The Adelaide air feels colder today, we have had some mild days, but now is the time to wrap up and keep warm. Read these tips to improve your comfort in your home.

Tip #1:
Before I recommend ways to heat your home this winter, I need to explain ways in which you can retain the costly warm air. Insulating your home is the best way to prevent air escaping, there are multiple ways to insulate your home, new or existing. 

If you put your hand on your window, what do you feel, cold? This is because single pane glass isn't enough to keep in the heat, upgrading to double glazing insulates your home. Between the two panes of glass is argon gas, which isolates the gap.

Other ways to keep in the heat are to upgrade your wall/ceiling insulation batts, especially in the roof; most heat escapes upward through the roof, especially in a single storey home compared to a double storey home, because of convection.

Tip #2:
Use the weather to heat your home. If the weather forecast in Adelaide is sunny during the day, but you feel you may be freezing come dinner time, open the curtains in your home to let the heat in during the day time like a greenhouse effect, to heat your home. Once the house has heated during the day, close all your curtains and blinds to trap the heat; yes curtains and blinds do help a small bit to hold in the heat.

Tip #3:
Lastly, we can resort to using an artificial source of heat, but there are some better than others; these will save you energy costs. Using an electric heater all the time, although favourite these days and do a great job, will be sure to rack up the bills, so why not use an installed gas heater in your home.

Another great way to heat your home is a wet boiler system used in European homes. Wet system heating in Australia isn't the most popular, but is being used a fair bit in Victoria; we all know it gets cold in Adelaide too but wet systems are not as popular and up the installation process with metres of plumbing throughout your home, radiators and separate boiler to heat the water. This option may be trickier in an existing home compared to a new home; building has its perks. 

Well, that's our top tips for today, so stay warm Adelaidians and take into consideration our top tips when building, renovating or living in your home. Follow us on all our social media, which includes Facebook, Instagram and now a YouTube channel, hope to see you soon! 

- Ryan at Integrity New Homes Adelaide South.