A naturally warm home
This is an excerpt from an article in Sanctuary magazine issue 3.
By making a few changes to your home you can considerably reduce your heating bills and stay comfortable in the process.
Design for warmth
The cheapest way to heat your home is to use the warmth of the sun. If you are building or renovating, include passive design principles in your plans to let the winter sun in and keep the summer sun out. Position the daytime living areas so that they face north, with windows strategically placed to let in the winter sun and shaded by eaves, sails or external blinds during summer.
In cooler climates, thermal mass can help regulate the temperature inside the house, especially when there is a big difference between day and night outdoor temperatures. Use building materials that have high thermal mass such as concrete, bricks and tiles to absorb heat during the day and radiate the warmth back into the home during the night.
Changes around the home
Even if you are not building there are some measures that you can take to stop heat escaping from the house. Good insulation is a must. Insulation is like a barrier, preventing heat passing in and out of the house and can be placed in the ceiling, walls and floor. When looking for insulation check its R-value; the higher the value the greater the level of insulation.
Do a walk around your home with a candle, using the flame to show if there are any drafts. Place draught excluders, such as under-door strips, and foam door and window seals around doors and windows. They are low cost, very effective and are one of the simplest ways to reduce energy use. Replace or seal off open air vents and exhaust fans that allow warm air to escape into the roof cavity or the outside air. Don’t forget gaps between walls and skirting boards, and even the gaps between floorboards—these gaps may be small, but put together they can make for a great deal of cold air entering the house, especially when it is windy outside.
