When cold weather bites it’s important to winter-proof your bedroom to make sure you keep warm and cosy during the wintry nights.
With the recent influx of cold wintry weather, many of us will be finding the nights much colder than usual. First the “Beast from the East” brings Siberian snow and blizzards that will last through much of the week. Next up is Storm Emma, bringing cold weather and more snow in from the Atlantic.
With all this horrid weather about, it’s important to make sure that your bedroom is as snug as possible. This is why we’ve assembled some helpful tips on how to quickly winter-proof your bedroom against the inclement weather. This should help you keep warm at night so at least your sleep isn’t disrupted by the snow.
Wrap Up Then Wrap Up Again!
The simplest way to keep warm when the cold weather bites is to make sure you’re wrapped up.
Start off by making sure that your bedding is an appropriate weight for the cold weather. You don’t want to be shivering your socks off in a duvet designed for summer heat. A 13.5 Tog rating is ideal for a duvet in the colder months here in the UK. In addition to this, you should consider using extra layers of blankets on top of your duvet. This will help to trap warm air in the bed and the added weight will keep your duvet from sliding off while you sleep. To see our range of duvets on offer here at Prestige Beds, click here.
Bedding isn’t the only thing you can layer-up. You can stay much warmer during the night by wearing additional layers of clothes. Even just a thin vest will help to conserve your body heat by trapping warm air. As a lot of body heat is lost through extremities such as your feet, wearing a thick pair of socks in bed is highly recommended in icy weather.
Optimise Your Radiators
Many of us probably take our radiators for granted, assuming that if they’re on then the house will heat up. While this might be true to some extent, there’s a lot we can do to maximise their effectiveness.
First off, you should check if your radiators are heating up to the top. If they aren’t then they’ll probably need bleeding. You can do this very easily and all you’ll need is a radiator bleed key, which are cheaply available at most DIY stores. Simply use the key to turn the valve on the radiator and you’ll hear a hissing sound as trapped air is released. As soon as you see a drop of water close up the valve and your radiators will be energy efficient and ready to go!
Secondly, you can position a sheet of foil against the wall behind your radiators. This is best done by covering a sheet of cardboard or card with tin foil so that it can be easily put in place and later removed. The foil will reflect the heat which would have been absorbed by the cold wall back into the room. This makes the most of the heat generated by the radiator, directing it to where it’s needed.
You should also make sure that no large furniture items are positioned directly in front of your radiators. This prevents the heat from circulating around the whole of your room.
Keep The Heat In!
On top of the obvious, like keeping windows shut, you should also keep the doors around your house closed too. Closing doors will compartmentalise the heat in your house, keeping the rooms you actually use much warmer. This is a great way of making the most of the heat generated just by being in a room. It also helps to reduce the effects of any draughts you may have about the house.
You should also try to block any draughts you can find. These most commonly stem from the gaps around windows and doors. Luckily, they’re quite easy to counter. Draughts from under your door can be solved with the use of a draught-excluder. These can be put together very easily using regular household items and clothes. Common solutions include several pairs of rolled-up socks within a pair of tights, or simply a rolled-up towel.
Once you’ve made your draught-excluder place it at the bottom of the door to block any unwanted air currents. You can fix these in place with a little bit of tape or string if you have something to tie it to.
Window draughts can also be easily fixed with the use of insulating tape, which can be bought for a few pounds from many DIY stores. Simply place this tape along the window pane in line with where your window sites when closed. This will create an air-tight seal, preventing your precious heat from escaping into the ether.
Winter-Proof Windows
We all know that a lot of heat can be lost through your windows, especially if they are draughty or not double-glazed. However, constantly having the curtains closed is not always the best way of keeping the room warm. This is because the light which they block out can be great, and free, way of bringing heat into your room. That’s why we recommend only having your curtains closed at night and if it is cloudy or dull during the day. This way you let the heat in when it is available, and keep it in when you’d lose it.
When it comes to curtains, you should try and opt for the heaviest, thickest curtains available. These curtains will do the best job of conserving the heat to help you keep warm. To truly winter-proof your windows, you should also consider having multiple layers of curtains on each window. Layering your curtains creates a second barrier to the cold and allows an air pocket to form between the layers.
Soft Cosy Furnishings
Having as many soft and cosy furnishings as possible is a great way to winter-proof a room. This has already been touched on with the use of thick and heavy curtains, but it doesn’t stop there! To keep warm during cold and wintry days you should look for as many ways to trap heat as possible.
Rugs are possibly the best way of adding warmth-trapping furnishing to your room. They are easy to move about and store, as well as being easily cleaned, making them a very practical solution. Rugs can effectively winter-proof rooms with wooden floors, which tend to be noticeably colder. A rug will not only provide a soft, warm surface but will also cover the gaps between floorboards which can create unwanted draughts.
For more information on the role of temperature in the bedroom, click here.