Turn Free Heat Into Your Favor

Think ahead to colder weather and ways you can make your home cheaper to heat when winter's winds blows, if you're looking at home improvements this spring.

You can still do a lot to take advantage of the sun's heat without thinking about literally turning your home to face the south, since the cheapest form of heat is actually free solar energy.

Take landscaping into consideration. Remember to avoid evergreens on the south side of your house if your home is on a wooded area. In the winter you'll want the leaves to fall with the temperature so the sun's rays can hit the roof of your house and any windows, especially those facing the south even if their shade is a great thing in the summer. Have them trimmed or removed, if you have evergreens.

Make sure that your window treatments will let the sun in during the winter months if you have windows facing the south. The sun's infrared rays, which compose a large part of the rays, convert to heat as they pass through glass. These rays can be absorbed by anything in the room and will cause floors and furnishing to give off heat after the sun has set.

For maximum absorption of infrared heat, put in tile floors in rooms that get a lot of winter sun. Dark stone or ceramic tile has the capacity to hold more of the sun's heat and will provide passive solar heat for the rest of the house.

As an option, you can add south-facing windows or sliding glass doors, to lessen the need for other forms of heating because these can actually increase the amount of solar heat that you have in your home.

To provide additional heat, a patio room or sun room on the south side of your home would be an ultimate year-round treat.

Although these glass enclosed living areas might be too hot during a hot summer day, tiled with dark floors they can be a blessing proving free heat for the rest of your home during the sunny winter days.

You can choose to make one that has shingle or a metal roof just like your house or prefer a totally glass addition. A variety of companies offer rooms of different sizes and shapes to fit your individual preferences. In most instances, all the exterior walls are glass, although some designs may feature a solid wall at the bottom.

Aside from adding a solar furnace to your home, especially if you have chosen a glass roof, these rooms can actually be additional living or entertaining spaces. They can be decorated as solariums, offices, dining rooms, dens, or fitness areas, without making them a part of the home that must be cooled or heated depending on the season.

Keep the idea of a patio as a part of the construction for additional heating and connect them to your home with doors that can be kept closed during temperature extremes, to reduce the need for additional heating in winter or cooling in summer.


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