9 Ways to Insulate Your Home

Winter is the time of the year that everyone is looking forward to making their self more comfortable. As the weather gets cold we all want a cosy and warm atmosphere at home so one of the main goals should be to insulate your home. If you have the availability, take the time and do it for your floors. Your budget will thank you because insulation resists the transfer of heat from warmer areas to colder areas.  

Insulation is even more important if you have wooden flooring. Insulating your wood floors will also protect them from water damage, especially since older homes are less likely to have floor insulation. This is why living in these homes can often feel drafty and cold in the winter.

First of all, it's good to start with the flooring and to make sure that your flooring installation is well-made and good enough to protect from the cold temperatures. In this case, the choice of a professional and experienced team is quite important as following the right tips that we have prepared for you:

Fill the floorboards 

Filling beneath the floorboards with an insulating material like mineral wool or batts will help you keep your home warmer and will also dramatically reduce your heating bills. You can do this type of insulating installation on your own or with the help of professionals.

The National Energy Foundation (NEF) advises you if you are doing this on your own to wear a facemask, goggles and protective clothing, and leave sufficient gaps around the eaves to avoid condensation.

Place down a rug 

Putting a rug or a carpet on your bare floor will act as an extra layer of insulation for your ground and will make your place to look cosier as well. According to NEF floors account for as much as 10% of the heat loss from your home if they are not properly insulated so the carpets can help mitigate this loss.

Seal the skirting boards

Sealing the gaps between the skirting boards will further prevent draughts and keep the warmth in your house. Floorboards and skirting boards are prone to expanding contracting or moving slightly with everyday use, so you should use a filler to fill in these gaps that are a result of this movement and you should use a gap filler that can tolerate movement.

Before laying a carpet, fit underlay

You can fit an underlay before putting your carpet on the floor to further seal proof your floor. Fireboard or polyfoam board are also viable substitutes for the underlay.

Insulate the doors 

Draught proofing is all about securing the cracks and spaces around typical areas of heat loss around the home. One of the most common culprits is the doors (and their frames). Luckily for you, there's an easy solution to this problem weather strips are an easy way to prevent draughts coming through the door and can be placed around casements, or you can use putty or sealant in any clear cracks. Also, installing new door sweeps for the big gaps between the bottom of your door and the frame can further increase the effectiveness of keeping the warmth in your home.

Use heavyweight curtains 

Having thick curtains will help you keep the heat in your house and not escape through the windows. There are curtains with thermal lining which are an excellent option and are also relatively cheap the thicker the curtains the better.

Draught-proof your windows

Double glazing the windows is heat-efficient but its cost is high. In case you can't afford it there is another option to buy special films, which you can put across the window. The downside of this is that once you put this film on you won't be able to open your window without breaking the seal. In case you don’t fancy this there is another option you can use self-adhesive foam strips that can help you seal any gaps around the edges of the window.

Draught-exclude the letterbox and cover the keyholes

The letterbox and the keyholes are also draught sources you can prevent them by using a “brush” for the mailbox and installing keyhole covers.

Making your fireplace more efficient

Line the back of your fireplace with aluminium foil or a fireback to help reflect the heat directly back into your home. In case you don’t use your fireplace and use it merely for a decorative purpose you can buy a chimney balloon. It is made from a special laminate to stop the heat escaping through the chimney or the cold air coming down through it, but be sure to remove the chimney balloon if you decide to use your fireplace.