If you’re looking at home improvements this spring, think ahead to colder weather and ways you can make your home cheaper to heat when winter’s winds blows.

The cheapest form of heat is free solar energy and without turning your home to face the south, you can still do a lot to take advantage of the sun’s heat.

Take landscaping into consideration. Remember to avoid evergreens on the south side of your house if your home is on a wooded area. In the winter you’ll want the leaves to fall with the temperature so the sun’s rays can hit the roof of your house and any windows, especially those facing the south even if their shade is a great thing in the summer. If you have evergreens, have them trimmed or removed.

If you have south facing windows, make sure that your window treatments will admit the sun in the winter. The sun’s infrared rays, which compose a large part of the rays, convert to heat as they pass through glass. These rays will cause floors and furnishing to give off heat even after the sun has set because they can be absorbed by anything in the room.

For maximum absorption of infrared heat, put in tile floors in rooms that get a lot of winter sun. Providing passive solar heat for the rest of the house, dark stone or ceramic tile will be able to hold more of the sun’s heat.

To further increase the amount of solar heat you have in your home, meaning less need for other forms of heating, consider adding south-facing windows or sliding glass doors.

A patio room or sun room on the south side of your home would be the ultimate addition, to be enjoyed year round and to provide additional heat as well.

Although these glass enclosed living areas might be too hot during a hot summer day, tiled with dark floors they can be a blessing proving free heat for the rest of your home during the sunny winter days.

There are many choices available, you can either opt for a completely glass addition or one that has shingle or a metal roof, just like your house. There are rooms of different sizes and shapes to fit your individual preferences made available by many companies. In most instances, all the exterior walls are glass, although some designs may feature a solid wall at the bottom.

In addition to adding a solar furnace to your home, especially if you choose a glass roof, these rooms can provide additional living or entertaining space. You have the option of using them as solariums, offices, dining rooms, dens, or fitness areas, without depending on the season or making them a part of the home that must be cooled or heated.

Consider the idea of a patio as a part of the construction for additional heating in the winter or cooling in summer, and connect them to your home with doors that can be kept closed during temperature extremes.

See this great resource to learn everything you need to know about fireplaces including buying a fireplace log rack and firewood carriers.