CHALLENGE 7 – Window Frame Pain
A quick DIY heating fix around the house
The goal of challenge #7:
- Do one DIY home improvement in order to improve heating efficiency
My family home was a really great place to grow up in, but the house did have a reputation amongst all its visitors – it’s soooooo cold! It was a running gag that if my friends and I were having a ‘gathering’ at my house, they would all need a second or third pair of socks, plenty of layers and we would need blankets at the ready – still, fun was always had!
Our 1950s building house is no exception, over the years UK homes have also had a particularly bad rep for poor energy consumption in comparison to EU counterparts. Energy plays a big role in climate change improvement. The UN General Assembly has adopted energy as topic number 7 of its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
A few quick statistics on household heating
- 40% of all UK emissions come from households (See statistics from www.theccc.org.uk)
- Management of building temperatures accounts for over 50% of energy consumption in the EU
- Insulation can enable up to 70% efficiency increase according to the EU Commission (See statistics from ec.europa.eu)
- Latest figures from 2017 stand at 6.9% concerning the German goal of improving building heating demands by 20% in 2020. (Statistics from this interesting read from Clean Energy Wire regarding on Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions and climate targets.)
Tackling easy DIY insulation projects at home
We all have those little niggling tasks we know we should do, but don’t. With insulation being highlighted as a key area for optimisation, this week I decided to see what efficiencies I could manage in the ice-cave, otherwise known as the small loo, where you feel the wind blowing through the window frame gaps! It was as easy as this:
Step 1 – Pop to the local hardware store / Baumarkt – always an adventure of endless home improvement possibilities – and pick up some self-adhesive rubber insulation band
Step 2 – Wipe down the window frame surface so it is free of dirt or dust
Step 3 – Hold up tape on window and cut to appropriate length, then stick in place. Job done!
Our little loo, went from being 13.5oC to 17oC next to the window frame in less than an hour – a fix that is too easy to ignore.
Another few quick fixes at home:
- Close doors around the house to prevent drafts
- Use your curtains and blinds in the evenings. Outside roller-blinds that many houses in Europe have are brilliant too
- Wear a jumper & be conscious about how high your heating is set!
We are so accustomed to ignoring the seasons outside. No sooner are indoors wanting to prance around in our T-shirts. Rather than turning up the thermostat, try putting another layer on first. When my mum reads this, she will let out a sigh of relief that I FINALLY got the message she was trying to get across all those years!
If you are looking for further inspiration, take a look at the Energy Saving Trust:
- Home Energy saving tips from the UK for water and heating
- Brilliant ideas specifically on draft-proofing
I’m pleased to report that after 27 years in our house, my parents are finally installing double-glazed windows – ‘better late than never’ 😉
Thanks for reading
Your Better Me Greener
Charlotte
November 19, 2019 @ 6:33 pm
That tape looks good, I think there is a similar product that can be added to doors to improve draft exclusion, that you might want to look into.
November 21, 2019 @ 8:58 am
Yes the tape is really good and versatile, you can use it for doors and windows. I am very happy with the results so far … and it was so easy and cheap to do. It was a less than €3 fix, happy days!