How to winter-proof your home

[Jason]

It's the first day of winter and the cold weather has arrived.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways to winter-proof your home by keeping the cold out and sealing in the warmth, including sealing windows and doors, closing blinds and adding insulation. They not only help you stay warm, but can also save you money in energy costs. 

What are your tips for keeping your house warm this winter and your energy bills as low as possible?

Please add them by replying below.

Jason

[Isobel]

No problem @Sporky. Hope that helps and you stay warm!

[Jason]

Hope everyone is staying safe and well. And that you're also staying warm. Here in Melbourne we've just experienced a wild night of fierce wind and I see it has been very cold and wet in many other parts of the country.

If you have any tips to help other members keep the house warm while ensuring those power bills are as low as possible, please share them by replying below.

I will also ask @MitchellMc to add some tips tomorrow.

Jason

[mich1972]

We need to get some foam strips to stop our bathroom  door being noisy on stormy windy nights 

[MitchellMc]

Thanks for the tag, @Jason.

A few tips from me are:

• Easily check your doors and windows for draughts on those windy days by holding a piece of tissue papers up against their internal frame. If the paper moves in the breeze, you should seal it up. Use a rubber seal to fill the gap, and there is a wide range of options available.

• Door snakes aren't just for front doors. Use them to isolate rooms to keep heat trapped within the areas you're using.

• Heavy linen or woollen curtains that fall below the window sill are a fantastic way to stop heat loss through windows. Adding pelmets can also assist.

• Don't let cold air sneak in through your bathroom exhaust fans. Install a Draft Stoppa Ceiling Exhaust Cover to prevent this.

I'd love to hear any other helpful tips and tricks our members have discovered.

Mitchell

[Akanksha]

Winter is officially here again (brrr!). What is everyone doing to stay warm and keep energy bills low this year? 

In case you've missed them, we've got some excellent resources that can help winter-proof your home, including: 

• A comprehensive guide on How to keep your home warm in winter by experienced Workshop member @Adam_W
  
  
• 10 ways to stay warm in winter, which contains useful advice and inspiring projects shared by Workshop members
  
  
• How do you keep your home warm in the winter?, which includes a summary of practical tips and products you can use.
  
  

Stay toasty, everyone! 

Akanksha 

[JDE]

Great stuff. Also if you have evaporative air conditioning dont forget to seal the vents. This can be as simple as if you have old industrial type vents sliding a piece of cardboard between the rows of fins. If you have the newer 4 squares vent they can be individually wrapped in clingwrap or a freezer bag and put back in place. You can lift them out by gently pushing on them. Don't forget to remove your seals before switching the cooler back on in summer. Heat rises you will never heat a house while you have a massive leak in the ceiling JDE