During the busy days of summer, your home may become more of a stopping-off point between outdoor adventures. Come winter, however, it becomes more of a refuge, an escape, a sanctuary.
The change of seasons does offer real advantages. The holidays bring family and friends together to share in time-honored traditions. Freezing weather cleanses the air of pollutants and mosquitoes alike. Folks of all ages step out into the cold, crisp air to go ice skating, skiing, and sledding.
The latter is the subject of a famous painting by Norman Rockwell. Artists like Monet, Renoir, and Gauguin have also captured winter’s unique montage of cold, snow, and wind.
While the pleasures of the season are undeniable, you don’t want drafts and slush intruding on your living space. Here are some tips for keeping winter’s worst at bay when you’re enveloped in your warm and cozy home:
Improve Energy Efficiency and Comfort
One source estimates electric/gas bills for a one-bedroom apartment at an average of $1330.78 per year. Often, about half of this expense is due to heating and cooling costs. Climate, the nature of a building’s construction, and other factors have a big impact on real-world heating costs.
Get the most out of your thermostat to reduce your heating bill. Each degree you lower your thermostat can cut your bill by as much as three percent. Align settings with your daily habits. Close heating vents in any lesser-used rooms. On sunny days, open up south-facing curtains and drapes to take advantage of the “greenhouse effect.”
Use a Humidifier
Relatively more humid air is comfortable at lower temperatures. If you have an in-unit washer/dryer, leave the doors open after use to humidify the air a bit. Do the same by leaving water in the bathtub as it gradually moves toward room temperature.
A portable humidifier makes it possible to operate your heating unit at lower levels. You’ll also reduce those “shocking” encounters with static electricity. Get a bonus by considering a model that includes an aroma diffuser.
More Warm Occupants and Less Living Space
Reduce your heating bill by keeping yourself warm rather than the entire living space. Don a warm robe and thermal socks, or crawl under a blanket as you watch your favorite TV show. Deploy microwave heat pads and hot water bottles to concentrate warmth exactly where you want it.
In the bedroom, position a sheepskin rug so it’s the first thing your toes touch in the morning. Electric blankets deliver dial-up heat that makes you feel warm and cozy on those cold winter nights. Winter sheets are fluffier, making them better at trapping and retaining heat.
When shopping for comforters, consider filling power and the relative softness of the shell. Women’s Health recommends designs across a wide price range.
Scout For Air Leaks
Air leaks are often a deterrent to money-saving energy efficiency. As the U.S. Department of Energy notes, you might find cold air intruding around doors, windows, and other places.
The mission is simple: keep the warm air in and the cold air out. So, don your Sherlock Holmes deerstalker hat and and seek out places where outdoor air may intrude on your living space. Keep in mind that frigid winter air readily passes through even the smallest gaps and crevices.
Transparent weather-sealing tape is an unobtrusive way to seal air leaks. Look for very flexible tape that conforms to curves and angles. Add a draft stopper under a door. There are a variety of simple designs that you can deploy without affecting the door itself. One option is a magnetic draft stopper with detachable metal clips.
Prevent Winter Damage
Storms accompanied by wet, heavy snow are a special challenge. One moment you’re slogging through salt-laden slush, the next you’re tracking it into your apartment.
The solution is a boot tray. Family Handyman suggests a dozen DIY designs for your consideration. Consider novel ideas like a drawer tray or one fashioned from wine corks.
Stay Safe
Winter storms can whip up high winds – a branch comes down on a power line, and your power goes out. Prepare for a possible outage with alternate power sources.
This can be as simple as having battery-powered flashlights and lanterns ready to go. Power banks allow you to keep smartphones and other portable devices up and running. A rechargeable power station is a more advanced option.
As Popular Mechanics notes, the more powerful ones can even run appliances. They are great for off-grid camping trips too.
There are a couple of caveats when the electricity goes out. First, avoid open flames that become fire hazards. Second, due to the carbon monoxide threat, never use a gasoline-powered generator indoors.
Enhance Your Mood
Short days and abundant cloudiness test the most upbeat and optimistic among us. In Chicago, for example, there’s just nine hours and eight minutes of daylight on December 21st. There are many ways to brighten your living space to make winter more palatable.
New York Magazine recommends a variety of light therapy lamps that mimic sunlight. Such lamps stimulate the production of serotonin, the hormone associated with enhanced mood. This is particularly helpful to the one in 20 people coping with seasonal affective disorder.
Continue holiday traditions into January and beyond. Evoke soothing outdoor scents with woodland, smokey, and chestnut smells. Clove and orange pomander balls deliver a pleasing aromatic scent. String twinkly fairy lights around your apartment, and then leave them up into the new year.
About Draper and Kramer
Draper and Kramer is a full-service real estate firm founded in 1893. Some of our luxury apartment communities include winter-friendly amenities like parking garages and in-unit washers/dryers.
In Chicago, you’ll find parking garages at 61 Banks Street, Burnham Pointe, and Grand Plaza. In-unit washers and dryers are offered at many D&K properties, including Senita at Cave Creek in Phoenix, AZ, DK Riata in Austin, TX, and Moda at the Hill in St. Louis, MO.
Browse our complete selection of luxury apartment homes in Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Colorado, and Arizona.
