When winter arrives, it can be uncomfortable if your home is not ready for it. If you recently moved into your house, this will likely be its state. Even then, your place may not have all the best upgrades for winter weather. Here are some improvements you can make that can make the winters more bearable.
Seal Your Windows And Doors
If there is an upgrade that will be cost-efficient, it is adding weather-stripping to your doors and caulking your windows. One of the biggest problems during winter is heat leakage. This is mostly because of the cracks in the windows and the gaps in the doors. Installing weather stripping on the door edges can greatly reduce a lot of the leakage there. It is also very affordable and easy to do. You can likely cover all of your exterior doors in just one afternoon.
The windows are a bit more of a problem. Heat can look from the windows in different ways. For one, there are cracks around the frames. These usually happen as the frames get older. Additionally, the area around the glass can be a bit loose so that the heat could leak out. This is where caulking comes in and covers all the cracks. There is also leakage from the windows themselves. The glass can allow heat out so you might consider glazing it or using double-pane windows that provide additional insulation.
Insulate Your Walls And Attic
Another major source of heat loss is the walls and the attic. During winter, hot air moves upward. This means that the attic will likely be the direction of most of the heat in your house. It would be best if you prevented that from happening, and this is what insulation can help with. Besides that, the insulation can also prevent the cold from seeping in.
Your walls can also be vulnerable to cold and heat leakage. Insulation can also be useful in stopping the cold from coming in and keeping warmth inside. But more importantly, the insulation process should allow you to plug up any leaks you can find. Many insulation materials can fill up the small cracks that are the usual culprit for heat leaks.
Improve Your Hot Water
A true luxury during the winter months is a good hot bath or shower. Coming in from the cold, you want to warm up quickly. One of the best ways to do that is by jumping into the tub or stall for a quick hot splash of water. But it isn’t as easy as it sounds. Water needs heating, and that can take time. You might also end up running out of heated water.
This is where some improvements can come in. For example, installing a buffer tank to hold the hot water can double your home’s capacity for it. You have the main tank for heating and then the buffer tank for storage. It gets refilled when used so that there is always hot water available. Another potential upgrade is tankless water heaters that heat the water as they go through the pipes.
Install A Fireplace
The traditional winter experience is to sit in front of a warm fireplace with a roaring flame keeping you warm. While it has fallen out of favor because of design issues, you can still have a modern fireplace. Instead of the wood-fueled ones that are difficult to control or start, gas-powered fireplaces are now the new normal. These are the easier start and install. For one, you don’t have to worry about a chimney nor even fuel. You can have a consistent flame without any worries with a simple flick of a switch.
Upgrade Your HVAC
Besides the fireplace, it is high time you upgraded your HVAC. If your house is old, then you need to upgrade your furnace for something more modern. Modern heating is much more efficient, and you will be able to keep warm for lower costs. One great modern addition would be a programmable thermostat—no need to manually turn things on or off. Program the right times, and the house will do it for you. It saves you time, and you have better control over your heating bill.
Wintertime can be a very happy time of the year if your house is ready for things. Looking out at the falling snow and snug in your comfortable room can be a relaxing experience. Investing in home upgrades for the winter can be a good investment, especially with future winters looking to be a lot harsher. You don’t want to end up frozen under your sheets when the temperature drops.
