How to make a room warmer in winter

A cold house in winter is really scary for many people. So how to make your house warmer in winter?

Every home is more than just a shelter; it’s a system. Every part of your home makes your life a little safer and more comfortable: The roof keeps the rain out; the plumbing system brings in clean water & drains away waste; the furnace, boiler or air conditioning keeps the house warm during the winter months.

However, using electric appliances to heat your home will only increase your costs and is not "friendly" for the environment. If your house is always colder than you like, your electricity bills can "shock" you at the end of the month because you keep turning up the temperature or turning on the heater constantly.

There are simple steps you can take if your home is consistently too cold, such as sealing drafts, changing furnace filters, and making sure your heating system is properly maintained. But if you’ve done all that and still find yourself cranking up the thermostat, there are some simple, inexpensive (and even free) steps you can take to maximize your comfort.

How to warm your house in winter

• Change the way you arrange your furniture
• Buy thermal curtains
• Place aluminum foil behind the radiator
• Buy duct booster fan
• Sunny landscape

Change the way you arrange your furniture

First, check your furniture arrangement to make sure you are not covering or blocking the heating element or radiator from your heating device. There should be at least 30cm of space between the heat source and the furniture to allow the heat to circulate. If your sofa is right next to a heating element, you are paying to “cook” your sofa, not to heat your home.

If you can't reasonably move the furniture, consider installing some vent extenders or deflectors to ensure the heat goes into the room itself.

Buy thermal curtains

Even if you replace your weather stripping and take other steps to make your windows less drafty, they can still draw heat from your home. Letting in sunlight can benefit the overall temperature of your home, as well as prevent heat loss, so consider investing in a set of thermal curtains. On sunny days, open the curtains to let in the warmth of the sun. When you feel cold, close the curtains to prevent heat loss through the windows.

Place aluminum foil behind the radiator

Placing reflective material like foil behind radiators can help maximize their effectiveness; the foil will reflect the heat back into the room rather than letting it absorb into the walls. This works best in small spaces where you can really feel the difference. This method of heating a room is cheap and easy to implement, so it’s worth trying throughout your home.

Buy duct booster fan

A duct booster fan is installed in one of the registers of your HVAC system, increasing the airflow coming out of it. They are relatively easy to install and can significantly increase the efficiency of your cooling and heating. If your home is cold and you barely feel any airflow coming out of one or more of your registers, a booster fan may be the solution.

Sunny landscape

If your home has lots of trees and other landscaping that block the sun, it may be a shady haven in the summer—but it can contribute to feeling cold in the winter. Trimming trees and other plants and removing shady features can help your home get more sunlight, which can make your rooms warmer.