Whether you have the itch to update your home, reduce your carbon footprint, bring your energy bills down or you are about to move into a new home, there are a lot of decisions that you need to make.
From pondering your furniture arrangements, what windows you will use and how they will be treated, the colors, what will be hung on the walls, and everything in between. All whilst ensuring that whatever you opt for allows your living room to be updated and make an incredible difference along with the rest of your home, you still want this space to be a reflection of you and your own individual style and personality. All of this in addition, to how you can do this and be more energy-efficient.
Sound tough, doesn’t it? When it comes to making your home more energy-efficient you are possibly thinking of the big jobs. Insulation, what heating system you use but some of the smaller interior decisions you make can still go ahead and make a big difference. By considering and using these tips you will be able to get your home warmer, save some cash, all whilst not compromising on your tastes and style.
Insulation Tips
In an ideal world, you will already have a thoroughly insulated home. The walls will be packed with insulations, your windows will be double or triple glazed and tightly sealed to keep drafts out, your doors will fit perfectly. But, you know that this isn’t always the case. All homes and properties have some kind of imperfections, especially those older properties.
There are many ways however that you can resolve these issues.
Use Furniture To Insulate
Depending on your budget will determine how you want to go ahead and combat this problem. Using furniture is a great way to keep costs down, it could be as simple as just going ahead and changing the layout of a room and making changes to include your furniture as an additional barrier.
Items such as stuffed chairs, a couch, or even bookcases work well. You want a dense item of furniture as they will be able to create a thermal barrier for you when against an exterior wall. The same can be said when it comes to wall hangings. Using textured items to hang on the walls has the same effect. It adds an additional layer of insulation to your property.
Insulate Your Attic
Heat rises. You will find that if you look at properties through a thermal lens that heat escapes generally through windows, doors, and your roof. Insulating your attic is not only cheap but it is also highly effective.
You don’t need any particular skills in order to be able to do this, you just need to purchase some insulation and ensure that it covers your whole attic. This will then work to keep the heat within your property and reduce your heating costs.
Think Flooring
Nowadays there is a tendency to want or find hardwood flooring as the preferred option in many of our homes. It is easy to clean, is relatively low maintenance, and looks good. This is all great, however, what lies beneath this flooring?
Depending on what insulation has been put underneath can be the difference between your floor allowing heat out and drafts in. This is especially true if your floors have been stripped back to the original boards or even in homes that are raised up and have basements that are unheated.
You may want to change this to provide additional insulation to your property. This can be done either but making the decision to carpet your floor. However, if this isn’t something that you want to do, your works with your home styling there is always the option of placing down rugs and carpet runners.
There are many styles available in a variety of different textures. So, the great news is that you do not need to compromise on the aesthetics of your home in order to keep it warm. Plus, it is also a fun way to use your interior creative flare in order to bring the room together with the use of these rugs.
Windows
There is a strong chance that the windows in your property will be letting the hot air out. Unless you have high-efficient windows throughout your home such as New Braunfels Window, you may find them a common place where drafts enter.
Of course, this means you can opt to change your windows. If your budget allows this is always an option to consider. Not only will it enhance your room by using the windows as a focal point within each room, but they will also allow you to save significantly on your energy bills in the future and keep your rooms warmer in the winter and cooler in the summers.
If however, your budget doesn’t run to this, there are still options you can consider. Firstly you are going to want to maximize all free heating options available. This means when the sun is facing, open those curtains, and the sunlight heat your space. Then as the sun moves away you can use thick curtains to keep the warm air within your home and act as an additional layer of insulation.
In the summer to save on the need to have the air con on 24/7 and bring your bills up, you could use blinds or your curtains to keep the sunlight out of the room and stop the heat from entering.
Therefore, when completing your decor mix-up it is important that you are including the practical needs of your window fittings when making your decor decisions.
When shopping around make sure you are looking at what will cover your window fully. It defeats the objective if you still have areas on show. Also, consider the material you opt for. Some will provide better insulation options than others. So if you are considering curtains, consider how thick they are. The thicker materials will hold the heat out better.
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