3 Ways To Better Insulate Your House

Keeping your house warm in the winter doesn't have to be a challenge. Many people worry about their furnace overworking because it seems that they have to crank it up to get it to work properly. By better insulating the house you can keep your furnace working nicely without overusing it. Here are some ways to insulate your house better.

1. Check The Windows

Believe it or not, your windows play one of the most important roles in insulating your house. If your windows are old or not set properly, they will easily let the air in and out of the house so that you will have to crank the furnace or the AC to keep the temperature constant in the house. There are a couple ways to detect if your windows need replacing. The first is to touch the window. You should see that the temperature of the window from inside reflects the temperature inside the house. If the window is cold to the touch, or reflects the outside temperature, it is time to replace them. This means that the windows are letting cold air in.

Another way to check the windows is to check for a breeze. If when you walk by the window you feel air or hear a small whistle, it means that the window is letting air pass through. This means your windows are in severe need of replacing.

2. Weather Strip The Doors

When your house was first built, they put weather stripping around the doors of the house. This stripping helps to seal in the air every time the door closes. Over time and with each use of the door, the weather strip will wear down. If you don't replace the stripping often, you can easily get air passing through the doors throughout the entire day. This will mean that your furnace will have to work extra hard to keep the house warm.

3. Add Furnishings To The House

An empty house will be breezy and won't hold air in. This is especially the case if you have hard flooring. For example, simply putting down rugs on the floors and pictures on the walls will hold in the air so that once you do heat the house, the air will stay in the house without circulating through so quickly. Many people keep the rugs out in the winter and then move them in the summer so that they can cool the house.

By understanding how to better insulate your house you can keep the furnace or boiler working effectively.