Winter is coming: How to protect yourself from the cold at home

Hello and welcome to a new post on the blog of Southern. When the temperature drops, most of us take refuge in our homes in search of warmth, but sometimes it’s colder inside than it is outside. That’s why we want to help you find out how to protect yourself from the cold at home, and make it a cosy and pleasant place to take shelter.

Although it may seem a long way off to some, the cold weather is drawing ever closer, and we don’t want it to catch us unawares. Just as we prepare our wardrobes for the change in temperature, we should do the same for our homes.

Below, we’ve put together a list of tips to help you protect yourself from the cold – tips that are also affordable and won’t break the bank.

Ideas for keeping warm at home

Insulation

We need to bear in mind that windows and doors are key, and much of the warmth in the house tends to escape through them. How is this possible? Because of poor insulation. On cold days, we can go and check these areas and find that small draughts of cold air are seeping in here.

To avoid this problem, we can buy adhesive tape designed specifically for these surfaces and cover all the windows, doors or cracks in our home. This will help us keep the temperature inside our home warmer and thus protect ourselves from the cold.

The insulating tape won’t cost us more than €10, so we’re saving ourselves a tidy sum at the same time.

Blinds, curtains, roller blinds

Let’s move on to the windows. As you can see, this is one of the areas we need to pay the most attention to if we want to keep the cold out of the house. It’s well known that more than 30% of heat escapes through here, which is why we want to make sure they’re properly sealed at all costs.

Items such as shutters, curtains or blinds help to insulate us from the outside world. By covering the window completely, they ensure that some of the heat is retained inside the room and help to insulate it.

It is very important that we close the curtains or blinds once the sun has set; this way, we can make the most of the sunlight, which will also help to raise the temperature in the house.

This method is also inexpensive, as all houses come with shutters. This means we’ll only need to buy the decorative element (curtain or blind).

Carpets.

Some people might think that they merely serve a decorative purpose, but nothing could be further from the truth. Not only do they enhance the appearance of the area where they are located, they also provide insulation against the cold.

If your home has underfloor heating, you might not realise it, but this area is one of the coldest in the house. For this reason, covering areas of your home with rugs will help not only to decorate it, but also to provide greater protection against the cold. If you’re someone who likes walking around barefoot or has young children, this option will also spare you from the odd cold here and there.

The price of rugs tends to vary depending on the material, the size and where you buy them. Of course, there are plenty of budget shops where you can buy a woollen rug for no more than €50, which is why we’ve included this option on our list.

In applications such as Pinterest, you can find a wide range of rugs at different prices, as well as ideas on how to lay them out and a variety of shops where you can buy them.

Heating.

We’ve chosen to leave this option until last as it’s the least economical. Here at infocasa, we’re going to provide you with a list of some options – some more affordable than others, but all equally valid.

It is worth noting that, these days, most households have some form of heating system, but not everyone uses it because of the extra cost it adds to their bills. And, to make matters worse, we are currently facing a very difficult situation in the country due to the massive rise in electricity prices. This is one of the reasons why most people will be considering not using any kind of heating system this winter. That is why we want to help you change your mind.

Below, we compare some of the best heating systems, based on their price and other features.

• Radiators. In this section, we have three different types: electric, water-based and underfloor heating.

 Electric radiators are the ones that use the most electricity; however, it never hurts to have one at home. It can always come in handy in a pinch.

At infocasa, we recommend water-filled radiators. These are the most common type found in homes as they are quite energy-efficient and can heat very large rooms. On the other hand, they can be quite expensive to install, but nowadays almost all houses come with this type of heating system already fitted.

Finally, we should mention underfloor heating. It is the most commonly used system in new builds; however, it takes quite a long time to heat the room and can be very expensive to install.

• Boilers. There are many different types, but we’re only going to talk about two: gas and electric.

Although there is a wide variety of boiler models, at infocasa we only provide information on gas and electric boilers, as these are the most common.

Gas boilers are the most widely used as they come in a range of models, from the most economical to the least. They are simple to install and, although it depends on the supplier, the price does not usually go up. On the other hand, if you’re not confident about this type of heating (due to potential leaks), you can opt for an electric boiler, which is also energy-efficient, although slightly more expensive.

• Fireplaces/Stoves. The most widely used today, thanks to their ease of installation and price.

To finish off, we’ll talk about the famous stoves. In the table, we’ve listed four types: electric, pellet, butane and wood-burning.

As with the two previous options, we would like to recommend the one we consider most suitable; in this case, that would be the pellet stove. It offers the most advantages: low energy consumption, affordable installation and the ability to heat large spaces. If we had to highlight one drawback, it would be the need for a ventilation system, as it can be dangerous otherwise.

On the other hand, there’s always the classic option: a wood-burning fireplace. It’s energy-efficient and adds a decorative touch to the room, although buying and installing one might be a bit beyond our budget.

Reviews.

To round off the list, we would like to mention the need for any necessary technical inspections. These must be carried out by a specialist and, whilst this is one of the more expensive options, it is necessary if your house is very old or has any sort of problem.

When temperatures drop, pipes can freeze, damp can build up and boilers can break down. These incidents cause major problems for your home and your health.  

If your home is an older property or has recently developed any problems, don’t hesitate to call in a specialist technician to have a look at your systems to prevent any major issues.

In the event of snow or ice, you must clear not only the main entrance but also any roof overhangs or other features that could cause damage.

And that brings us to the end of today’s post. Please feel free to comment on which of these tips you use, or if you have any others that we haven’t mentioned.

As always, we hope this has been helpful. See you next time!