Winter is now fully upon us in the Western Cape and we all know how cold it can get, especially when the rains come. Due to the pandemic more of us than ever will be spending more of our days at home too, so our home comforts are uppermost in our minds.
Heat rises and so it stands to reason that the warmer your floors are the warmer your rooms will be. Underfloor heating is a luxury that few of us can afford with electricity bills going through the roof – especially now that we are spending more time at home!
So we need to look to the nature of our floors to find extra ways to heat our homes in winter. Of course a balance needs to be had as we also want to have homes that are not too warm in summer. Probably the best idea is to choose these 3 ways to keep your home warm underfoot this winter, but have them in the right rooms.
Carpets for bedrooms
One great way to heat up any floor is to lay a carpet. In bedrooms in particular where the room needs to stay warm through the coldest time of the 24hr cycle. Soft plush carpets insulate against the loss of heat and the best winter options would be wool and dense foam carpets. These are great choices for winter as they are so comfortable underfoot and the best of the heat retainers too.
Luxury Vinyl for reception rooms
In the rooms that you want to be cooler in summer, but in which you are most likely to use heaters or other heating in winter, a great choice is luxury Vinyl flooring. It is available in planks that look incredibly similar to genuine hardwood, or tiles which mirror the look of ceramic, porcelain, or natural stone.
Luxury vinyl is very durable, water resistant, and really easy to clean and maintain. It is obviously therefore also great for bathrooms and kitchens, and these rooms are generally not as cold anyway due to showering and cooking.
Best of both worlds – winter rugs
The great thing about rugs is that they are laid over existing flooring and therefore can provide warmth in winter and be removed if necessary in summer. They need to be carefully selected for winter though, as they don’t all retain heat.
Rugs can be changed from one season to the other, but the three that really work best in winter are Berber, shag and natural fibre. Woollen rugs are great, but will wear easier and so should be used in rooms with less traffic like bedrooms and studies or formal lounges.
Back in business and better than ever
All of these options are available through Libra Flooring, Cape Town’s premier flooring suppliers and installers. We supply every type of flooring and partner with Top Carpets and Floors specialist carpet and rug merchants, whose products we expertly advise on, provide and install.
We are now back to being fully functional after the long lockdown, and of course our health and safety compliance is impeccable. The wearing of masks and social distancing is strictly observed.
For the more cautious we can still select whatever you choose with our contact free assessment before we come to install. Simply contact us, and we will walk you through whatever process you prefer. Your safety is important to us, so stay home, stay warm with these 3 ways to keep your home warm underfoot this winter – and stay SAFE!