How Will Your Home Cope With The Next Storm Emma?
How Will Your Home Cope With The Next Storm Emma?
Written By: The Sprinkles of Style Team
The Sprinkles of Style team is back with a new post and this time, it's all about how to prepare your home in the best way possible for any future weather conditions such as the recent 'Storm Emma'. Covering some of the essentials to make sure you're always warm, comfortable and happy at home - no matter what the weather's like outside.
Are your teeth still chattering after the bitterly cold weather we recently faced in the UK or are you feeling a lot better since The Beast From The East and Storm Emma?
Of course, as Brits, it’s our God given right to complain about the weather (what else would we talk about) but since we’ve just endured our coldest spell in decades many of us have been forced to ask ourselves some serious questions about how well our homes are prepared for the cold.
Although the worst of the weather seems to have left us (for the moment) with spring well and truly on the way (these brighter mornings sure make it easier to find the motivation to hit the gym before work), nobody knows what next winter will bring - and if it will be even colder.
If you spent most of last week (like us) huddled under a duvet, nursing a cup of hot tea then it’s probably worth re-evaluating your home’s defenses against the cold.
But hey, that doesn’t mean that you can’t inject your own sense of style into the proceedings!
Radiate Beauty
Did you get the distinct feeling that your radiator wasn’t up to keeping you warm during the recent cold snap?
Did they feel lukewarm even if you bled them?
If your radiators aren’t up to scratch (or you feel like they’re an eyesore) it may be worth replacing them or at least giving them an upgrade.
There are so many more styles of radiators these days that you can find the perfect fit for any room and any type of style and yep - without spending a fortune.
If your budget won’t stretch to a new set of radiators throughout the home, try adding a bottle of Endotherm into them.
This handy concoction is a central heating additive that helps your radiators stay much warmer for longer - increasing the surface tension of the fluid inside the radiator and allowing heat to be transferred throughout the radiator more efficiently.
Give Your Boiler Some TLC
Your boiler works hard all year round to keep your home warm and cosy, but if you don’t show it some love it can give up at the coldest time of the year.
While a boiler might not be the coolest and most stylish way to invest your hard earned money, it will likely be your best line of defence against the next big cold snap.
If you’ve never had your boiler serviced, it’s more than worth the cost of an engineer to give it a quick once over.
If you notice that the pilot light is burning yellow instead of blue, your boiler is making weird noises, smells or your radiators seem to be taking that much longer than usual to warm up then you may need to install a new boiler ready for next winter.
Always think that things like this are worth investing in as one thing that we're sure about is that the weather is unpredictable.
Windows & Doors
Not all doors and windows are double-glazed and over the past few years, there's been huge strides in the standards when it comes to windows and doors around your home.
If you felt a lot of cold coming through (or are dreading your next massive heating bill), you may want to re-evaluate the windows and doors in your home.
The British Fenestration Rating Council are a nationally recognised body whose formula for window efficiency is used in construction industry regulations.
The energy efficiency rating of your windows and doors is based on three factors which are listed below.
How well they stop heat from escaping.
How well they prevent the cold from creeping in.
How well they absorb the free energy naturally provided by the sun.
To comply with BFRC regulations a window must achieve a rating of C, but given that ratings go all the way up to A++, you may not be getting the best protection from the cold (or the best match for your personal style).
Fortunately it’s easier than ever to buy and customise a huge range of windows and UPVC doors online in a range of materials and styles.
You’re not limited to traditional casement windows either as sash windows can also be made to BFRC regulations.
Whichever solution you choose to match your style, they can help to block out noise, keep out the horrendous cold and even save up to £450 a year on your heating bill so it's definitely something to look at if you're making improvements around your home.
So there we have a few ideas and tips on how to prepare your home for the next time the cold weather hits and even though it might seem like this is a lot to do - it's definitely something to consider as it's the little things which we've mentioned above that make a big difference to how well protected your home will be throughout the year.
The Sprinkles of Style Team.
x x
This storm sounds awful! Stay warm!! I’m hoping Michigan is done with the big storms for now! I cannot handle anymore snow!
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
Awww thank you! Oooh I want to visit Michigan at some point! xxx