3 Money-Saving Winter Home Improvement Tips for Your Living Room

Winter home projects usually focus on the exterior and the winterization of attic or crawlspace. Did you know that there are three winter home improvement tips for your living room that are easy to do in one day and can save you quite a bit of money?

Mount a Ceiling Fan

Research cited by the University of Arkansas reveals that winter usage of a ceiling fan has the potential of saving the home owner "20-30% on heating costs." The steps for installation are quite simple, and winter is the perfect time to take advantage of end-of-summer closeout prices on even top models.

• Purchase a ceiling fan with the living room's measurements in mind. If the room measures between 76 square feet and 144 square feet, opt for a 36-inch to 42-inch fan blade; larger rooms call for a 44-inch blade.
• Install the fan to be roughly at an eight-foot height above the ground. (The minimum height is seven feet.) Homeowners with high living room ceilings should install a drop rod to achieve this height.
• Center the fan on the living room ceiling; if this forces you to install between joists, purchase a mounting bracket to avoid vibration-related loosening.
• Set the fan to the winter rotation, which simply means that the blades turn clockwise. (In summer, change the rotation to be counter-clockwise.)
• Turn on the fan to its lowest setting to gently force warm air - which automatically rises to the ceiling - downward.

Install Window Insulation

Depending on your location, it is highly unlikely that you are going to open the living room windows in winter. Insulate them for the cold months with shrink film tape. Yahoo! Shopping offers a wide variety of pre-cut products that fit any window or patio door. Since these insulation products must remain in place until the end of the cold season, winter is the best time for installation.

• Choose the properly sized insulation product for your living room windows and doors. Sizes vary between 84 inches by 110 inches and larger.
• Clean the window panes and the frame.
• Mount the insulation film with double-sided sticky tape to the window frame.
• Gently heat the film with a hairdryer until it pulls tight and creates a seal.

Add Window Treatments

At times it is not possible to install insulation film. Even if you are adding the film, it is still possible to further decrease heat loss with window treatments. In summer, you may have just been concerned with privacy and subsequently installed window treatments for keeping out prying eyes; in winter, upgrade the window treatment setup to keep hot air in.

• Open drapes during the day and allow the sun to heat up the room; this is especially true for living rooms with a southern exposure.
• Install cornices to hide the roller or drapery hardware. Opt for panels that reach the ground and overlap by about four inches. University of Maine researchers have found that this functional addition to your window treatment setup actually serves to "reduce heat loss by convection."

Sources

University of Arkansas: "Ceiling Fans"

Yahoo! Shopping: "Window Insulation"

University of Maine: "Insulated Window Treatments and Covering"