October 20, 2021
When you live somewhere with temperatures as cold as Siberia, you’d probably want to start preparing yourself for at least five months of that freezing cold in Saskatoon.
Staying at home in the winter in the time of the pandemic might turn out to be a long, long time if you’re not warm and cozy. If your home is not built to last the cold climates, here are some tips you’d appreciate to know before the cold sets in:
1. Install a programmable thermostat
Anyone can generally install a new thermostat by themselves. A programmable thermostat allows you to pre-set temperatures for different times of the day when you’re not home the whole day and don’t need to keep it at one temperature the whole time.
A low setting when you’re asleep or away and a higher setting as needed could save your home at least 10-20% of the electricity bill. Don’t forget to follow the manufacturer’s guide when doing so.
2. Move furniture away from vents, registers and radiators
People sometimes forget this, but this tip costs $0 to keep a room warm. Furniture like couches, chairs, or beds close to vents blocks the flow of heat into the room, leading to a cold room as it disrupts the heat flow in.
3. Stop the draft, keep it shut!
The “Stack Effect” is the principle where the outdoor temperature in tall buildings is colder than the temperature inside. To defeat it, eliminate spaces where cold air can enter your home like under a door using a seal. It could be a long thin sack or bean bag filled with something to make it heavy enough to stay in places like peas or rice. This way the natural air passageways can’t act as chimneys and allow warm air to escape up through the house.
4. Install a door sweep
Much like the “door snake”, you can install a draft defeating nylon door sweep along the inside bottom edge of the door. This could cost you a little over $8 for a door-bottom sweep.
5. Work the drapes
Curtains or drapes that block the sunlight can be opened during the day to get some solar heat in (for free!). Make sure to close the curtains just before sunset. If you’d like to spend a little more, then you can get insulating windows for $100 on each window.
6. Change the furnace filter
You can change the furnace filter to save you some energy and keep the dust down in the house if you have a forced-air system. Another way to swap out the replacement filter is to use washable filters that could cost around $20. If you take care of it, it could last you about five years.
7. Adjust the water heater
This could be a no-brainer; some people use more hot water in the winter. It’s probably best to lower the water temperature by just 20 degrees. A good tip, take showers, not baths. Accordingly, an average bath consumes up to 25 gallons of hot water, but a five-minute shower uses up less than half that amount. You can also equip your showers with low-flow showerheads during the cold season to reduce the consumption of water.
Ultimately, you might decide to look for a home that guarantees you to stay warm and toasty all winter. Make sure it comes with: vinyl siding that is inexpensive and sturdy, a roof to melt the snow off, carpet or good composite hardwood flooring, double-paned windows that have a seal around the ages, and a spray foam insulation to keep the heat in and the cold out.
You can stop looking any further, because BelleMaison builds homes that will keep you warm and cozy during the cold season, loving it while it lasts, staying safe inside with the ones you love. See our NorthMaison project as it has officially begun construction. For more information, visit: www.bmdvp.com
Author Trevor Percy
