Heating Bills Inching Up? Use The Vestibule Effect To Shrink Them Back Down To Size

Does the thought of approaching winter weather make you eye your home's thermostat with dread, knowing just how much every degree of heat will cost on your next month's bill? Then now is the perfect time to take positive action by making some changes around your home that will help to tame high heating costs and help you keep the household budget healthy. 

Stop heat loss at the door

Homes with vestibules were once a common design trend and that practice was about much more than just aesthetics. In fact, vestibules or any type of enclosed porch or entryway performs much like an airlock, allowing people to enter or exit without allowing cold air to infiltrate the home or heated air to leak out. While few modern homes are designed with these spaces, it is still may be possible to get the effect in your own home in one of the following ways.

Covered porches

Turning any covered porch into a vestibule is a relatively inexpensive way to create an airlock effect for most homes because the most expensive parts of the structure - the roof, floor, and supportive framework - are already in place. To do this, consider installing clear or tinted poly carbonate sheeting along the open areas of the porch to block the wind along with an inexpensive glass door at the entry point to the porch. 

If the porch is located at the side or rear of the home where appearances are not as important, consider using a roll of inexpensive plastic sheeting to get the same effect on a more temporary basis and ask family members to enter and exit there, instead of through unprotected doors.   

Mudrooms, front hallways, and formal entryways

Even if your home does not have a porch that can be easily enclosed to form an airlock, you can still get a similar effect if there is a mudroom, formal entry, or separate front hallway to work with. Mudrooms can become perfect vestibules by simply installing a door between the mudroom and the remainder of the home, or for a temporary version, using a set of insulated draperies to create a similar barrier effect. If your home has a separate front hallway or formal entry way with a standard height ceiling, you can choose to install either an attractive door or draperies between these spaces and the living areas of the home to provide the same effect. 

In addition to making changes to help prevent the loss of heated air or allow cold air into your living spaces, consider having your heating system evaluated by a reputable heating contractor. They can help you upgrade your current system to take advantage of newer, more efficient heating technology to lower your home's heating costs for years to come. Click here to learn more about your options.