Heating Your Basement in Winter
With Toronto’s weather during winter, your basement is most definitely very cold. It is important to find out what makes it as cold as it is before coming up with measures to heat it up. Here, we will avail all the information you will need to heat up your basement.
Why is My Basement so Cold?
There are a number of factors which contribute to the coldness in your basement. The ground is usually colder. This makes the floor moist. The opening of the basement above ground level also gives room for cold air to get into your basement. With a poorly ventilated laundry, the condition is likely to worsen. Another factor that contributes to coldness in the basement is its damp nature.
How to Heat a Basement Efficiently
With the coldness, you most probably think of using heaters as a way of controlling the extreme temperatures. Usually, your basement never comes with an option of a chimney and when we do, it will dissipate heat away. One of the best ways through which you can heat your basement is by installing heat pumps. These will help in concentrating heat in the basement. Let us have an expanded understanding of how best to warm up a cold basement. Don”t hesitate to call basement renovation in Toronto for resolving your problems.
You can tap into your forced-air system. Your basement most probably has ductwork running on its ceiling. Identify a spot and poke a hole to supply your basement. In case the ductwork is nonexistent, then you will have to fix one to supply your basement.
You can also use baseboard heaters. This is an alternative to extending single-zone heating. It is important that you do a separation.
Instead of extending and creating a single-zone heating problem, why not separate the two and use baseboard heaters. However, this also comes with its own challenges. This strategy is not effective when dealing with big basement rooms. This would mean putting more heaters in the room.
Space heaters also offer another alternative. These heaters are easier to purchase and don’t require installation. They are also easy to operate. They offer you quick heating regardless of the space. However, these heaters demand a lot of energy, making them expensive. It is also imperative that you watch out on the brand you select. Some models have been known to cause fire hazards.
Fireplaces and stoves can also be effective sources of heat for basements. There are a number of heat sources that can be categorized here. These include wood-burning, wood pellet burning and gas-burning fireplaces. For efficiency, fireplace solutions have to be installed by an expert. They also demand the construction of a chimney which has cost implications on the project.
The other option is under-floor heating. You can do this using radiant heat. With tiles or concrete on your floor, your basement floor will be extremely cold. You should consider heating it up. This will give your house the desired warmth during winter, allowing you to walk in the house without necessarily wearing shoes or flip-flops.
Depending on your budget, any of these strategies can work out for you. It is also imperative that you weigh the advantages and disadvantages before making a decision.
Also of relevance to you: how much does a basement renovation cost.
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