When winter is right around the corner, you might have trouble figuring out how to properly insulate your apartment. After all, there are many ways to go about this, and it might be difficult if this will be your first time. So, we did the research to provide you with the best answer.
Insulate an apartment and keep your home warm for the winter by doing any of the following:
- Invest in a space heater
- Add some humidity
- Insulate the windows
- Don't forget about the walls and floors
- Move furniture away from heat sources
- Insulate the doors
- Upgrade winter bedding
- Adjust the thermostat
Now that you have a general idea of where to start, this article will further explain each of the above steps in detail. Keep reading as we also discuss why it's important to insulate your apartment.
Tips To Insulate An Apartment
Below are some of the useful tips that we gathered to help winterize your apartment. From investing in certain products to adjusting the temperature, read on to find out more.
Invest In A Space Heater
Typically small in size, this little guy will always give you the most bang for your buck. Able to efficiently warm up a small to medium-sized room in a pinch, it is both cheap and energy-efficient. Although it still uses electricity, it helps you cut down costs on utility bills.
They are also portable. That means you can bring them around with you to any room that you'll be staying in. So, you can instantly heat a room while saving on central heating. Alternatively, you can buy one for each room that you frequent so you won't have to bring it everywhere.
One might think that such an efficient product would cost a lot of money to own, but they're cheaper than you might think. Just make sure that the space heater comes with a variety of safety features.
Some of those features include automatic shut-off and tip-over protection. They help prevent any accidents in your apartment, especially if you have children and pets around.
Click here to see this space heater on Amazon.
Add Some Humidity
Having humidity in your apartment not only keeps the immediate area warm but also adds moisture to the air. Keeping humidity levels up during the winter is also great not only for your health but for your air and furniture as well.
Owning a humidifier, though, necessitates maintaining it correctly. This means cleaning it before each use, keeping the area around it relatively dry, and adding distilled water for each use. This is to make sure that it's running properly and operating at peak performance.
Additionally, having the correct tools and cleaning supplies is a must. So, when you see that the filter is getting dirty, be sure to replace it immediately.
Click here to see this humidifier on Amazon.
In addition, some people add plants to their apartments to keep more moisture in the air. Although they do not keep your living space warm, they help regulate the temperature.
Insulate The Windows
Although windows provide you with natural lighting, they come at the expense of keeping your apartment warm for the winter. So while having some in an apartment is a big selling point, it's also a common reason why heat is lost.
Scientifically, cold air doesn't radiate in through the windows. Instead, heat is lost when the warm air inside your apartment gets sucked up by your windows that are also facing the cold air outside. But because there's much more cold air outside, all that warmth will be lost to achieve some sort of balance.
To keep the warmth from escaping, adding a second layer would greatly help in slowing the energy transfer. Buying curtains made from heavier fabrics is a great way to do this.
Additionally, black curtains would help retain more heat inside your apartment than any other color. By keeping the curtains open during the daytime when it is warm and closing them before it starts getting cold, you start maximizing heat gain around your apartment.
Sealing any cracks in your windows greatly helps in preventing heat loss as well. Fill them up with some caulk or rubber weather sealant that you can get from your local hardware store.
Click here to see this sealing caulk on Amazon.
Don't Forget About The Walls And Floors
Remember how windows transfer the warmth inside your apartment to the outside? The same is true for your walls and floors. Although not as effective, they still let out a considerable amount of heat.
One way to prevent this is by decorating your home. Adding portraits, mirrors, posters, bookshelves, and the like against your wall will act as insulators against the cold.
What about buying a rug or a carpet to help spruce up your home? Not only will this help in preventing heat loss but it will also keep your feet happy and warm.
Move Furniture Away From Heat Sources
Many times, your couch, chair, and even your bed need to be moved during the winter to avoid blocking the flow of heat into your rooms. This is to prevent them from absorbing all the heat that could be used to keep your whole apartment warm.
Insulate The Doors
Although that gap between your doors and the floor may seem like a charming aesthetic, it does nothing to keep cold air out of your apartment. Because of this, there are many cheap and alternative ways to prevent the cold from infiltrating your home.
Draft guards are one solution to this problem. They are like small elongated bags filled with fabric that help keep the cold out. And while you can purchase them online, making them on your own would make for a nice DIY project.
Click here to check this draft guard on Amazon.
Upgrade Winter Bedding
This is an easy way to ensure that you're warm, especially through the night. And while adding more blankets and sheets would be the first thing that comes to mind, there are other ways to keep yourself warm while in bed.
Getting a mattress pad, a comforter, and some flannel sheets will keep you warm and cozy in bed and help give you a good night's sleep. You can store them inside your closet to ensure that they're fresh and ready to pull out for next winter.
Adjust The Thermostat
Keeping the same temperature throughout the day isn't always beneficial. Not only does this waste both energy and money but it can cause some serious wear and tear to your HVAC system, which is the last thing most of us want to happen.
Investing in a smart thermostat is one way to go about it. It helps decrease the temperature of your apartment when no one is around and starts heating it back up when you're about to come home. This not only keeps you warm but it helps save a lot of money.
But if you don't feel like buying one, adjusting the thermostat manually works as well. Experts suggest turning the thermostat down by about 6 degrees overnight when the apartment is empty. And when you're away for more than a day at a time, bumping that by around twice or thrice would help.
In case you don't have control over the thermostat at your apartment, talk to your landlord and explain it to them politely. They would surely be glad to know that they could save a few bucks with this useful tip.
Why Is It Important To Insulate An Apartment?
Not all apartments are properly insulated for the winter. Below are some examples of what damage may occur to your apartment. Pipes can shatter under cold temperatures which can cause flooding inside your home.
Lastly, a poorly insulated apartment would lead to declining health due to the fluctuating temperature. It affects everyone who lives in the home.
Final Thoughts
Now that you're equipped with some basic tips and tricks for keeping you and your apartment warm during the winter, you can pay it forward by advising your friends and family as well. After all, no one wants to feel cold in the safety of their own home. With that, stay warm and cozy throughout the winter months.
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