While many people look towards heaters and reverse cycle air conditioning for keeping their home warm during the winter months, there are many other things that are often overlooked.
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Ensuring sufficient insulation has been installed and filling gaps around windows and doors can also assist in keeping the warmth in and the cool out, while your floors can often be one of the biggest losses of heat.
Up to 20 per cent of heat can be lost through your floor so making sure that you have the right sort of floor covering is vital when heating and cooling your home.
Leon White from Central West Floor Coverings said that while there are many floor covering that can help reduce heat loss and increase your energy efficiency, it is important to make sure that needs and style are tailored to individual homes.
“From tiles and floorboards to laminate and carpet, each type of flooring or floor covering offers something different in terms of looks and insulation. You should think about what you are trying to achieve throughout your home focusing on both looks and functionality,” he said.
When focusing on heating your home, Leon said carpet is the way to go. “Carpet is ten times better than floorboards or laminate when keeping the heat inside your home and the cold out. Wool carpeting is the best however it is also the most expensive so most people ten to go for a solution dyed nylon carpet which is good for insulation and is also great for cleaning and general wear,” he said.
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With any carpet, it is just as important to have quality underlay beneath it to assist in reducing heat loss. You ideally want to have between 7mm to 12mm of underlay, with your carpet on top which all up will provide around 30mm of insulation for your home flooring.
However if carpet is not an option in your home, Leon said there are still ways to help reduce heat loss during winter. “More often people are starting to look at polished floorboards or cement or tiling in their home. These options can make your house look great while helping to keep your house cool in summer, in the colder months they can have quite a negative effect,” he said.
“Rugs and mats can be a great solution to help maximise heat reduction over winter as they can easily cover large areas and can be custom made to suit the size and style of your home. The added benefit is they can simply be rolled up and stored over summer,” he said.
Central West Floor Coverings are a locally owned, family business and are also a member of Australian Floor Style, which means as part of a larger buying group they can purchase products more effectively and are able to pass on savings to customers.