If your home is not insulated you are going to lose out on the retention of heat within your home. Sure you can stick on the central heating but can you really afford to keep the heating running all day, every day just so you don’t freeze? Think of the bills you will have to pay by the end of each year in this type of scenario.
Uninsulated homes lose out on a considerable amount of heat retention. This is a fact. According to Britain’s Energy Saving Trust, in a residency which does not have home insulation, 45% of heat loss is through solid walls, 33% through other walls, 25% through the loft or roof space, and 20% through windows and doors.
Winter is fast approaching and that means it’s going to become colder, a whole lot colder. Even now you cannot walk out of the house without a jacket on. Let us help you be prepared for the winter season with these home insulation tips from Gar Insulation.
Checking If Your Home Is Insulated
Ok, this is pretty standard and black and white. Our first tip for home insulation is checking if you actually have insulation or not. A perfectly good starting point is to investigate if your attic is insulated first as heat rises and will escape if there are cracks and gaps. Your attic is the main point of heat retention.
It’s not too difficult to find this information out. Attic insulation is quite visible, if you see gaps and blank spaces between the walls and ceiling of your attic then there’s a problem.
Joists, the horizontal framing members that create your ceiling below, may be visible every 16 inches. If the insulation between the joists is not up to or over the joists, you do not have enough attic insulation.
Other areas to check are your chimney and fireplace. If you aren’t using your chimney and want to keep in the heat then ensure its flue or draft are closed. Check for cracks and gaps around your doors and windows for possible air leaks.
Don’t Block Your Radiators
Our second tip for home insulation is to not have clothes or other items hanging off or blocking the front of your radiators. If your radiators are blocked heat will not emit as effectively leading to a half job and you keeping the central heating on for longer, furthermore creating more costly bills to pay.
Did you know you can also insulate the back of your radiators? Placing tinfoil behind a radiator is a cheap way of keeping your rooms warmer for longer. Tinfoil reflects heat back into a room and maintains this heat.
Additionally, examine your radiator for cold spots. Radiators containing trapped air need to be bled in order for them to work to their full potential.
Look Down Below
The floors, check the floors. Gaps between your floorboards can produce heat loss so this is another area to keep in mind as a home insulation tip.
For a cost-effective solution but not exactly a stylish one, you can make papier-mache and fill in the gaps, reducing the heat loss and creating a warmer home.
There are floor insulation fittings to keep in mind also like polystyrene boards or sheet insulation made from fiberglass for timber-frame floors.
Curtains
Our last home insulation tip for today is be mindful of your curtains in terms of retaining heat. Curtains can actually be an effective way of boosting home insulation. In the winter keep those curtains closed and make sure they are not hanging over your radiators.
So, there you have it. A few home insulation tips that you can check and do yourself or avail of existing services to keep you warmer this winter.
If you need home insulation services such as examinations or installations Gar Insulation caters for all of Ireland with our nationwide service. Call us now on 045 890328 or 086 2489447 for a consultation with our expert team.
Alternatively, you can reach us by using our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.
