In these economically trying times, it is certainly not out of the question to get a good deal on some necessary needs and expenses. If you are looking to insulate your house, you are in luck because you do not need a professional to get it done. Here is the gist of it; if your home is not adequately insulated, those heat bills will soar through the roof once the temperature drops.
So, not only will you be keeping nice and warm, you would be saving money on so many fronts. We probably had you saving money, so without further ado, let’s look at 4 ways to insulate your home on a budget.
1. Plug your chimney when you are not using it.
When it gets colder, every ounce of heat matters; with that in mind, you need to cover up any openings that may be causing you to lose heat. The chimney is a primary culprit when it comes to this. One affordable way to handle this is to get yourself a chimney balloon. If you are going for a store-bought option, this nifty application will set you back a mere $50.
To go the DIY route, you could make one using household items like bubble wrap and cardboard. Needless to say, remember to take it out once you are ready to light a fire.
2. Get yourself a draught excluder.
That chilly breeze blowing under your door is an indication that you will have to deal with that opening at some point. It may feel good on a warm summer day, but you will eventually have to deal with it in time for winter. In this case, luckily, you can make your draught excluder on your own. All you need is some extra fabric lying around, and you can pretty much set it up in a maximum of 10 minutes.
3. Cover the floor up.
Whether you are using suspended or solid flooring, you can lose about 10% of the heat in a room by leaving it uncovered. When you think about how cold it gets during winter, 10% is a whole lot to part with. If you are using solid flooring, then the best way to keep the heat in is by covering it with a carpet or rug. With suspended flooring, a little more is involved.
You can employ either spray expanding foam insulation or batt insulation right between the floor joists. The material used in Batt insulation is mainly derived from cotton, stone wool, fiberglass and even dry lining. So, it is no mystery as to how this method can adequately keep the cold at bay.
4. Seal up your attic.
If you have an attic, then be informed that you lose a lot of heat from there. A great way to tackle this issue is by adequately insulating it using foam. That way, you can rest assured that you are losing little to no heat. You can take it a step further by reflecting that heat downwards towards the house. In this case, all you have to do is to foil up the rafters, and the foil will direct most of that heat down to the main house.