The battle to keep warm sometimes seems to be never ending when you live in Toronto. Winters roll in far too early and eases its grip far too late. In between, we’re bundling up, adding layers of clothing to stay warm, and keeping the heat down in our house trying to save a bit on those home heating costs.
There are several things homeowners can do to help lower their energy costs (improving the energy efficiency of their home). One is to consider replacing old, drafty windows and doors.
40 percent of your home’s heat escapes through the windows and doors. Having old, outdated, and inefficient windows could be costing you hundreds of dollars every single month. That’s way too much!
Once you have those old windows replaced, you could still benefit by adding one more addition to them: interior wood shutters.
If you’ve ever noticed how much warmer it feels when you walk by drafty windows that are covered by thick drapes or curtains, it’s because there’s an extra layer of defense against the cold. It doesn’t mean the cold isn’t getting into your home and cooling each room inside. It means you don’t feel its impact as directly.
Interior shutters offer better protection against the cold than any curtain, drapery, or other window treatment option. That’s because when those interior wood shutters are closed, the slats are closed, the cold air won’t penetrate into your home as easily. It’s akin to placing a layer of plastic over your windows. It isn’t going to completely solve the cold draft problem you experience, but it certainly is going to help.
Not only do interior shutters protect against the cold to some degree, unlike drapes, they will actually block some of that cold air, rather than simply redirecting it downward.
So if you’ve been looking for a better option with regard to energy efficiency at home, look into interior wood shutters; you’ll save more money on heating costs when you do and in Toronto, that could be quite a bit of money staying in your pocket.
