7 Winter Home Insulation Tips

It is always prudent to ensure your Northern California home is well-insulated to keep cold winds and extreme weather out. You can prevent a lot of problems and save on your energy bills that way. These are easy and affordable winter insulation tips that will help you remain cozy every winter.

1. Insulate from the Floor

You should always look at insulating your house from the floor and then move upwards. Older homes usually have wooden floorboards which add a lot of character, but also have gaps. These gaps can create cold drafts that seep away the heating. You can always put a rug to cover the gaps. Or, you can permanently fix the issue by using a silicone sealer.

2. Address Door Drafts

Consider draft stoppers to reduce cold wind seeping in at the bottom of doors. They are cheap to buy and can always be stored away for the summer. Internal doors can be sealed using sealant tape that fits around the door. This is a salient way to eliminate drafts. However, before you use a sealant, you need to make sure the doors fit as they are intended to.

3. Use Radiators Efficiently

Your radiators are wasting away one side of the energy in keeping the wall warm. Use radiator reflectors or enhancers to reflect heat off the wall and back into the room. These can be placed between the wall and the radiator. They are affordable and are easy to fit into place. If you want you can also just tape aluminum foil on the wall behind the radiators. It may not look as good, but it gets the job done.

4. Fix Those Drafts

Walk through your home and notice if there is any draft around the floor or doors. There are several annoying places in modern homes as well with an unwanted cold breeze. You should hunt these draft causes and seal them up. A poignant way to hunt drafts is to hold a candle in front of vents, doors, windows and electrical outlets. You will notice a flicker if there is a draft. Never seal off vents and registers. It can cause major problems with your HVAC system.

5. Insulate the Attic or Roof

Uninsulated roof causes at least a fourth of heat loss in any house. You should avoid wasting your energy, heat, and money by getting your attic, roof, or loft insulated. Consider laying down fiberglass or mineral wool insulation between roof spaces. These materials are porous and lightweight. They can go a long way in trapping air and insulating against noise.

6. Insulate the Walls

You can fill wall cavities with mineral wool and fiberglass as well. You should also consider hanging drywall over concrete, stone, and other cold walls. Drywall is a cheap wall covering made from plasterboard. You can always include fiberglass insulation by incorporating a cavity if you hang drywall.

7. Cover Your Windows

It is challenging to stop heat loss through windows. Check the windows for drafts and gaps. Seal if you find any by using silicon sealer or sealant tape. The next step is to cover your windows. You can always use nice and thick curtains to get the job done.