It’s becoming increasingly apparent that more and more people want to improve the efficiency and comfort of their home. The huge increase in energy prices means people want to act fast to reduce their consumption. Our Retrofit Strategy service is a great solution. However a thorough retrofit can take years to implement, so we’ve come up with 5 effective ways for improving the comfort and warmth of your home this winter.
Go over and above minimum levels of loft insulation
Loft insulation is quick and easy to install, even as a DIY job. And there’s no reason why you need to stop at the minimum levels recommended by the Building Regulations or available in the shops. Laying two rolls on top of each other rather than one can have a big impact and is an easy win.
You could also look for obvious holes in the ceiling and seal these at the same time.
Air tightness tape
Uncontrolled Draughts can lose you a significant amount of heat. A draughty house can also make you feel much colder than the air temperature suggests. Consider sealing around the base of skirtings or between walls and floors. And seal off any holes where pipes or cables come through the wall. If you can look behind any kitchens & utility rooms you might be surprised by what you see.
Wall insulation
If you’re planning to re-render your house or re-plaster a room, consider adding internal or external wall insulation at the same time. You should always take advice from a reputable installer or retrofit professional when carrying out this type of work but it can have a huge difference to your comfort and energy bills.
Even adding 20mm of wall insulation can have a big impact.
Service your windows or use a window film
You don’t necessarily need to replace your windows to make them more energy efficient. The seals can degrade or the windows may not shut fully due to movement over time. A quick service is easy to do and can make them work as well as possible.
If there’s condensation within the glazing units themselves then consider getting them replaced. Changing the glazing unit [but not the whole window] is quick and relatively cheap.
If you’ve got single glazed windows then a quick win can be to fit glazing film. This can massively improve your comfort but is cheap and and an easy DIY job to do.
It’s ok to take small steps
It’s ok to complete this work over a number of years and at the same time as any other home renovations/maintenance to spread the cost. The key thing is having a plan for how you’re going to make your house more comfortable so you don’t have to undo any work in the future and you avoid the risk of any unintended consequence.
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