When leaves start changing colours and fall to the ground, the temperature falls down with them. The frigid wind and cold will only grow worse as the weeks go on and it won’t relent until spring arrives. If the seasonal chill always seems to make its way into your home, these are some renovations that can break that frustrating cycle.
A house should have a tight building envelope to stop outside elements from forcing their way inside and disrupting the residents — these include wind, water, frost, cold, heat and even noise. Homeowners can notice that the integrity of their building’s envelope is weak when they see exterior forces creep indoors, like drafts whistling through closed windows or the sounds of road traffic blaring in the living room. These are signs that the home needs specific renovations to build up its barrier from the outside world.
One of the renovations that will keep out the cold is additional insulation placed in the walls to trap pockets of air attempting to move inside or outside of the house. The quality of home insulation is measured by the resistance it has to the movement of heat, which is called the R-value — owners should look for higher values if they want to have a strong performance during the fall and winter. Do not forget to install the material in sensitive areas like crawlspaces, the basement and the attic, because they are often the neglected culprits letting seasonal chills inside. The well-known home improvement expert Mike Holmes notes that the secret to keeping your home warm is to add energy-efficient insulation to your attic — this one area can stop cold air from entering the house and any heat from escaping.
You can make long-term improvements to the building’s envelope by investing in the best energy-efficient windows that the Greater Toronto Area has to offer. According to Natural Resources Canada, the criteria for most efficient windows includes certification from the ENERGY STAR Canada organization, a minimum energy rating of 36 or a minimum energy rating of 26 if it has a maximum U-factor of 1.14 W/m2·K (0.20Btu/h·ft.2·°F). Casa Bella Windows & Doors has many options with higher energy ratings than the current ENERGY STAR Canada requirements. If you are looking to get replacements for your house, you should browse through the energy efficient windows cost comparison to see what styles work with your home’s layout, your personal style and your total renovation budget.
You can get a pair of sturdy fiberglass or steel front entry doors to protect your home from the seasonal weather — these are excellent insulating materials that are known for boosting a structure’s thermal retention. Other features like energy efficient aluminum sill systems and compression weather stripping will also stop unwanted frost or cold from transferring. If you prefer to have clear glass entrances, you can get a new sliding patio door or a set of garden doors that are designed to be just as energy-efficient as their solid fiberglass and steel counterparts. For the best results, you should have them installed by a team of licensed professionals that offer door installation services across Toronto and the GTA to ensure that their clients aren’t left with cracks or gaps that drafts can sneak through. When you try to do the job on your own or hire an untrained contractor to do the installation, you run the risk of having cold air forcing its way inside even when you have high-performance doors.
These renovations will prepare your home for the bitter weather during the fall and winter every single year. It’s true that you can ignore the drafts and continue to run the furnace or add logs into the fireplace to combat the cold, but your power can go out during a storm and you can run out of wood. A strong building envelope will not need any electricity or supplies to keep your rooms comfortable and warm.
