November Edition 2018
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Warm House
Warm House
Heating our homes costs money and when opportunities arise to reduce those costs we're keen to find out more. This month we tackle the 2nd coldest room in the house.
We think your attic is probably the coldest room in the majority of homes who have not had them converted. The 2nd coldest is likely to be the forgotten hallway. Exposed to the comings and goings through the front door the space is forever doomed to being cold.
We think your attic is probably the coldest room in the majority of homes who have not had them converted. The 2nd coldest is likely to be the forgotten hallway. Exposed to the comings and goings through the front door the space is forever doomed to being cold.
If you have young children you're likely to be constantly having the cold air rush in and your expensive warm air rapidly escape. We can't help prevent their access but we can help reduce the heat loss and chill factor it has on your home.
If you have young children you're likely to be constantly having the cold air rush in and your expensive warm air rapidly escape. We can't help prevent their access but we can help reduce the heat loss and chill factor it has on your home.
What house designers often forget is that the kitchen is truly the heart of the home but the hallway is the main artery and has an dramatic impact on the home heating. It is as though it is an after thought that all homes tend to have the central heating thermostat in the hallway.
What house designers often forget is that the kitchen is truly the heart of the home but the hallway is the main artery and has an dramatic impact on the home heating. It is as though it is an after thought that all homes tend to have the central heating thermostat in the hallway.
Here we present some options to retain the warmth in your hallway which range from €10 and take very little effort through to the more costly long term solutions.
Here we present some options to retain the warmth in your hallway which range from €10 and take very little effort through to the more costly long term solutions.
The Quick, Cheap and Effective Options:
The Quick, Cheap and Effective Options:
Draft Excluder
From €10 and installed within seconds. Draft Excluder
It sounds old fashioned and shouldn't be needed but a traditional thick and heavy draft excluder placed snugly at the base of the front door is surprisingly effective at stopping the coldest drafts. If you have the medal threshold strip it acts like insulation against this badly thought through design feature which is stealing heat from your home.
It sounds old fashioned and shouldn't be needed but a traditional thick and heavy draft excluder placed snugly at the base of the front door is surprisingly effective at stopping the coldest drafts. If you have the medal threshold strip it acts like insulation against this badly thought through design feature which is stealing heat from your home.
Don't buy lightweight draft excluders you need heavy ones, put loads of dried peas in it to add some weight and to seal the draft.
Don't buy lightweight draft excluders you need heavy ones, put loads of dried peas in it to add some weight and to seal the draft.
Draft Tape
From €10, installed within 20 minutes.Draft Tape
It is a pain and it does take some time to apply draft edging tape all around the door to ensure a better seal with the door frame. A brush strip can help seal the door base but it's worth the effort.
It is a pain and it does take some time to apply draft edging tape all around the door to ensure a better seal with the door frame. A brush strip can help seal the door base but it's worth the effort.
Letter Box
From €15, installation within 20 minutes Letter Box
Reasonably quick and easy to change your letter box since it really is a gaping hole in the home's insulation and freely lets in the cold draughts. Change it for an insulated draft proof version or simply seal it completely and get an external wall mounted letterbox.
Reasonably quick and easy to change your letter box since it really is a gaping hole in the home's insulation and freely lets in the cold draughts. Change it for an insulated draft proof version or simply seal it completely and get an external wall mounted letterbox.
Insulate the Glass
From €15, installation within 20 minutes Insulate the Glass
The side panel glass is often poorly double glazed and often the weakest insulating point of the hall. A cheaper alternative to replacing the window and frame panel is to add a clear layer in the form of secondary glazing. Ironically secondary glazing can provide better thermal heat retention than a replacement panel at a fraction of the cost in the short term.
The side panel glass is often poorly double glazed and often the weakest insulating point of the hall. A cheaper alternative to replacing the window and frame panel is to add a clear layer in the form of secondary glazing. Ironically secondary glazing can provide better thermal heat retention than a replacement panel at a fraction of the cost in the short term.
Floor Rug
From €30, installation within seconds. Floor Rug
If you've put hard flooring in the hall then you've made the heat loss worse. The concrete base slab on which your home is built gets incredibly cold and takes heat away from under your home. Get a floor rug or runner in winter to add an insulating layer over the cold surface. It makes an immediate and highly noticeable difference on the halway temperature for very little effort and cost. It also stops cold draughts enter the adjoining rooms.
If you've put hard flooring in the hall then you've made the heat loss worse. The concrete base slab on which your home is built gets incredibly cold and takes heat away from under your home. Get a floor rug or runner in winter to add an insulating layer over the cold surface. It makes an immediate and highly noticeable difference on the halway temperature for very little effort and cost. It also stops cold draughts enter the adjoining rooms.
Curtain
From €50, installation within 20 minutes Curtain
To significantly improve the insulation of the door add an extra thermal layer with a thick floor to ceiling curtain which really does need to drag and touch the floor. Don't bother with thin fabrics it really needs to be thick, stiff and heavy. If you already have a thin curtain then you can add a second thermal layer for less cost than a replacement curtain.
To significantly improve the insulation of the door add an extra thermal layer with a thick floor to ceiling curtain which really does need to drag and touch the floor. Don't bother with thin fabrics it really needs to be thick, stiff and heavy. If you already have a thin curtain then you can add a second thermal layer for less cost than a replacement curtain.
Extra Heater
From €50 to over €1k, installation from within minutes to a few days.Extra Heater
Since heat rises up the stairs the ground floor will always be colder. A wall mounted radiator won't solve this but a directional air heater/fan will certainly help. These are expensive to run and the heat still rises so it's counterproductive.
Since heat rises up the stairs the ground floor will always be colder. A wall mounted radiator won't solve this but a directional air heater/fan will certainly help. These are expensive to run and the heat still rises so it's counterproductive.
Underfloor heating is a better solution but costly to install but something to consider when replacing the flooring since it affects the neighbouring spaces so much.
Underfloor heating is a better solution but costly to install but something to consider when replacing the flooring since it affects the neighbouring spaces so much.
New Side Window & Door
From €1k , installation within a day New Side Window & Door
Change the door and side panel glass to remove drafts, cold spots and significantly increase insulation. There are plenty of suppliers with more styles, colours and security features than we're going to cover here - an article for the future.
Change the door and side panel glass to remove drafts, cold spots and significantly increase insulation. There are plenty of suppliers with more styles, colours and security features than we're going to cover here - an article for the future.
Porch
From €1.5k, installation within a day Porch
Add a second door and warm space in the form of a glass porch. The added advantage for south facing entries is that the dramatic solar gain will bring in a considerable amounts of free winter heating on reasonably sunny days. They do need ventilation to prevent condensations and for heat to escape in the summer months.
Add a second door and warm space in the form of a glass porch. The added advantage for south facing entries is that the dramatic solar gain will bring in a considerable amounts of free winter heating on reasonably sunny days. They do need ventilation to prevent condensations and for heat to escape in the summer months.
The kitchen should be the heart of the home but the hallway, even though we don't spend much time here, has a significant and often the biggest impact on home comfort levels.
The kitchen should be the heart of the home but the hallway, even though we don't spend much time here, has a significant and often the biggest impact on home comfort levels.
Related Articles
Related Articles
If you're looking to reduce your home energy bills research the available government grants.
It's not often that something that can save you lots of money is offered for FREE.
We look at the Climote Offer.
Put a coat around your home and follow our monthly series discovering what your neighbours have done to stay warm over winter.
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