Winter is on its way and with the cheer and fun it brings to your life it can also bring a chill that permeates your home. Keeping your home sufficiently warm in the winter months can come with challenges and expenses that aren’t particularly fun to deal with, but if you make it a priority you can improve your overall experience of winter. As a homeowner, it’s your job to take care of everything you can to make sure your home is warm and cozy every month of the winter season. 

Central Heating

Central heating is the easiest way that you can keep your home feeling warm and comfortable in the coldest months of the year. Before winter begins, you want to make sure that your HVAC system is working as efficiently as possible so you can feel the heat when it cools down outside. Having your HVAC inspected is a great way to make this happen. The inspector can help you to find inefficiencies and make sure that they are resolved before you move on to the colder parts of winter. Taking care to change out your filters will also help to keep your home more efficient and make sure you are warm for winter. 

Use Insulation 

An important aspect of heating your house is making sure that you are neither letting cold air in nor letting warm air out of your home. Heat can escape from many places in your house but in most cases, it tends to happen around the attic or crawl space areas and near windows and doors. Making sure that these areas have all the insulation they need can greatly decrease your heat loss and make sure that you aren’t wasting money and energy heating the exterior of your home. Checking your insulation before each winter will also help you to catch any issues and fix them so you can stay as warm as possible in the winter. 

Space Heaters 

Sometimes it is more expensive and less efficient to try to heat your whole home. Instead, you can use a space heater to warm smaller spaces more efficiently. If you are simply trying to keep a small space warm, it may be better to choose a space heater rather than turning on your whole heating system. If you choose this method it is important that you do your research and choose the right space heater for your needs. Different models excel in different ways and knowing which is which will help you to choose a model that fits your needs and keeps you warm. 

Wood Fireplaces 

Many people enjoy the charm and heat that a fireplace can provide them in their home. This method can be great and will definitely help your winter season to feel even cozier. But it is important that you make sure to do the work involved so that you don’t lose efficiency through your fireplace. Fireplaces need maintenance to keep clean and efficient. Luckily fireplace maintenance is fairly simple and if you don’t want to take care of it yourself, you can call in a chimney sweep to make sure it is in the best working order for the season. 

Blankets and Comforters 

Sometimes there can be something fun and comforting about having cool air in your home and staying warm through the comfort of a blanket. When choosing blankets for your house, you want to make sure that you have a variety of thicknesses and textures to suit your mood. This allows you to layer them if needed and remove layers if you get too warm. 

Maximize the Movement of Warm Air 

The air that comes from your vents will circulate through your home in particular paths. To make the most of that movement you should place furniture carefully and pay attention to air flow. Some people assume that being as close to the vent as possible is best, but that can actually block airflow and cause your home overall to be colder. It’s better to make sure that your home has great airflow and that you can easily stay warm from anywhere in each room. 

Cover Your Windows at Night 

You can get a lot of great warmth from the sun each day, but at night your windows can allow cold air to leech into your home. Purchase thick curtains or drapes so you can block out cold air at night and allow your home to stay a little warmer in a more natural and efficient way. When the sun is out, open your curtains so you can take advantage of the natural heat and light that it can provide. Pay attention to the sun and work to harness its power to actually heat your home. 

Take Advantage of Your Oven 

In the summer, cooking is one of the most miserable things you can do. But throughout the winter, you can actually use your oven to prepare delicious food and warm your home. Think about the kinds of meals you can make to warm your body from the inside out and create heat in your home with your oven. Things like stews and fresh bread can make the cold feel a little less daunting and give you a chance to use the heat from your oven in more ways than one. There is no reason for you to be miserable in the winter months and being both comfortable and well-fed can help you to enjoy winter in your home even more. 

No one wants to be freezing all winter long and your home should be a refuge from that biting cold. Learning to deal with winter in a smart way that allows you to increase the efficiency of your home while staying warm and comfortable is the best possible way to manage each winter season. As you learn the best ways to keep your home warm, you can make a huge difference for the temperature of your house and the comfort you feel when you are at home.

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