As the winter months quickly approach, it is time to start thinking about how you can prepare your home for colder temperatures and a chance of snow. When you think about getting your house ready, you should also consider how you can do so sustainably. When we care about the planet, we give younger generations the chance to continue to enjoy the beauty of Mother Earth.
Sustainable Home Prep for Cold Months
Any time is the perfect time to start sustainable home preparation. Let’s talk about how to do just that.
Store Your Summer Items
The first step that you will want to take is to clear the clutter from your home, and you can do that by packing up and storing away all of the spring and summer items that you no longer need. Go through your closet and start collecting all of the t-shirts, shorts, skirts, and swimming suits and replace them with your thick coats, boots, hats, and gloves.
If you have a smaller house, then you may think that you do not have space to store all of this stuff but you just need to get a bit creative. For instance, you can maximize your closet and garage space by installing shelves that will keep those unnecessary items out of sight and out of your way. You can also consider multifunctional furniture for your living room, like an ottoman or bench, that will allow you to store items inside.
Those who live in snowy climates will want to protect their outdoor furniture and pack it away in a dry place, like a shed or garage. The elements can wreak havoc on those items. If you don’t protect them and are forced to buy replacements, then you are essentially requiring factories to produce pollution to manufacture them. You can keep your stuff in good shape and avoid unnecessary waste by storing the furniture away or keeping it under a tarp.
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
This is also a good time to start thinking about the environmentally friendly home upgrades you can make so you can stay warm and avoid wasting energy all at once. One of the best investments you can make is a smart thermostat that allows you to set the temperature based on what is going on in the home. This way, you can have a warmer temp when everyone is home and program a lower setting when the house is empty during the day.
The whole point is to prevent your heater from working overtime. Failure to do so will mean higher utility bills and wasted energy. Two of the biggest culprits are unsealed windows and doors that are cracked around the edges. Heat can escape when this happens, which makes the heater work harder than necessary. Eliminate this threat by placing a bead of caulk around the perimeter of these problem areas, further protecting your home from the elements.
Autumn is a good time to reduce your home’s carbon footprint by upgrading or maintaining your home’s HVAC system. If your heating system has not been checked in a while, then it may be running at low efficiency, which means that it is working for longer while increasing your carbon footprint. By having it checked, the technician can spot problem areas and get it running the way it was intended, which means that you’ll have a more efficient and sustainable home.
Minor Modifications Make a Big Difference
While there are many big changes that you can make to stay comfortable during winter while being sustainable, sometimes the smaller things can be just as powerful. For instance, you can have your heater run less often and instead dress in layers while you are hanging around the house. That can be as simple as wearing a t-shirt under your regular shirt or wearing an extra sweater. If you get too hot, then you can just take it off.
You should also consider reversing the rotation of your fans. By clicking the button on the switch housing or your remote, you can request that your fan’s blades rotate clockwise. When you do this, the fan moves the hot air that is near the ceiling and evenly disputes it throughout the room, which makes everything warmer.
As you can see, there are many different adjustments that you can make to have a more sustainable home this winter. Consider these tips, and you’ll be ready for the colder season.
About the Writer: Miles Oliver is an independent writer with a passion for tech, psychology, sustainability, and simply helping people live happy and fulfilled lives. When he is not writing or working, he is most likely mountain biking or kicking back with a cup of tea.
