How do you Keep Your Hardwood Flooring Warm in Winter
Hardwood flooring is durable, attractive and easy to maintain, but in cold weather it can make your home feel chilly.
A report in SheKnows places coldness among one of the top ‘cons’ of engineered wood flooring, but there are plenty of ways to warm up your flooring in the winter without worrying about compromising the look or integrity of your hardwood. Here are just a few ways to keep hardwood flooring warm and watch out for any other underlying issues.
Rugs
A rug is perhaps the simplest and cheapest way to battle against the cold wooden floors. It won’t solve the problem, but it will make certain areas much warmer underfoot. A plush rug can easily be moved to the areas where it is needed most and can be selected in a colour or style that also complements your existing decor.
Underfloor Heating
Underfloor heating is a popular option for many homeowners. There are two primary methods of heating a room in this way – either a wet system that involves running pipework under the flooring or a dry system that uses electric coils. When installing underfloor heating beneath a wooden floor, it is important to ensure thermal conductivity (that the heat can actually aerate and circulate), and this tends to work better with dense wood flooring. Soft wood flooring can create a thermal barrier which traps the heat rather than letting it emerge and heat the room. So this method of heating does work better with dense hardwood floors. If you are getting your heating done under the floors to keep the floors warm why not get your in house heating system looked at to with a Gloucester Boiler Service from sites such as hprservicesltd.com. You will be so warm in winter it will feel like a holiday abroad.
Draught-Proof
Use a sealant to deal with any cracks which may allow cold air to creep into the home. Doing this properly can be time-consuming and costly, but it will make a notable different to the warmth of your flooring and your home in general. In turn, this will lower your energy bills, so it can be a worthwhile investment.
Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans can circulate warm air around the room, from top to bottom. This balances the overall temperature of the room and can take the immediate chill off the flooring.
Recognise Bigger Problems
Cracks, spacing and persistent cold flooring could be a sign of a wider problem with your home and insulation. Call in an expert if you suspect that there could be more going on