Save Energy During the Cold Snap!
As we’re in the midst of the latest ‘Beast from the East’ cold snap and, with energy prices set to surge this year, we thought it was a good idea to focus on some DIY jobs you can do around your home to save money on your energy bills.
Halt a leaky loft
Storing away your life in your loft is pretty common practice for most of us. It’s a great place to get rid of all the clutter, especially at times like Christmas during those precious few days when you might have been hosting your loved ones and you wanted your home to look its best.
However, one thing most of us don’t do regularly is check for any air leaks whilst we’re in there. Look around at the insulation in your loft to see if any patches are darker than the rest – if there are it may be time to think about replacing your insulation in that area. Firstly, look at the wood underneath and inspect for any cracks. These can easily be filled with expanding wood filler to stop heat from escaping out of the house. Follow this up with new insulation around the wood to help lock the heat into your home and potentially lower your energy bills. As the image below shows, poor insulation in the home can cost you those vital pennies on your bills.
If you’re lucky enough to have a loft conversion in your home, unfortunately it won’t be as easy as that to check. You may need to get a professional in to have a look and to retrofit insulation in the space.
Seal draughts around doors and windows
In the day to day running of a household it’s so easy to not fully take in your surroundings. An example is cracks may have started to appear around doors and window frames, causing draughts to enter the room or home. Although these are not normally anything to worry about, it can add to rising heating bills. For your windows you can use draught-proofing strips for ease. These can also be applied around door frames, or alternatively you can use a wood sealer. Just make sure you apply it as deep to the crack as possible.
If you’re planning to spruce up your woodwork with one of our water based wood dyes and you need to apply wood filler first, avoid any ready mixed or solvent based fillers as they will not allow a wood dye to penetrate hole or often the surrounding area too.
The best filler to use is ordinary interior ‘Polyfilla’, the white powdery substance that’s mixed with a little water. Once sanded, it will appear quite ‘chalky’ and should accept the wood dye quite well. If you are looking for more application tips, please check our Help Centre or feel free to contact us.
Do you have any tips of your own? Please share them via our comments section below!