Keeping Your Older Property Warm in Winter

The winter weather should be all about hot drinks, cosy movie nights and counting down to Christmas. However, if your home isn’t up to scratch then winter can be incredibly uncomfortable- which is even more of a worry when you have young children or elderly people living with you. Older houses tend to have more of an issue since they weren’t built to the same standards of today’s homes. Unless they’ve been renovated, old properties can be drafty and struggle to keep the heat in.

Replace the windows

The windows are one of the main places that houses lose heat. Older houses that haven’t been renovated are especially bad, the frames might be loose and they might not even be double glazed. New windows will add to your home security and will also make it easier to keep the place warm. Double or even triple glazing in new frames will massively improve the efficiency of your heating and are a worthy investment.

Look into insulation options

Cavity wall and loft insulation are two ways that older homes can be made more energy efficient. These prevent heat from escaping, meaning it’s cheaper for you to keep warm as well as less damaging to the environment (the less energy used, the fewer fossil fuels are being burned). Often councils have schemes available that can reduce the cost of these renovations, so do look into this when you’re considering having it done.

Fill in gaps and cracks

Older homes can develop cracks from settling and subsidence. Gaps can form under windows and doors where wood warps or lifts and other cracks and holes can appear. These might not seem like much of an issue during the spring and summer, but when the colder weather sets in they can be a huge problem. Not only will the heat from your home escape, but drafts can get in. Use silicone sealant or caulk to fill these in- cheap, easy and can make a huge difference.

Fit new radiators

Even if your home is very old, at some point (probably in the nineteen seventies or eighties) they were probably fitted with central heating and radiators. While these can do wonders heating up your home, old radiators don’t actually perform as well as newer ones and so it can be worth having them replaced. New radiators will convict the heat into the room better and are more energy efficient. It’s a simple job for a plumber as all of the pipes are already in place, and isn’t too expensive. Along with radiators, it’s always sensible to have a backup source of heat. A home generator or wood burning fire, for example, can keep you warm if your gas is disconnected due to something like a bad storm.

Keeping any home warm in winter is a struggle, but in an older property, you have your work cut out for you. Do what you can to keep the cold out and the warm in, it will save you money as well as help protect the environment.