How to keep warm in a Portuguese house

As we are in late November and you are reading this post you are obviously very interested in knowing How to keep warm in a Portuguese house.

We do know where you are coming from in fact many people new to living in Portugal say that they have never been so cold as their first winter in Portugal.

It is probably due to the high level of humidity or damp in the air and in most Portuguese homes, lack of insulation and rapidly changing temperatures throughout the day. Take yesterday for example we say three butterflies chasing each other in the late afternoon sun and two hours later we were lighting the wood burner in our home.

Here are our tips on how to keep warm in a Portuguese house.

1, Use dry wood and overheat, your log burner is meant to be filled with wood so that it burns at maximum efficiency 12 to 14 KW normally. Most people run them very low at 2 or 3 KW so that there is not enough heat dispensed to heat (and dry out) the fabric of the home.

2, Insulate everywhere. Floors, walls, windows, doors and ceilings.

3, Light the stove or put the heating on early (before 4pm) so that the house can maintain its heat from the day without it cooling down too much and the heating output having to compensate.

4, If you have a pellet burner or wood burning stove or even radiators make sure that you site them in the correct location so that the heat they produces can spread around the home. There is masses of information on the internet for this.

5, Dress warmly. It is best to be warm and remove a layer of clothing than add layers because you have become cold.

For help with heating your home contact info@casteloconstruction.com

Tags damp damp proof course How to keep warm in a Portuguese house Maintaining or increasing your home value in Portugal portugal problems What to look for when buying an old house in Portugal windows

About Castelo Construction Lda

Castelo Construction Lda are builders in Central Portugal. We have 12 years’ experience of working with and delighting clients in Portugal. Tel 00351 927168247 or kelvin@casteloconstruction.com If you need an English speaking builder for renovation or new build work we will provide free estimates, fixed prices and carry out your work to a very high standard. Many of our clients are not in the country full time so rely on our regular photographic updates and written reports. They are always surprised when they make inspection visits. New Construction and Refurbishment of Portuguese Property It’s exciting for both our team and of course our clients to mark out on the earth the site of a new home. We will have been with them during the design process and have spoken to the architect many times so we will be comfortable with what we are about to do. For many clients, this stage is a little daunting as it’s hard to see without experience just where the house is going to be in relation to other things on the property. Once the foundations are dug out the house normally looks smaller than they thought, As the pillars and foundation wall start to go you get a much better idea of scale. You can see with your mind’s eye the location of the kitchen, bedrooms and so on. Once the walls are up and the first floor is in place the rooms start to looks smaller again (something to do with the light absorbing properties of the bricks) once the walls are plastered the rooms look a lot larger and it starts to feel more like the home our clients imagined building. As the build progresses we are involved with many specialist subcontractors and it is our job the get them on site at the right time so that the trades do not overlap and time is not wasted. Once the roof is on and tiled it is traditional in this area to have a dinner on site. Everyone who is involved in the build is invited to share a suckling pig dinner with local bread, oranges and of course wine. This is a great way for the clients to enjoy some local hospitality and meet the craftsmen who are building their new home. We also invite the near neighbors so that they get a chance to see what’s going on (when the house is at a very basic stage) and it gives our clients a relaxed opportunity to make their acquaintance. As we always accompany our clients to choose, kitchens, tiles, bathroom fittings or whatever they want. We can help with translation and of course negotiation! As the house is coming to completion we always have them professionally cleaned so that when we hand over the keys it feels more like a home than a building site. 2 months after the house is finished we are back to check for any small faults that may need attention and of course we are available to help and advise should that be needed. Central Portugal builders