Keeping your house warm in this Canadian winter can not only be done cheaply but in some fun and novel ways as detailed. Cost effectiveness is also a big factor but there are some interesting ways to achieve this and a lot of them are fun to do in the bargain! We thought we could put a short list together to help in your endeavours with a little help from Strawhomes.com.

With rising fuel costs and the slowdown of the economy keeping warm is highly important and often often critical to survival especially in the depths of winter.

Here is a short list of some of the alternative methods that can be utilised. The harsh climate of Canada is often very cold at winter times but there is often plenty of wood to be found so this can be used in some interesting ways too! Some of the most innovative home built products are listed here together with the better commonsense actions you can take all add to the end result which is all about keeping warm.

Rocket stoves are a great while they use as little wood as possible and they burn extremely efficiently. Oil burners are an interesting option and a great way to use any kind of waste oil (engine or cooking oil wasted usually) can be put to use and these little beauties put out some serious heat.  These must used in a safe surrounding as the link shows. In some cases fireplaces ca ge used.

Bubble wrap can be applied to window glass and help to insulate the air from the cold window panes. Tin foil can be used too by placing it behind radiators to reflect heat that may be lost into the walls, back into the room. Gaps can help to be plugged by old clothes rugs and alike as (or instead of) silicone sealant another, good move.

Bare wooden or other un carpeted floors can be covered with thick rugs and carpets to insulate them so keeping the warmth in the room and not lost into the flooring. Sun light can also be made good use of as in some cases you can place mirrors outside your home to redirect the sun in through windows to get more sunlight. Putting on extra clothes or thermals is obviously important including some thermal underclothes.

Some simple tips like opening your oven after cooking a meal or leaving the shower door open can help a lot too! Covering over the fireplace “hearth” will also aid to prevent heat loss out and up the chimney! For those who can afford it secondary glazing can be applied to help in this. There are also some very good insulation products from celotex boarding (that come in many thicknesses from 10 to100mm to rockwool but these often are not so cheap. Cheaper ones can be purchased made from things like recycled plastic.

Hope you enjoyed some of our top tips and with a little help from a few google searches there are still others out there.