With the recent winter making many families’ lives around the country miserable for the past few months, many have come to the conclusion that if the past cold season is a sign of things to come they had better get serious about home heating.

There’s much to think about with regard to keeping the family home warm during the colder months of the year. In addition to the initial financial outlay of, for example, replacing old bathroom radiators with new ones and investing in underfloor heating, energy-efficiency and long-term cost-effectiveness are two of the most important issues.

 

Bathroom

If you’ve ever walked on a cold bathroom floor in the middle of winter, you’d understand why underfloor heating has proven so popular in Canada and throughout the world. Though depending on your home and your bathroom flooring, there are both pros and cons to underfloor heating systems including:

Pros:

• Most flooring types are covered
• Underfloor heating can replace bulky radiators in small bathrooms

Cons:

• Some models take a long time to heat up
• Some models can be expensive to install

 

Bathroom radiators are still popular and where styles are concerned there’s something for every homeowner. As a result, whether you’re heating a contemporary or traditional bathroom you’ll find you have quite a few options to consider.

 

Bedrooms

Bedrooms should be warm and cosy for comfort’s sake, though taking into account the fact that you’re going to curl up under the covers or duvet there’s no need to go all out on a massive heater for your bedroom and in most cases that money would be put to better use in another part of the home.

 

Space heaters are a popular choice because they’re small and effective, though to be honest, many on the market are hardly attractive!

Safety is an issue with space heaters, particularly in children’s bedrooms, so when buying a new space heater in readiness for the winter take this important consideration into account. Natural stone heaters are a top choice in this regard.

 

Kitchen

Underfloor heating is proving quite popular in regions that are hit hard by the cold, though unless you experience seriously cold winters where you reside, or you have already invested in something like the popular Neff cookers, there’s generally no need to go to this extent to keep your kitchen warm in winter.

Some handy tips for keeping your kitchen cosy in winter without the need for underfloor heating include:

• Minimize the use of exhaust fans (this also goes for bathrooms)
• When you’ve finished with the oven leave the door open
• Bring the space heater from the bedroom to use in the kitchen
• Reverse the ceiling fan blades to keep the heat from rising

 

Livingroom

Space heaters are a common sight in living rooms though it won’t prove difficult to find something better, like a trendy radiator that suits the style of your home.

 

If compatible with your home, a wood or pellet stove isn’t only an excellent way to keep your living room (or kitchen) cosy, but is also the most inviting heating device you’re likely to come across.

A top quality stove can cost hundreds of dollars but it’s certainly worth the financial outlay and will last a lifetime.

Furthermore, look at aiding energy efficiency and minimizing heat loss with long-term, cost-effective measures like installing double-glazed windows and replacing thin curtains with thick curtains – most heat is lost through the windows.

Give some thought to these home heating tips in readiness for the coming winter.