Winter-Proof Your Home
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Friday, November 11, 2011
With the cold weather really starting to bite it really is time to make sure our houses are as winter-proof as possible. Some quite simple and inexpensive steps can really be effective in this area.
1) Draught Excluders:
These come in a variety of forms and are really simple DIY tasks. Easy steps such as self adhesive draught excluders around doors, windows and letter boxes can be done by anybody and be very effective in the reduction of draughts and ensuring that heat is not escaping from our cozy homes. The fitting of a brush strip along the bottom of front doors can have a dramatic effect in reducing heat loss. These come complete with screws and are again a very simple DIY project. Draught excluders are also available in kits which can be fixed around an entire door frame if so required. All forms of draught excluders are available in brown or white to match door frames and windows. The brush strip and door kits are also available in silver or brass when a more durable draught excluder is required.
2) Chimney Balloons:
Relatively new to the Irish Market, chimney balloons offer a very effective method of heat loss reduction and prevention of downdraughts. It is estimated up to 70% of heat loss in a room with a open fire is lost through a chimney. A chimney balloon is the solution here. They come in 3 different sizes and are simply inflated to block the chimney. In the instance where the house owner seeks to light a fire it may be deflated with a tube and then re-inflated when required again . If a fire is lit when a chimney balloon is in place this is not harmful but will destroy the balloon and a new balloon would have to be purchased.
3) Thermilate Insulating Paint:
A really innovative product which has come to the Irish Market in recent years, insulating paint prevents heat loss by forming a protective barrier on interior walls. Thermilate comes in a 550g pouch which is then mixed into a standard 5L emulsion paint. The paint can then be applied by roller or brush in the normal manner. It is recommended that two coats be applied. The reaction to this product has been excellent. Aside from heat loss reduction the product offers further benefits including reduction or elimination of mould in previously damp rooms.
All the above methods are very user friendly and require no special skills but offer dramatic results. They are very much 'do it yourself' tasks which will result in a more cost effective, heat efficient and cozier home.
