Home! Our safe place and sanctuary. Most of us have been spending much time at home over the last year. Home is a space you can be yourself, spend time with loved ones, and engage in tasks you enjoy. Gone are the days when a house was simply a ‘roof over our heads and a place to sleep. Today we take pride in our homes, decorate them, fill it with soft furnishings and personalize it. We even like to make sure our homes are at the perfect ambient temperature for ultimate enjoyment. But why is getting the right temperature so important?
Room temperature at home is a cause of conflict for many families. Some like to exist in a warm tropical climate; others like to wear cozy jumpers and keep cool.
Keep track of the temperature.
It’s important to maintain an ambient temperature because extremes can cause internal problems in your house. If your home is too cold, there’s a risk of mold and dampness developing, which can cause harm to health, especially if you, or a member of your family, suffers from asthma or allergies. How can you tell what temperature your home is other than relying on your own internal temperature gauge? In this modern technology world, you can now use wireless thermometers that give you an accurate temperature reading and are even controlled using your mobile phone. Just when you thought your phone couldn’t get any smarter! Remote thermometers will have built-in sensors that you can set to alert you when the temperature is too low or high. This enables you to make adjustments to maintain an ambient temperature to prevent damage. There are also humidity sensors in some models.
What are the dangers of humidity in your home? As well as being unpleasant to live in, humidity also causes condensation. And the same as being too cold, humidity can lead to mold and rot. Mold and mildew can penetrate deep into walls and window sills which then become difficult to remove. It can also cause paintwork to peel and damage the wallpaper. It can also cause the wooden furniture to rot and damp patches to appear. Using a wireless thermometer can mitigate such problems.
It’s also useful to remember that if your home is centrally heated, you can use the individual radiators in each room to control the temperature. If one person in your household prefers a warmer environment than another, then this is easily fixed. The important thing to remember is not to expose your home to extremes of temperature.
Ventilation
Making sure your house is well ventilated will also help with humidity. Opening the windows is the first step, but also investing in fans and air conditioning units will help if you live in a particularly hot climate. Dehumidifiers are also useful as they extract moisture from the air to prevent mold damage. Ventilation is particularly important in bathrooms. Steam from showers and baths can be absorbed into the walls and floors, causing irreversible damage. Using an extractor fan as well as opening the window will help the steam dissipate.
Insulation
Checking your home is properly insulated goes a long way in preventing an inconsistent temperature; this includes the attic. Up to half of the heat in a house can escape through the roof if not well insulated. Insulation will help your home stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Proper insulation also helps us use less energy which will save money.
Windows and vents
When it comes to airing our homes to maintain temperature, there are a few things to bear in mind. However tempting, keeping windows open all through the day when it is hot has the opposite effect. The heat will seep into our homes, making them much hotter than they could be. If temperatures are high, open windows in the morning and evening to get some fresh cool air. Keep windows shut during peak hours and curtains closed. This applies to internal doors too.
In modern houses, vents are used on windows to create a small gap enabling fresh air to flow through without opening the window. These are useful in controlling temperature and can be adjusted, a great option for those who like to stay cool at night but wish to keep windows closed.
The temperature in our houses is down to personal choice, but it’s crucial to follow some basic guidelines to ensure the health of you and your family is a priority. Thankfully there are plenty of options to control temperature and enjoy our home more fully.