You can hang a carpet on a wall where it can make a nice art installation and also absorb both heat and sound. Photo Courtesy: Alpha
Insulating your rooms is an important consideration if you want to get the most from your home, stay eco efficient and avoid high bills. Insulation will help you to keep more of your heat in the room and can also help to absorb noise thus making the room warmer, quieter and generally more cosy all round.
But insulation is expensive and technical, right? It involves filling the cavities of your walls and changing the glass in your windows, doesn’t it? Well, not always – actually there are plenty of ways you can insulate your rooms more on your own which are often easy, quick and rather cheap. Read on for some of the weirder ways you can insulate your property yourself right now.
Rugs
Having rugs around your room will right away help to soak up heat and noise. This is particularly true if you have a wooden or stone floor which can otherwise be quite cold and echo a lot.
Another benefit of rugs though is that they don’t necessarily have to go on the floor – you can also hang them on the walls where they can make quite nice art installations and also absorb both heat and sound once again. This is a great strategy if you have noisy neighbours (or if you are the noisy neighbours).
Curtains
Your curtains can add a lot of insulation to a room, especially if your windows let in a draft or you only have single glazing. Here the trick is to use curtains that are both heavy and thick, while also making use of multiple layers. For instance, by hanging both curtains and netting you can add a lot more insulation than either one on its own could. The reason for this, is that it creates a pocket of air between the two layers, and air is actually one of the best insulators there is (which is also why string vests are so useful).
Coats
Another good insulator is coats. Of course I’m not suggesting you hang these around your walls, but if you keep a coat rack in your room it will add to the warmth.
Cushions
Another small addition to your rooms that can make a lot of difference is to add cushions around the place. This will insulate by absorbing noise and heat again, but will also make your leather furniture look that much more cosy and homely. And while you’re at it, why not add a blanket to your sofa too?
Bubble Wrap
Next time you get something bubble wrapped in the post, don’t be so quick to throw it away. All bubble wrap is of course, is lots of interconnected air bubbles that are held in plastic. This means they can add a lot of insulation in the same way that those string vests can.
To make use of bubble wrap, try attaching it to your windows around the edges – particularly if you have a breeze. Alternatively, if it’s a small window you don’t need to see well out of it (such as in a toilet), you could just attach a sheet completely across the glass.
Sophia Easton, a professional interior designer, frequently writes home improvement articles for various blogs. She has a keen sense of aesthetics and during her time off from work, she likes to unwind and read books.
Spin Spin says
Lovely, and thanks for including my cushion!
Sandy says
You’re welcome! The cushion is lovely. 🙂