Winter Is Coming: The Essential Guide to Cold-Proofing Your Bathroom

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There are Christmas ads in every commercial break, your car isn’t starting quite as quickly as it usually does, and you’ve found yourself adjusting the thermostat far more often. All of this can mean only one thing: winter is coming – and it’s time to get your home prepared for the big chill… starting with the bathroom.

The risk factors of winter cold 

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of actually cold-proofing your bathroom this year, it makes sense to first outline exactly why this should be a concern. Well, besides the fact that it’s simply a less pleasant place to be when the temperature is too low, here are a few major risk factors of winter cold in the bathroom:

• Increased energy consumption. With a decrease in temperature comes an increase in the cost of energy. By finding ways to reduce heat loss, you can ensure that your energy bill doesn’t rise more than it should.
  
• Potential health issues. Depending on a multitude of factors, including age and general health, having a bathroom that’s too cold could potentially lead to problems with your health. And yes, that can include simply catching a cold when you can’t find a towel quickly enough!
  
• Extra cleaning and maintenance. When a room in the house gets too cold, especially during winter, it’s easy for insidious structural problems to start to rear their ugly heads. Damp may not seem like a huge problem at first, but once the mould sets in, the repair costs and maintenance efforts can really mount up.

The fundamentals of bathroom heat retention

So now that you know the risks, what exactly can you do to keep your bathroom warm and cosy this winter? Thankfully, the answer to that is plenty! First of all, consider the large-scale factors that affect your heat retention. These include insulation, air escaping, and your current heating measures. If any of these are lacking, your first port of call is to rectify these issues. The reason is simple: when fundamental heat-loss is occurring, no smaller measures will be sufficient to stem the flow – so check these areas first. Even something as simple as a poorly sealed window frame can lead to all of the issues we listed above, so be sure to inspect your bathroom with a critical eye. 

Handy tips for keeping the cold out (and the heat in)

Okay, with the big stuff out of the way, let’s consider some quicker and easier ways that you can trap the heat and keep the cold at bay. One of the biggest causes of issues like damp is the build-up of condensation in the bathroom due to poor ventilation, but when you’re aiming to keep the heat in, what can you do? Well, one great option is to install an extractor fan instead of opening windows. If your bathroom heating isn’t working as well as you’d like, another great option is to install a set of heated towel rails; this prevents your towels from getting cold, musty and mouldy, plus it’ll help fight off cold and overall condensation. In addition to all of these measures, for only a few quid you could always throw a draft excluder against the bathroom door; it may sound simple, but hey, it works!

We hope we’ve given you a few ideas to keep the chill out of your bathroom this winter. Want even more handy tips, ideas, and guides? Keep an eye on The Spa Bath Co. blog every week. Have a question about buying, installation, or anything else? Get in touch today.