How to keep the heat in the apartment?

The survey shows that almost half of Poles plan to take measures in the near future to retain heat in their homes. Survey respondents most often point to windows as the building element that has the greatest impact on heat escape from the home. What else affects heat loss from the home, and how can this be remedied?

Research

In search of savings

During the global recession, everyone is looking for ways to save money. Especially when electricity and gas prices are rising, we want to spend as little as possible on heating. But low spending means low home temperatures, which often makes it difficult and unpleasant to function freely. The latest "Warmth at Home" survey commissioned by OKNOPLAST shows that Poles strive to o maintain the optimal temperature at home by, among other things, reducing heat loss.

According to the survey, every second person questioned plans to take additional measures during the heating season to retain heat in the apartment (47%). Among the most popular solutions Poles want to use to control heat loss from their rooms are first and foremost: maintaining an optimal temperature at home (57%), shorter ventilation (54%) and sealing windows and doors (53%). On the other hand, 31% of respondents intend to cover windows at night to keep the daytime heat in the house, and 8% of respondents are thinking about replacing windows with warmer ones.

Research

Leaky windows

When building a house, we have the opportunity to take care of choosing the right insulation, and we often choose windows according to where we live and the prevailing weather conditions - such as, for example, frequent rain or snow. Living in a block of flats, we have no influence on the insulation of the facade, but this does not mean that we can not defend against heat loss. Therefore, it is worth acting. How? First - regularly check the tightness of our windows, especially wooden ones. If the windows are leaky, and all attempts to insulate the room end in failure, it's probably time to replace the windows with those based on better thermal insulation parameters. It is also worth knowing the reasons why our windows may be generating heat loss.

Energy-efficient windows let the optimum amount of natural light into the building

What to do about leaky windows?

One of the most common reasons for heat escaping from a house through a window is unsettled hardware. Unadjusted hardware is a natural phenomenon for windows. As a result of constant opening and locking, the hardware wears out, and the sash no longer fits perfectly to the frame. Keep in mind that the hardware cannot be adjusted once and right. This procedure should be repeated at least every few years. This is a precise task and requires knowledge and equipment, so it is worth calling a professional to do it.

The cause of leaking windows can also be the wear of seals, especially if the windows are quite old. How to proceed then? In wood windows, the issue with gaskets is easy to deal with, and there are many ways to do it. There are new rubber and sponge gaskets, or we can seal the window with sealing tape, silicone or mounting foam. Plastic windows are, as a rule, more airtight, but it is worth checking before each winter how their seal looks and changing it if necessary. This, however, requires knowledge of the profile of the windows we have installed. To do this, check the window model, size and type on the nameplate. Only with this information should you purchase new gaskets.

Remember that each window is unique in its own way, which manifests itself, among other things, in a different arrangement of gaskets depending on the window model or manufacturer. A poorly selected gasket, will not only contribute to heat loss in the house, but also money in the wallet. At the slightest doubt with the replacement of gaskets, do not hesitate to take the help of experienced installers. This can save both the window and our household budget. Let's also regularly protect the window seals with a suitable maintenance product.

Window airtightness greatly reduces heating costs

How about a new window?

Sometimes the optimal solution for keeping our home warm is to simply replace the window with a new one. Then it is essential to pay attention that it is "warm", i.e. energy-efficient, and we can recognize these by the marking of the thermal insulation coefficient Uw below 1 W/m2K. What does this abbreviation mean? The Uw coefficient of a window is the amount of power (corresponding to heat) that penetrates through each square meter of the window when the difference between the temperature inside the building and the prevailing temperature outside is equal to one kelvin. The lower the Uw, the lower the tendency for heat to travel through the window and thus the window is more energy efficient. The range of energy-efficient windows today is wide, so everyone will find a model among them that suits their needs, tastes and budget.