6 Ways to Heat Cold Rooms in Your House

With energy costs rising steadily, you may be concerned about having cold rooms in your home. Fortunately, there are numerous affordable ways to keep them toasty without breaking the bank.

Wearing multiple layers of clothing will keep heat nearer your body, and rugs can help stop cold air from penetrating the floor. Of course, investing in a proper heating system is one of the best ways. 

To ensure consistent heating in cold rooms, improving your home’s overall insulation is key. Consider enhancing your attic air seal to prevent drafts and heat loss, which can significantly impact room temperatures. Effective air sealing strategies can help maintain a comfortable environment throughout your home.

For more budget-friendly tips on keeping your home warm without skyrocketing energy costs, check out River Valley.

1. Inspect your vents and ductwork

Conditioned ductwork in your home can sometimes create issues that make it appear that your heating and cooling systems aren’t operating optimally. Over time, however, its condition tends to deteriorate as it runs through attics, basements or crawl spaces where there’s little airflow.

Uneven temperature distribution, whistling sounds from air conditioning or heater units running, and high energy bills are all signs that your ductwork may be malfunctioning. Also, excessive dust accumulation around vents or return air grilles could indicate that they have not been adequately sealed off and could indicate undersized and improperly sealed ductwork ducts.

Visually inspect all ducts that you can reach, such as in the attic or crawlspace. Look out for disconnected joints or ducts with duct tape affixed that might indicate leaky spots have been patched with this temporary measure instead of using traditional sealant products such as mastic sealant.

2. Make sure vents are unblocked and filters are clean 

As part of your inspection of vents and ductwork, it’s also a good idea to look at the room as a whole. Make sure no furniture or objects are blocking airflow through vents nor that doors have blocked off these openings. Ensure ductwork insulation meets building envelope requirements, with no leakages between areas of insulation.

Make sure your filter is always clean; dirty filters impede heated air from moving freely throughout your home, making comfort more challenging to achieve.

3. Watch for drafts

Do a draft check by placing your hand near windows or door frames to feel for cool air coming through; if this occurs, seal it with a door snake – an elongated cloth bag filled with pebbles or rice that slides under doors – if necessary.

To prevent drafts around your electrical outlets, outlet insulators – foam sheets you can place behind the face plate to block cold drafts – may help. They’re readily available at most home improvement stores, or you could do it yourself with the use of a stud finder and drilling into walls.

4. Install a room-to-room fan

When one room in your home seems colder than others, inspect its vents and ductwork for debris accumulation or wear and tear that could prevent warm air from reaching it. Dirty vent grates or worn ductwork could prevent heat from reaching that room.

Most homeowners turn their ceiling fans to counterclockwise rotation during summer to provide a cooling breeze, then to clockwise in winter to draw warm air down from above.

Insulated outlet covers can reduce drafts from electrical outlets and prevent heat or cooling air from seeping into rooms that you do not use.

You may also consider installing a duct booster fan – these fan units fit inside in-line ducts and increase the air pressure within them, allowing more warm air to reach cold rooms without needing extra heating vents; you can find these online or at your building supply store.

5. Insulate your walls and doors 

Insulating your walls is one of the best ways to keep rooms warm in an otherwise cold home environment. By adding insulation, many households can help ensure conditioned air reaches these areas more quickly and comfortably, keeping cold rooms toasty warm for years.

Fiberglass or other fire-retardant materials should only be used as insulation material; cotton or recycled denim can also be utilized as such insulators. You can purchase products that contain such materials at home improvement stores and online.

Ensure all doors and windows in your home are properly insulated against drafts; this can help ensure the rooms in which they’re used remain warm even with heating running. Install draught-proofing strips around door frames as an economical and effective solution to cold rooms in your home while saving on energy costs.

6. Invest in a smart thermostat

Programmable thermostats can help your home be heated more efficiently by allowing you to save energy and heat only those rooms you use frequently instead of leaving some spaces warm all of the time. 

By setting temperatures lower in rooms you use only intermittently, programmable thermostats provide energy savings by heating only when necessary.