With most of us confined to our homes these days, many people are finding ways to make their home more comfortable and  it’s worth taking the time to invest in alternative ways to help keep your home warm this winter.

Here are my top 5 tips for helping to block drafts and insulate your home against the cold.

1. Close your curtains when the sun goes down

Clearly one of the best ways to keep your home warm!

Curtains are not only an excellent way to dress a room, but they can also be incredibly functional when it comes to managing the amount of light and heat in your home.

The thicker they are the better – interlining your curtains will give you the best draught protection (especially if your windows are single glazed), but at the very least, ensure that your curtains are lined (all of ours are!).

2. Stop draughts under doors

Deal with draughts under your doors by using draught excluders.  Both new and old, external and internal doors will always benefit from fitting draught proofing strips around the frame. There are also brush or flap-style draught excluders designed to fill in the gaps at the bottom of doors. These can make a huge difference to entrance halls and kitchens with french-style doors.

In addition to this, ensure your door furniture isn’t letting in a breeze by fitting your letter box with a brush fitting inside it, and a flap over the inside too. You can also get keyhole covers that drop back down when the lock isn’t in use.

3. Fill your floorboards

I personally love the look of a stripped back wooden floor with a stylish rug, but the small gaps between the boards can let a lot of cold air in.

The simple solution is to fill these with a silicone filler so you don’t have to compromise on the overall look. And, whilst you’re at it, don’t forget to fill any gaps across the top and bottom of your skirting boards too.

4. Check your windows

In period properties windows can be extremely draughty and the main cause of poor energy efficiency within a home.

Depending on your budget and circumstances, you can opt for self-fit draft excluders and repair any gaps around the inner and outer frames with putty or contact a specialist window company to do the work.

The latter can be an expensive option, but if you’re planning to live in the property for a while you will benefit from an immediately warmer home, and cheaper heating bills in the long run.

5. Invest in a good carpet underlay

According to experts, a good quality underlay can help you to reduce your energy bills by up to 15%. It will help to seal in all the draughts, and absorb any sound, helping to reduce the noise transfer to any rooms underneath.

The experienced flooring team here (in Hatfields), can help you with this, and they have a good range of carpets to suit all budgets.

6. Chimney balloons!

Did I say five tips?! In addition to the tips above, using a chimney balloon to stop the wind from whistling downed creating a draught makes a huge difference.

So there you have it, it’s the time of the year again to hunker down, prepare for the chilly season and most importantly, keep warm.