It’s happened yet again. Winter has crept up on us without giving us time to prepare. Why does it always come as such a shock even though we know that it is coming? 

Before you pull on your gloves and crank up the heater, take five minutes to think about how efficiently your house retains the heat. There are lots of guides and checklists floating around the internet that you can use. We like this one from Environment Victoria, which is actually a guide for renters but can be equally useful for home owners (check out the Living Room: Heating and Cooling section). 

The guide is great for superficial fixes that can be made in your home to improve its thermal efficiency, so you can reduce your power bills during the coldest months of the year.

If you’re looking to make more substantial changes, start by looking at what your windows and doors are made from. Up to 40 per cent of your heating can be lost through windows and the gaps around them. 

Windows Energy Rating System (WERS) is the authority on window efficiency, and they can give you some good technical advice on which windows are right for you (click here to see their guide). They also provide star ratings for windows, and say that using windows with at least four heating stars will minimise heat losses.

If you’re comparing timber to aluminium, the latter provides a few distinct advantages. Thermal breaks within the window frame add a layer of insulation that you don’t get with timber. And while timber warps over time, creating gaps for the cold air to seep through, aluminium retains its structural shape throughout its life. And of course, with DecoWood you don’t have to sacrifice the look of timber when you choose aluminium. 

This is why we prefer aluminium windows. Give us a call on 02 9603 1888 if you want to know who can provide you with good, thermally-efficient windows in your area. Read more about the sustainable properties of aluminium.