How to insulate your home – to keep heat from escaping
A few easy fixes can make all the difference in helping to keep your home toasty warm
Are you looking to insulate your home? After the rather snowy winter (and early spring), there are a few easy jobs you can do to make sure your home is as cosy and snug as can be (even if the weather outside is frightful).
1. Insulate your loft
Image credit: Alistair NIcholls
A quarter of heat is lost through the roof in an uninsulated home. If your loft has no damp or condensation problems, it’s a fairly easy job. use rolls of insulation, fitting between joists, then add a second layer across the joists. Look for the insulation’s ‘r’ rating – go for 6.1r upwards.
2. Wrap cylinders and pipes
Hot water pipes exposed? You’re wasting money and hot water by not giving them ‘jackets’ – foam tubes that cover the exposed pipes between your hot water cylinder and boiler. Find out your pipe diameter before buying.
3. Insulate behind radiators
Image credit: Douglas Gibb
Popping a shiny foil panel behind your radiators reflects the heat back into the room, rather than letting it escape.
Related: Underfloor heating – our essential guide to warming up your home
4. Go on a draught hunt
Image credit: David Brittain
Fit self-adhesive foam strips around windows, or metal or plastic strips with brushes attached. External doors can be a major source of draughts, so cover your keyhole; fit a letterbox flap or brush and use a brush draught excluder at the bottom. Gaps at the sides can be dealt with in the same way as windows.
5. Fill those cavity walls
If your home was built between 1920 and 1990 it probably has cavity walls. You could save up to £150 a year on your
heating bills by having them filled. Find a reputable installer at the national insulation association (nia-uk.org).
6. Layer up
Image credit: Tim Young
Buy knitted or faux fur blankets and snuggle under them rather than whacking up the thermostat when it gets cold.
Think about your flooring too – carpets and rugs feel warmer underfoot, especially on bare floorboards.
Will you be using these tips to insulate your home?
