Keep your home warm and insulated this Christmas

If you want to keep your home warm during the winter, you don’t always have to go straight for the thermostat. There are a few simple steps you can take to keep your home warm and cosy so you can focus on more important things – like wrapping gifts and watching Christmas films.

Follow these simple tips for preparing your home for winter and you could save money on your heating bills at the same time.

Before the weather gets too cold, check your roof insulation is the right thickness. In the past, the recommended thickness for roof insulation was just 100mm and this has now been increased to 250-270mm. So, while your loft may already be insulated, it may not be insulated enough.

When you are done checking your roof insulation, make sure you insulate your loft hatch. This is one simple and often overlooked step which can destroy all of your hard work if missed.

Take a moment to check around your home for any draughts. Cold windows should be insulated using foam insulation or brushes, depending on the type of windows you have. You can also block out draughts from under doors with simple draught excluders. And finally, use a chimney balloon to prevent heat loss through the chimney.

While exposed wooden floors might be very desirable at the moment, they can lead to unpleasant draughts that make your home feel much colder than it actually is. The good news is that you can fill the gaps in your floorboards without losing the charm of exposed wooden floors. Simply use foam filling to plug gaps in the floorboards and enjoy a more cosy home environment.

If you don’t have carpets in your home, rugs should be placed in areas which need a little extra warmth. Rugs will help to keep the heat in your home and are also very on trend. If you can’t find a rug big enough to cover the space, think about layering up smaller rugs to achieve the desired effect. 

An often overlooked area of draught-proofing is the skirting boards. Simply filling the gaps between your skirting boards and walls and the skirting boards and floors can be a great way to keep your home feeling more cosy and warm.

If your boiler regularly breaks down, you might want to think about getting it serviced. A more efficient boiler will not have to work as hard to achieve the same levels of comfort. This means you could enjoy a much warmer home without spending a lot of extra money on your heating bills.

If you live in rented accommodation, your landlord has to have the boiler checked every year. If you own your own home, it makes sense to get your boiler serviced every year anyway. The occasional boiler repair might seem expensive, but it’s nothing compared to the cost of replacing it entirely. Regular services can help your boiler to last longer.

Make sure you check your radiators every now and then to see if they are heating up at the same rate. If you notice cold spots on your radiators, you may need to bleed them. Bleeding your radiators is a very simple process that allows trapped air to escape from the system so that your central heating can work more efficiently. All you need to bleed your radiators is a radiator key, a rag and a bucket or bowl to catch any water which might escape.

Once you’ve followed all of these steps, you can then set about making your home cosy for Christmas. Embrace the Danish philosophy of Hygge and fill your home with soft pillows, cosy throws, warming scents and soft lighting. Then put the kettle on, grab that box of chocolates and snuggle down to watch your favourite Christmas films in your new cosy home.

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