Reducing Heat Loss This Winter

cat of Scottish British breed wrapped in a warm scarf looking out the window at the snow

Reducing Heat Loss This Winter

Nothing is better than being able to enjoy the cozy warmth of your home during the harsh winter months. What you might not realize however, is how much of your heat is being lost to the outdoors. Lost heat can cost you big time as the temperatures drop.

Where Do You Start?

Finding the sources of heat loss can be as easy as moving around your home and finding where the temperature shifts. Even if you don’t notice a major drop in temperature, you can still be losing heat. Here are a few ways your home could be adding to your heating bill in a big way.

Where Are You Losing The Most Heat?

Windows & Doors

Poorly fitted windows or doors create drafts. Improperly insulated windows and doors can act as reverse radiators, sucking heat in and losing it to the outside.

What Can You Do?

The most expensive option to deal with these problems is to replace the door or window with a better fit. However, there are most cost effective ways of dealing with this. Gaps around your windows and doors can be filled with an extra layer of caulking. Drafts that are creeping in under the door can also be blocked with a towel rolled up and laid in front of the door on the floor.

Basements

Basements are usually not top priority for insulation, as they tend to not to be used for more than storage. Some homes have windows or doors that lead to the basement, and they can be even less insulated than upstairs doors.

How Do You Fix This?

Basements are usually not considered a priority for insulation as they are not always finished living areas. But just like every room in the house, it should be protected from heat loss. Adding a layer of insulation around the walls can prevent losing heat into the ground. If there are doors or windows that open to the basement, check those for drafts as well.

Chimneys

Once, the fireplace was a place of warmth and potentially the only way to heat a home. However, nowadays they serve as a decorative flair that occasionally provides heat. When not in use, the fireplaces is still connected to a vent specifically designed to channel hot air out of the home. Left unchecked, your beautiful hearth can be launching your costly heat outside.

Should I Brick Up My Fireplace?

That’s not necessary at all! Chimneys can be insulated by covering the top to prevent escaping heat, or by inserting a “chimney balloon” from the inside of the home to stop heat that way.

Poor Insulation In Additions

Additions to older homes are sometimes not up to the same standards as the original construction. If you run your hand along the wall of such an addition and it goes from room temperature to much much colder, you’ve found the beginning of the addition.

How Do I Insulate A Whole Room?

Insulating additions can be an expensive endeavor, but if you are constantly losing heat, that can be more expensive over the long run. Calling a professionally licensed contractor to help evaluate your need is definitely the most direct route for solving this issue.

It All Adds Up

When you’re paying for your heat, it can be vexing to find out that you’re actually losing a good chunk of it to the outdoors. By checking your doors, windows, and the levels of insulation around your home however, you can take steps to prevent future loss.