Draughty, Cold Home? A Few Easy Tips to Make It Warmer
Even though we’re a few days away from the official first day of spring, the weather in Scotland is still (unsurprisingly) very wintry. In the space of a month, we’ve had everything from blizzards and drifting snow to red weather warnings and polar vortexes. Whilst spring is nearly here, winter is definitely not over yet.
At times like these, the comfort that a cosy home provides is priceless, so you’re probably thinking about how you can improve the warmth of your property and cut down on those annoying draughts. Don’t worry— we’ve got you covered. Here are a few easy tips that you can take to improve the warmth of your home.
Draught-proof your front and back doors
The key to draught proofing is pretty simple: keep the cold air from coming into your house and the warm air from escaping!
One of the most common entry points of draughts can be the gap between the bottom of the door and the door frame itself. A good way to stop cold air getting in this way is to fit a brush strip here. You can draught-proof the sides by using self-adhesive, rubber draught seals around the side. Both of these items usually cost under £10 and can be found in most good DIY shops.
Plug or seal floorboard gaps
Gaps between your floorboards can often be one of the main causes of draughts in your home. This is because they generally sit over voids and spaces between your floors. Cold air that collects here can get sucked up through these gaps, causing draughts. The solution is easy: you just fill the gaps!
If the floorboards are underneath a carpet or laminate floor, you can use whatever you have to hand to fill the gaps—silicone sealant is a professional solution that works very well. Thin strips of wood can be also used to plug the gaps too.
Insulate behind your radiator
If your home is particularly cold and the wall your radiator is on is only single-skinned or doesn’t have insulation, you will probably benefit from adding a thermal insulation panel behind it. These look similar to kitchen foil and are attached to the wall. They reflect heat away from the radiator itself and around the room, helping to improve how warm it feels.
Block your unused chimney
Ornamental fireplaces can provide a truly stunning focal point for your room. They can sometimes prove particularly troublesome when it comes to letting draughts in if they aren’t sealed properly. It isn’t as difficult to seal a chimney as you may think as there are a number of options open to you. You can buy a device called a ‘chimney balloon’ that’s made of rubber and inserted inside the chamber to reduce draughts. They usually cost under £20. Another option is an item known as a Chimney Sheep: they’re made of wool and come in different shapes, depending on the shape of your particular chimney.
If you’re looking to sell your home and find the cosiest property that money can buy, Caledonia Property can help.
With tailored marketing packages based on your requirements, and state-of-the-art technology to get your property seen by the right people, we make selling a home easier than ever. Find out how we can sell your home faster than ever before by getting in contact with our team on 0333 241 3333.