With winter in full swing here in the Cherry Hill area, you may be thinking of various ways to stay warm at home. While putting on thick socks and adding an extra layer may be a good short-term solution, there are several steps you can take to resolve the issue of a cold home for good.
Are you ready to enhance your comfort at home, while also increasing energy efficiency and savings? Use these five steps to achieve a warmer home:
1. Check Your Thermostat
Take a look at your thermostat. If it’s old and outdated, it may not even be working properly. If it’s new, have you taken the time to learn more about it and set it up according to your patterns?
Make sure you familiarize yourself with your thermostat or call a professional to upgrade it to a new, smart model. Not only will this help you stay comfortable, but you’ll also waste less energy on heating your home when you’re not there.
2. Upgrade Your Insulation
Your home’s insulation provides a thermal barrier keeping the heat in during the winter and out during the summer. If that barrier is nonexistent or lacking, you’ll experience home with large, uncomfortable temperature swings and high heating and cooling costs.
Upgrading your home’s insulation can dramatically improve your comfort year-round. You’ll stay warm now, but you’ll also be much cooler when it starts to heat up outside.
3. Air Seal
For your home to be truly comfortable and energy-efficient, it also needs to be properly air sealed. Air sealing fills in the holes, cracks, and gaps in the building envelope of your home. Preventing air from readily moving out and helps to keep your home’s heat where it needs to be during the winter.
4. Shut the Curtains
A simple step to help keep your home warm during the cold months is as easy as closing the curtains. Especially if you have larger and older windows, closing the curtains can help to keep some heat in allowing you to increase indoor comfort.
5. Maintain or Upgrade Your HVAC System
Properly maintaining your HVAC system keeps it running efficiently and allows you to avoid unexpected breakdowns. It also extends its lifespan, so you get the most out of your investment.
However, if your boiler or furnace is over ten years old, you should ask a professional during your next maintenance appointment about whether a replacement would be a good option. With new, more energy-efficient solutions available, an upgrade could have a tremendous impact on your comfort and heating bills.
