insulator. They help keep your home warmer because they have a low U-Value. This means the material used to manufacture the windows is an effective heat insulator. They keep the heat in.