At this time of year, you might have identified some cold draughts or areas of water damage that need to be fixed, or you may be thinking about ways to stay a bit warmer without turning up the heater.
With this in mind, we have a few different ways you can insulate your home – big and small projects. Some may require renovations that need to be run past the committee, but others are easy tips and tricks to keep the warm air in, while improving your energy efficiency.
Insulating Your Home In Winter
Insulating your home is essential for keeping the heat inside to maintain an ideal internal temperature. Insulation is one of the most practical and cost-effective ways to have a weatherproof home and improve energy efficiency. Insulation provides a barrier that will stop heat from flowing in and out of the house to keep your home cool in summer and warm in winter.
Where Should You Insulate Your Home?
There are different types of insulation that can be installed throughout the home. The biggest loss of heat is typically through the ceiling and roof, so good ceiling and roof insulation should be your primary focus when thinking about insulation. It’s best to install insulation under the roofing material to stop heat from coming into the house. To stop heat from escaping your home during winter, install insulation in the ceiling.
Heat is also able to enter or escape your home through the walls. Installing wall insulation will be more difficult after the home has been built, so it’s usually best to consider wall insulation either during construction or renovation.
To start the roof insulation process, the first step is to assess your current insulation. Identify any gaps or areas that need improvement. Once that is complete you will need to seek approval from the owners corporation to check your roof’s insulation, this will need to be completed by a specialist contractor as there are fire safety provisions and compliance that need to be considered.This step can be done with your Strata Manager or through My Portal. If you do not have a My Portal account yet, we highly recommend all owners sign up for a free account to streamline the renovation process.
Remember, if you will be installing insulation on any common walls, you must first get permission from the strata committee at an AGM and fill out a renovation application form which can be found on our client resources page. Wall Insulation is considered a minor renovation under the Strata Management Act, so you will need permission before you start.
Cost-effective Ways To Insulate Your Home
There are a variety of cost-effective ways that you can insulate your home to reduce heat loss and keep out the cold. Carpets and rugs are an easy way to cover cold floorboards. By placing carpet or rugs on the floor, you will reduce the amount of heat that is lost through the floor.
Maintaining Your Heating System for Winter
Regular heating system maintenance will not only ensure that your heaters are working to maximum efficiency, but it can also save you money and extend the lifetime of your heater. By having an expert check your heating system, they can also advise if it may be beneficial to update an older model that may provide better heating efficiency for savings over the long term. The other benefit of having your heating system checked by an expert is to give you confidence in the safety of your heater.
Make sure to use your heater responsibly and organise an air-condition check-up to make sure it is in working order. This will save you a lot of money!
Seal Gaps and Cracks to Weatherproof Your Home
One of the best ways to keep your home warm is to stop the cold air from seeping in through the gaps that are sometimes found around your windows and doors. These draughts are not only uncomfortable, but they can also impact the effectiveness of your heating.
Poor insulation is one of the leading causes of increased energy bills, so having a well-insulated home will not only cut your heating bills but will have the added benefit of reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
Where To Find Gaps And Cracks In Your Home
There can be several places where you might find gaps and cracks that need to be sealed. Here are just a few areas and locations that you should check:
- Look for gaps where pipes and wires pass through floors and walls and check for any leaks along the edge of the flooring and around the door frames.
- Seal any gaps between floorboards. Common caulking compounds such as silicone or latex-based fillers can be used to seal cracks and gaps. You can get these at your local hardware store.
- Inspect your windows for air leaks. If you can see any daylight around frames, or if they rattle when shaken, then they are likely to leak air and may need to be sealed.
- Check that all openings for pipes, ductwork, and chimneys are well sealed. This includes spaces both in your roof area and also underneath your house.
- Outside, check if there are any cracks and holes in the brick mortar and timber panelling.
Preparing Windows and Doors for Winter
If you’re a bit of a handy person, there are a few relatively quick and easy ways to stop those draughts coming into your house through exterior doors and windows. If you notice a gap in your window frames, consider installing a caulking compound such as silicone or latex-based filler. This will need approval from the owners corporation as the exterior doors and windows are common property.
Another option for sealing gaps is to install self-adhesive weather strips (or weather stripping) around the edges of your doors and windows to stop that outside air from coming in. For doors, consider installing a weather-proof door seal. However, you can not use self adhesive strips for the front door, as it is a fire hazard and will not be approved during your next inspection.
One of the easiest, and most cost-effective ways to stop those draughts coming under your doors, are with door snakes. These come in all shapes, sizes and colours, and can be single or double-sided. These low cost items are easy, fast fixes that you can use to stop draughts (as well as dust and insects) from coming in under your doors.
All of the items listed above can typically be found in your local hardware store and some homeware stores.
Insulating Windows For Warmth
Windows can lose up to ten times as much heat as the same area of insulated wall as the heat escapes through the glass. If you place your hand on a window during winter, you will instantly feel how much cooler it is to a door or other covering.
How to Weatherproof Existing Windows
A good way to reduce some of the heat that is lost through glass windows or doors is to install indoor blinds and curtains, or outdoor blinds. These will significantly improve your home’s ability to retain heat in winter or keep the heat out during the hotter summer months.
Weatherproofing Your Home’s Exterior
Weatherproofing your home’s exterior not only protects your house from the elements, but it will also adds to your home’s ability to retain heat in winter.
Some ways to protect your home in winter include sealing any external cracks and gaps in walls and foundations, as well as using weather seals and draft stoppers on external facing doors and windows. It’s also important to maintain your gutters and downpipes to ensure they are collecting and dispersing water correctly.
The Strata Committee should organise a check of the roof with a licenced roofer through My Portal, as the roof is common property, to ensure it is in good condition and there is no debris buildup that could potentially be clogging your gutters and drains.
Gutters and drains that are clogged can cause water buildup which can lead to internal leaks, mould and mildew, If you are concerned about debris buildup, you should contact your Strata Manager or strata committee to raise the issue and ask them to organise someone to clean it using My Portal.
Benefits Of Weatherproofing Your Home
There are many benefits to weatherproofing your home aside from just keeping your home cooler in summer and warmer in winter. By adopting some of these energy-saving tips for winter weatherproofing, you will not only be able to better maintain a consistent temperature, but you will also save money with reduced energy and utility costs, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and even prevent mould or mildew from growing in unwanted places.
For any changes to common property, you will need owners corporation approval.