If you’ve decided it’s time to freshen up your home’s beauty and functionality with a renovation, why not also make it more energy efficient? Not only do energy-smart renovations make your home more comfortable year-round, they also save money!
Keep conditioned air in your home
Perhaps the simplest way to create a more energy efficient home is to prevent air leaks. Even small cracks and crevices in your home’s envelope allow extreme external temperatures to infiltrate your home. They also provide a passage for conditioned air to escape into the great outdoors. This undesirable air exchange forces your HVAC unit to work much harder to keep you comfortable year-round.
Finding and sealing leaks – around doors and windows, around rim joists, and even air ducts – helps to lower your heating and cooling bills and even improve the quality of your indoor air.
Insulate your attic
Once you’ve sealed any air leaks in your home, insulate your attic. If your attic consistently remains in the triple digits during the summer, your HVAC will have to work harder to cool and re-cool air traveling through air ducts. An insulated attic helps to maintain consistent temperatures throughout your entire home.
Improve your energy outlook with new windows
Old, leaky windows are a major source air leaks and energy loss. Modern double-pane windows with high-performance glass are more energy-efficient, which keeps your home more comfortable and your utility bills lower.
If you’re not quite ready to replace your old windows, install storm windows. Storm windows reduce air exchange and can improve comfort and cooling costs without the expense of ripping out and installing all new windows. Some storm windows even come with a low e-coating which further benefits your home’s energy efficiency.
Open the door to improved efficiency
Hollow metal doors may be a durable, cost-effective alternative to traditional materials, but they are not energy efficient. Hollow doors allow air to pass through more easily than other options. Instead, opt for doors with solid polyurethane foam cores. These are the most energy-efficient doors on the market today.
Replace old appliances with new, energy efficient models
If you’re giving your home a facelift anyway, why not invest in more energy efficient appliances? Heating and cooling are the biggest energy costs in most homes, so it’s a good idea to start with a more energy-efficient HVAC unit. A new HVAC paired with a sealed and insulated envelope can save homeowners thousands of doors per year.
High-efficiency water heaters are another good investment. Heating your home’s water supply makes up nearly 15 to 25 percent of a home’s annual energy usage, so a new water heater will quickly show a return on your utility bills.
Sunlight Contractors is your one-stop shop for energy efficient renovations
Our certified, experienced contractors work with homeowners in southern Louisiana to completely renovate old and newer homes. We’re qualified to handle all of your renovation needs – from air sealing to insulating to general construction. We can even help with mold and termite issues. Get in touch to get started or check out the hundreds of reviews our satisfied customers have left on Google!