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🇦🇺 Australia /Economy & Trade

How to keep your home warm if you're renting or on a budget

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Renters and budget-conscious individuals can keep their homes warm during winter with simple, low-cost methods.
  • Experts recommend blocking drafts around doors and windows using tools like door snakes and weather strips.
  • Additional tips include using rugs on bare floors for insulation and creating DIY pelmets for windows to reduce heat loss.

Winter chills don't have to mean shivering in a rented home or straining your budget. Experts offer practical, affordable solutions to keep living spaces warm and comfortable without expensive renovations or heating systems.

Put it around the doors and the windows and just see where that smoke flutters. Where's the air actually coming in and going out? And then you know where to target with door snakes.

— Chris BarnesExplaining how to find drafts using an incense stick.

Identifying and sealing air leaks is a primary strategy. Heating expert Chris Barnes advises using a lit incense stick to pinpoint drafts around doors and windows. Once identified, simple solutions like door snakes, fabric tubes placed at the base of doors, can effectively block cold air. For window gaps, weather strips, described as rubber seals, are highly recommended for their effectiveness and affordability.

For those feeling persistent cold spots, borrowing or hiring a thermal camera can be invaluable. These devices, sometimes available through local libraries or councils, help visualize heat loss by highlighting cold areas in the home, such as gaps in ceiling insulation. This allows for targeted improvements.

Door snakes are long fabric tubes, often filled with sand, that sit along the base of a door to block cold air, and prices range from $4–20.

Describing door snakes and their cost.

Floors can also be a significant source of heat loss. Rolling out rugs on bare floorboards not only adds comfort but also provides an extra layer of insulation. Rugs can help seal gaps between floorboards, preventing cold air from entering and retaining warmth within the room. These can be easily removed during warmer months.

Weather strips, which are just sort of rubber seals, are extremely effective for window gaps.

— Chris BarnesRecommending weather strips for sealing window drafts.

Windows, even those with curtains, can be major culprits for heat loss. Simple DIY solutions, such as creating pelmets, structures that cover the top of the window, can help trap warm air and prevent it from escaping. These low-cost measures collectively make a substantial difference in maintaining a cozy home environment.

A lot of councils, through their local library networks, offer thermal cameras as a rental, or maybe just as a free service to ratepayers.

— Chris BarnesSuggesting ways to access thermal cameras.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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