From conventional methods to modern day solutions for securing your home or farmhouse, there are several methods of protecting your home from outside influences. The need to combat the harsh weather remains the same throughout the year, but it is important that you do everything you can to guard our home in the winter season. Here are six simple ways to protect your home from outside influences:
- Take Care of the Draught Under Your Doors
That little gap under your door is not as harmless as it may seem. There are many ways of taking care of that. From a simple draught blocker for your door to other creative solutions, such as simple foam-filled draught excluders wrapped in fabric, you can choose the best solution for keeping the cold out. Most of these are fairly easy to make and you can create one for yourself.
- Insulate Your Windows
Simply spray your windows with water and stick bubble wrap across the glass for insulating your windows. During the day, the west and south sides of your house must give way to the low winter sunlight as your windows are manufactured for keeping the heat in during the day. But make sure you close your curtain when dusk falls as they can also cause heat loss at night.
- Insulate Radiators and Your Hot Water Tank
An easy way to protect your home from negative outside influences is by installing a hot water jacket for your tank. This is an affordable insulation method as hot water jackets are as available for $18. Also, they are excellent tools for saving heat. If your tank has some prior insulation, adding this extra jacket will only double the thickness. It is also helpful to insulate your pipes with foam. You can buy radiator reflective panels for insulating radiators or cover the walls behind them using tin foil.
- Insulate Your Walls
For this step, you will need to identify the kind of walls your home has. A cavity wall comprises of two layers with a gap between them whereas solid walls do not have any gaps. This is why they can easily let cold or heat pass through them. Solid wall insulation can be done on the outer and inner side of your house while cavity walls are insulated by filling the gap. Prefabricated concrete or other non-standard walls, such as timber, are insulated the same way as solid walls are.
- Roof Insulation
Home improvement and renovation experts believe that one of the key ways to secure your home from outside influences is insulating your roof. This helps keep chilly winds at bay and keeps the warmth in. Use rigid insulation boards and place them between the roof rafters for insulating your roof from the inside. You can also insulate the boards with plasterboard for yielding better results. In case you have a flat roof, insulating it from the outside by adding a rigid insulation board on top can do the trick for securing your roof.
- Insulate Your Floors
Did you know your home floor can cause significant heat loss? Nothing to worry about as you can get a tube of sealant for filling the draughts and gaps in your floorboards. Timber floors are also insulated using mineral wool insulation placed underneath. Several newer homes now feature solid concrete floors which can be easily insulated by laying rigid insulation on top says Tod from abraham gozo farmhouses.
Be Prepared For Extreme Weather Conditions
By following the above-mentioned affordable and simple tips, you can secure your home well against extreme weather conditions. Beware to guard your home from draughts coming from the outside and those between rooms. Let in as much sunlight as you can inside your home. However, make sure you have properly coated your roof for summers to avoid cracking and dryness.
- Clean all downspouts before cold weather arrives
- Bring in container plants and cover all plants to prevent frost damage
- Clean chimneys and check fireplaces and clean them before using them
- Keep blinds and drapes closed and open them only when windows are in direct sunlight
- Apply plastic insulation solutions on your windows from the inside
- Remove or cover all window air conditioners
- Insulate all power switches and electrical outlets on exterior walls with foam seals which are easily available at all home centers
- Seal all holes and cracks on the exterior of your house
- Replace or repair weather thresholds and stripping around windows and doors
