Prime
Ways to keep your house warm during the cold season
To preserve and insulate the floor add warm rugs or carpets.
PHOTO/file
What you need to know:
When we sit, our blood circulation slows down. Keeping a throw blanket over your lap while you are watching TV can go a long way in keeping you safe from the cold
During a recent trip upcountry, I was shocked by how cold it was. Being a city girl, I assumed that just like Kampala, the temperatures remain bearable even after a downpour. But, I was terribly wrong and I ended up asking the hotel’s night manager for a second blanket to keep myself warm. I also noticed that some of the homes I visited were less cold than others despite being in the same locality.
Jamil Mbayo, an interior designer, explains that this could have been achieved by using various methods to keep homes warm in spite of the weather.
Install radiator panels
Although not a common feature in Ugandan homes, Mbayo says radiator panels are a great way to heat up your home. The panels are affordable, available and easy to install.
“Radiator panels can heat the objects in a room directly and the purpose of the radiator panels is to reflect the heat and stops the cold from covering the house during cold seasons,” he says.
Keep doors closed
Mbayo adds that another way to keep a house warm is to defeat a physical principle known as the stack effect.
Also known as the chimney effect, it involves airflow in and out of a building caused by incoming and outgoing air temperature differences. This involves a natural convection which operates on a key principle of physics; hot air is less dense than cold air hence air pressure exerts an upwards force.
In layman’s terms; hot air rises and cold air falls. To defeat it, cut down on spaces cold air can enter your house, such as under a door and ventilators. You can also keep the heat where it is needed by ensuring some interior doors, such as those leading to hallways or near stairways, are kept shut. This closes off natural air passageways that would otherwise allow warm air to escape through the house.
Add rugs
Tiled floors and uninsulated floorboards allow the cold to radiate up from your floor. To preserve and insulate the floor, add warm rugs or carpets. Woolen rugs are the warmest and most insulating, both for heat and sound.
A woolen rug will keep your feet warm while improving your over all decor.
“Colours such as red, orange, yellow and brown are associated with things that are warm and bring out warm feelings in people.
“This means that having the right colour rug in your room will not just help help keep out the cold but it will help to make the whole place feel t little bit warmer and more welcoming,” says Mbayo.
Use curtains
Mbayo says one sure and inexpensive way to keep a room warm is installing thick curtains.
“Curtans prevent cold air from getting into the room thanks to the thick lining they are made with,” says Mbayo.
He also recommends dark colours such as a darker blue or even black which can help a room feel cozy.
Mbayo adds that while sunlight is a helpful way to keep your house warm during the day, as soon as the sun goes down it is a good idea to close your curtains to stop heat from being lost.
Keep the heat in your home
After enjoying a hot bath do not drain the bathtub when it is still hot. This will give off additional heat in the home. Similarly, when you finish baking, leave the stove open slightly to let the home get all that wonderful heat.
Keep blankets and lap rugs handy and use them. When we sit, our blood circulation slows down. Keeping a throw blanket over your lap while you are watching TV can go a long way in keeping you safe from the cold.
Rugs
Synthetic materials still provide some insulation on bare floors and are a good alternative to wool in high traffic areas or homes with pets and children.
For maximum warmth in the living room, look for a large rug that can fit at least the front legs of all your furniture.
