When colder weather starts to close in around the country it’s a good time to think about keeping warm during the winter months ahead, particularly in the cooler climates of the southern states.
Low hanging fruit tactics can be employed to mitigate even the most severe environmental effects – particularly where new building works can be considered. Applying battens around external walls can enable bulk insulation and sarking systems to enhance thermal performance then adding a further sheet cladding system to the building.
Active systems can be considered including Photo-voltaic panels and battery storage – then supporting electric based heating and/or air conditioning.
Keeping a home warm in winter on a budget is also about:
- Optimizing solar gain, so that when the sun does come out your home is naturally warmed – consider ceramic or stone floor tiles to retain embedded heat
- Insulating and draught-sealing, so that the heat you pump into your home stays there.
Optimising solar gain is best considered during the design of a home, but renovations also provide a great opportunity to improve a building’s performance significantly. If you’re building or renovating, make sure your home is designed by someone who understands passive solar design principles. If you’re not sure that they do, get their design checked by someone who does.
For existing homes, insulating the ceiling with bulk insulation bats and draught-sealing around doors/windows are usually the most cost-effective ways to keep heat in the home. Apart from keeping you warm, keeping the heat in will mean that your heater won’t have to work as hard for as long, thereby saving you
money.
