By: Amanda Gates
AB HOME Interiors
Let’s face it, Nashville can be cold in the winter. Combine that with a home built before the 1950’s and you’re sure to have the inevitable house draft. I grew up in an old farm house that was built in 1910 and it had no central heat. We had 3 in-floor victorian grates that I straddled as a kid to keep warm. They did little to actually warm the house and if you weren’t careful would give you third degree burns….leading dad to say, “well you should have been wearing socks!” Yes, I suppose I will remember that next time. Since the heaters generally made the hallway feel great and the bedrooms were left feeling like Alaska, my mom and I used to take these steps to winterize our home, all steps that I still do today in my energy efficient 2009 home.
Many of the homes here in the south have wood floors. A great way to add warmth and cut down the draft is through large fluffy area rugs. Use flokati’s, or plush rugs to add comfort and help hold that heat in. This is also a terrific solution to those who live in homes that have drafts that come up through floor boards.
Use plush throws, additional bedding and heavy blankets to curl up in while watching TV, surfing the internet or reading a book in bed. I also recommend an upholstered headboard placed up against a window. This helps cut the draft, especially if combined with heavy drapes.
4) Combine functional with decorative.Many big box stores carry products like Draft Stoppers. Very unsexy, utilitarian things we must have. But draft stoppers are great for doors and windows and if the doors or windows are not used a lot in the winter, stack decorative books in front to help shield the cold, hide the draft stopper and add a decorative element to your drafty house.
Place the sofa and chairs closer to interior walls, or the center of the room. Combine with rugs, throws, cozy plush pillows and if additional warmth is needed to avoid those pesky drafts, get a ceiling fan and turn it to pin on reverse. It helps push the heat down.
Incandescent bulbs are on their way out so stock up! Incandescent and halogen bulbs put out a lot of heat, perfect for a drafty home, especially when the draft comes from the ceiling cans or light fixtures. In combination with the heater, rugs, throws and draft stoppers, bulbs that put off heat will help warm up a space. Candles are also a great way to heat up a room. A few candles combined together will add a lovely glow and put out some additional warmth, (just use precaution.) Candles are also a great way to discover where drafts are coming from. Just place them next to windows, doors and ceiling to see if the flame moves.
