The home is supposed to be our shelter. It’s the place where we should be able to relax comfortably in an environment that’s built to our needs and under our control. It’s not always that easy, however. If you’re sick a home with a draught, a home showing worrying signs of damp, or a home plagued by pests, you need to look at the ways you can win back control of it.
Don’t give damp the keys
Perhaps the most serious of all the environmental issues in a home is the threat of damp. It can destroy walls and cause serious health problems if it leads to mould. Damp-proofing the home is essential. Whether you hire a professional or check for any air leaks and caulk them yourself, it needs to be done. You can’t forget the often-missed source as well: the roof. A cracked or missing tile is perhaps the easiest way for damp to get a foothold in the home.
Win over winter
Proper insulation is just as good as helping your home stay warm through the winter. But it’s not the only way. Radiators often aren’t the most cost effective method of keeping the home warm, so it’s worth considering air source heat pumps that can be fitted without too much hassle. There’s no need for electric heating or oil heating to keep you well supplied with warm water, either.
Survive the summer
It might be a relatively short period of the year, but a home that can’t stand the summer heat can really ruin what is supposed to be the most fun season of the year. You don’t need an air conditioner to keep the home cool, either. Fans might be more localized, but they’re a lot cheaper to run. Think about keeping most of the appliances in the home off, as well. Everything that consumes energy produces heat as it does it, after all. If you have a spacious garden, an even more environmentally friendly way to create shade for the home is to plant a tree.
Don’t give nature a home indoors
Many people like creating a home for nature in the back garden in the form of hedgehog houses and bird baths. However, your home might be shared by some much less pleasant guests. Most household pests are an annoyance, but the woodlouse is much more than that. It may not carry any diseases, but it can cause real damage to your furniture and fixtures. Applying insecticidal powder around the home, particularly at the base of the home, can help you ensure they don’t get a foothold in.
Breathe easy
Air quality is incredibly important in a home. Poor air quality leads to risks of asthma and other breathing difficulties. One of the most common reasons for that decrease in air quality is the start of any ventilation around the home. Any air conditioning, fan heaters, ventilation grates, or fans need to be checked for and cleaned of dust on a regular basis. Not only will it make the air much cleaner, but it will also make the home a lot easier to clean since let dust is being gathered and throw around.
The home is a sturdy protection against the elements, but it needs some help from time to time. Make sure you’re always on the lookout for any breaches in the home, any signs of damp, and any pests that might be more trouble than you think.
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