Best ways to keep your house warm on a winter's day

Best ways to keep your house warm on a winter's day

As winter approaches in the northern hemisphere, we in the Southern hemisphere should be welcoming Spring. But Spring has been like a shy bride, coming out reluctantly and unable to make her evil step sister Winter go away. Only last week, we had sub zero degrees.

I have lived in extremely cold winter seasons in Canada. Over there, they have central heating, so it wasn't so bad keeping my apartment warm. When I moved to Auckland, New Zealand, the winter was cold but not cold enough to have central heating. But the weather is erratic that you can't really put away your winter clothing.

Here, winter mornings can go down to five degrees C. It is important to keep the heat you have generated from your gas or electric heater. Windows are the most culprits where your precious heat escape. Go to a curtain place a buy thermal curtains. These curtains may be expensive but it is worthwhile in the long run because they are among the more useful tools for keeping a house warm. They use thermodynamics to keep heat locked in.

Next, check that your windows are not leaky and let cold air to seep in. Seal the windows, and if your windows are old and have broken frames. A more economical way is to install new aluminum frames. Double glazing is a good solution. Check for draft around the door frames and the bottom of the doors. Weather prove your doors. From the hard ware stores, you can buy weather stripping or a door sweep. You can make a wheat snake and put it at the bottom of the door, this is economical and does the job. If you don't have time, roll a towel and stuff it at the bottom of the door.

With the duo mechanism, preventing cold air from coming in and warm air from escaping, half of your battle is won.

A major project, if you can afford it, would be to line your ceiling/attic and walls with pink batts. This is a major job but a worthwhile one. This is not a DIY (do it yourself) job. A commercial will come and line the rolled pink batts on your attic. They also have a blower to blow the insulating stuff between your walls.

A good habit to cultivate is, when you are not using a certain room, shut it so you don't have the expensive heat escaping to that space and wasting your money. Train your children well. In the bathroom, it is good to invest in an extractor, to remove the water vapor without having to open the window. Remember to shut the bathroom door.

Stock up lots of hot chocolate and marshmallows, and coffee, and muffins for afternoon tea or supper. Put wool blankets on your sofas so that anyone can use them while watching Television or reading a book or newspaper.

Follow my recommendations, your house will be cozy and heavenly to live in in a cold winter. Besides, you get the bonus of saving money and saving the world.