With Summer effectively over it’s time to look forward to Winter, well, as much as you possibly can look forward tot he days getting shorter and the weather getting colder that is! However you feel about winter, love it or hate it, it’s the perfect opportunity to turn your home in a cosy sanctuary.
Automatically most people will revert straight to putting the heating on, but this comes at a bit of a cost, so what other measures can you take to insulate your home and save the pennies?
Underlay
One way to retain the heat in your home is to use an underlay on your flooring. If you haven’t heard of one of these before then allow us to explain! An underlay is basically a sheet of material that is laid underneath your floorboards to not only protect them, but to insulate them too.
The general rule of thumb with underlay is the thicker that it is, the more insulation your floor has. Although if your property is equipped with underfloor heating then we would recommend using an especially thin underlay so that the heat will be able to pass through as opposed to becoming trapped. In fact, if you do have underfloor heating then there may be no real need to have underlay anyway.
Engineered Floors
To cut a few corners when it comes to insulation, why not install a floor that is a good insulator all on by itself? Engineered flooring is made up of layers of man-made wood such as plywood or MDF, it is then finished off with a top layer of solid wood. It is these layers that make engineered wood such a good insulator as they help to contain the heat which then result in keeping the floor warm underfoot.
Another great thing is that engineered flooring is actually a ‘floating floor’ as mentioned earlier. What this means is that should you wish to insulate the floor further it is compatible with underlay, which will give it even more heat retention. Unlike solid wood flooring, engineered wood is capable of withstanding changes in temperature which means that it wont expand and contract like its solid counterpart does. Ultimately this means that you’ll be able to crank up the heating on colder nights without having to worry about inflicting any damage on your floor.
Laminate Floors
Laminate flooring is another product that is made up of layers of different materials. The bottom layer, also known as the backing, plays a role in ensuring that the floor is water resistant and in turn, stops the floor from warping should it come into contact with any water.
Next up is the inner core which is made from high-density fibreboard that has been reinforced with a special resin, this is again to help contribute against the floors water resistance. The following layer is called the image layer, this is where laminate flooring gets its appearance and similarity to other materials. What happens is a high resolution image of wood or any other desired material is printed on to the board to give off the illusion of the real thing.
Finally, the top layer, also known as the wear layer. The laminate is coated with a special sealant that helps to protect the floor from everyday wear and tear. Just like engineered flooring, it’s thanks to all of these layers that laminate is so good at retaining heat and replicating engineered wood again, they’re also a floating floor so underlay may be used to further increase the warmth of the floor.
So there you have it, just a couple of ways to ensure that you have a perfectly insulated floor to help keep you warm this winter!
