15 Tips for Keeping Warm in Winter

Winter is nearly here and if you are reading this blog post, you are no doubt wondering how to keep your house warm this winter.

Heating bills can be so expensive, which is why with Christmas and the new year quickly arriving, it is handy to know some tips to make this winter cheaper while also providing ways to ensure you are staying warm in winter.

From internal window shutters, to how to block up a chimney, read our 15 tips on how to keep warm in winter:

1. Window Treatments

If you are wondering how to keep warm this year, then installing effective window treatments is a good place to start.

It is an important job that helps to improve the entire household. Making the right decision could have a massive impact, from saving you money on heating in future, down to giving you that extra bit of privacy you are after.

This is why we recommend you install interior wooden shutters. They give you flexible light control and privacy, while helping to provide a layer of insulation and an extra barrier against outside noise.

Window shutters are perfect for protecting you against those chilly winter evenings!

2. Curtains and Drapes

Drapes are a beautiful way to give your home that elegant touch.

By installing drapes or curtains over your made to measure wooden shutters, not only will it provide your home with a unique and lovely appearance, but layering these objects will help to insulate your home against any hidden drafts possibly around the window frame or window sill.

3. How Does Double Glazing Reduce Heat Loss?

Staying warm in winter will be easier for people who have installed double glazing.

It is a rare moment that you will see a home without double glazing nowadays, since it is so popular due to the benefits that have been found from installing it.

Double glazing is known for reducing the heat loss in your home because of the dried air that is between the two panes of glass when they are fitted. As the dried air is a poor conductor of heat, it not only helps to slow down the process of the heat transferring to the outside window, but the dried air also acts as a layer of insulation.

Meanwhile, another benefit of double glazing is it will help to block the outside noise and adds to the level of security in your home.

4. Draughty Windows

Trying to keep warm in winter is always an annoying struggle for people experiencing draughty windows.

Are you feeling a horrible draught entering your home from just beneath the window? Well we know the solution!

Draught proofing strips will do the trick.

There are several different types:

• Foam draught strips, which are self adhesive
• Metal draught strips
• Plastic draught strips

Both the metal and plastic draught strips last for longer and can either be in the form of a wiper or a brush, depending on your preference.

They are easy to apply and will prevent any drafts from entering your home from beneath the window.

5. Empty Room

If you have any rooms that you barely use, for instance guest bedrooms, then why not turn off the heating in those rooms and close the doors to stop the cold air from escaping into the rest of the house? There is not point wasting money in heating rooms that you are not using.

6. Make Room for the Radiator

Imagine you had a fireplace in your room. People who are sitting in front of the fire are blocking the heat from circulating to the rest of the room. The same rule applies to radiators.

Putting objects in front of the radiators will block the hot air from circulating around the room and reaching you, which is why it is important to clear the front of the radiator so that the money you are spending on heating, is not getting wasted.

It is also important to take into account the position of your furniture. Having desks and beds beside external walls is likely to cause you to feel chilly, which is why either moving the furniture around or putting insulating materials such as long curtains against the wall can help you keep warm.

7. Insulate Your Home

The draught strips that we previously suggested applying to windows can also come in handy around the rest of your home, such as around the loft hatch and for gaps around external doors.

Another idea if you have an old loft hatch, would be to replace it. New insulated loft hatches with sort out any problems with heat escaping through the roof and cool air entering your home.

While you are going around insulating your home, it would also be a good idea to check your loft to see if it needs insulating again. A simple insulating job in the loft with mineral wool will be enough to help slow down the process of the heat escaping through the roof of your home.

8. Insulated Jackets for Hot Water Tanks

Covering up that hard-working water tank in a jacket (we recommend at least 75mm thick) means that the water will stay warmer for longer, helping you to spend less money on heating up the water to keep you warm.

9. Foil Behind Radiators

A problem that many people experience with their radiators, is that not all of the heat is actually entering the room, some of it is escaping through the wall.

This is where reflector panels for radiators step into place. By placing these panels down the back of the radiator, any heat that is made is then reflected into your room. Some people are even saying that kitchen foil will do the trick, although it is likely to not be as effective as the real reflective aluminium panels, which is why it is better to invest in something that you know will help warm this winter up at home.

10. Front Door Drapes

The front door is one of the coldest areas of the home and no matter how much you try, there are always going to be gaps for the chilly air to enter your home. However, this does not mean that we should give up on trying to insulate our houses.

Many people are coming up with different front door curtain ideas – you may have seen friends or family using curtains to cover the front door and they come with many benefits. By installing full length drapery to cover the entire front door, this helps to stop the cool air from entering the rest of the house, along with providing you with extra privacy if you have windows on or beside your front door which you can now cover with the curtain.

11. Draught Excluder Front Door

Doors are such easy places for hot air to escape and for cold air to enter. With the letter box, key holes, gaps around the door and if your door has windows.

It is time for you to secure that door so that you can stay in a warm house this winter.
Simple solutions such as buying a keyhole cover and a draft stopper for your letter box will improve your insulation so much and you will notice such a difference.

Other methods of excluding draught from external doors is through a “sausage dog” or a “door snake” draught excluder that sits in front of your door. They are easy to make at home, or you can order them online.

12. Check Your Pipes

Another easy way for the warm air to escape from your home is through the holes where the pipe work exits your house. No need to worry though, as this is an easy to fix problem with the help of some silicone filler or expanding foam.

Check those pipes so that you can experience a cosy, warm winter.

13. How to Stop Chimney Draughts

Whether you are using your fireplace for decorative purposes or only occasionally using it when it gets extremely cold, it is important to realise how much heat can be lost travelling up through the chimney. Ways to prevent this from happening is through blocking a chimney.

If you are wondering how to block a chimney, this can be done in two different ways.

Firstly, through inflating a chimney balloon up in your chimney where is it out of sight and blocks any air from entering and leaving your home. Alternatively, there is also the option of getting woollen chimney insulators to block up the chimney.

Should you decide to use either of these options, just ensure that you take out the insulator before using your fireplace.

14. Cold Wooden Floorboards

While floorboards can be such a nice and easy option to have in your home, they can also cause problems with losing heat in your house.

How can I fix this? You ask. Simply fill the gaps in your floorboards with a filler that is able to expand and contract with your floorboards and problem solved!

For an extra warmth, to save you walking on cold floorboards, why not get a nice fluffy rug?

15. Wrap Up Warm

Finally, one of the most obvious ways of keeping warm in winter at home, is by wrapping yourself up so that you can stay warm.

When I say this, I don’t mean go overboard and wear a coat, but simply putting a jumper or a dressing gown on, wearing cosy slipper socks or slippers and snuggling down in a blanket will help to make you feel warmer and will mean that you don’t need to put the heating on so high, therefore helping you to save money on your bills.

Contact Us

If you are thinking of installing shutters to make this winter a warmer one, then get in touch with Lifestyle Shutters and we will be more than happy to give you a hand with our expert advice.