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. If your home is on a wooded lot, then make sure there are no evergreens on the south side of your home. You’ll want the leaves gone as the temperature falls during the winter so that the sun’s rays can hit the roof of your house and any windows, especially those facing the south side, even though their shade was particularly beneficial during the summer. Have them trimmed or removed, if you have evergreens.

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. Infrareds can be absorbed by almost anything in the room and would cause the floors and furnishing to give off heat even after sunset.

Consider putting in tile floors in rooms that get a lot of winter sun for maximum absorption of infrared heat. Dark stone or ceramic tile will hold more of the sun’s heat and provide passive solar heat for the rest of the house.

As an option, you can add south-facing windows or sliding glass doors, to lessen the need for other forms of heating because these can actually increase the amount of solar heat that you have in your home.

To provide additional heat, a patio room or sun room on the south side of your home would be an ultimate year-round treat.

Tiled with dark flooring they can provide a wealth of free heat for the rest of your home during sunny winter days, even if these glass enclosed living areas can be too hot for comfort during a hot summer day.

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. A variety of companies offer rooms of different sizes and shapes to fit your individual preferences. Although there are some designs which feature a solid wall at the bottom, all the exterior walls are usually made of glass.

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. Without making them a part of the home that must be cooled or heated depending on the season, they can be used as solariums, offices, dining rooms, dens, or fitness areas.

To reduce the need for additional heating in winter, or cooling in summer, keep the idea of a patio as part of their construction 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.