Homeowners often renovate or remodel their homes with the intention of creating more livable areas or simply updating the existing space, but what if upgrading your home could also make it (and you) more energy efficient?
While it’s true that renovating or remodeling your home can help save you money on your energy bills and enable you to power your home using clean, green energy, not every renovation will improve energy efficiency in the same way, or at all.
Below are some of the ways that upgrading your home can help improve energy efficiency:
Remodel a bathroom, kitchen or basement to detect water leakages
If water is seeping out anywhere in your home, not only can it mean that your water bills will increase, but it can also cause serious structural damage if left undetected and untreated.
Remodeling or renovating a bathroom, kitchen or basement provides you with a great opportunity to check whether water is getting into any places within your home that it shouldn’t. Hidden areas that are normally covered by cabinets or appliances can be exposed, and your chosen general contractor will have their plumber check the entire space.
Renovate your home to improve your insulation
Insulation is essential for ensuring that your home is as energy efficient as it can possibly be, by trapping warm air in the colder months, and keeping hot air out during the summer. Without insulation, heating bills can go up as homeowners struggle to keep themselves warm during winter, and cooling costs can increase as the exterior heat intensifies and rooms become stuffy and hot. However, many homeowners aren’t even aware that their homes have insulation, let alone check to see whether it’s adequate enough.
Remodel your entire home and have a general contractor make sure that every ceiling and wall is properly insulated, and that the materials used meet building regulations, to keep your energy bills down and make your home more efficient. Additionally, your general contractor and his team of builders can insulate pipes that are running hot water in your bathroom and kitchen as your fixtures and cabinetry are replaced, allowing you to run less water because it will stay hotter longer before reaching the faucet.
Renovate to take advantage of energy saving technology
Did you know that modern homes use 37 percent more energy today than they did in 1980? Fortunately, technological tools used to regulate a home’s energy usage have come a long way over the years, and even the smallest remodel is a chance to upgrade to more modern methods if your home is relying on old technology, or none at all, to manage the efficiency of your utilities.
With automated control systems for heating, cooling, and lighting now available, data such as outside air temperature or daylight level scan be accessed to enable the indoor climate to be adjusted accordingly. Such things as smart window shades, LED light fixtures, and thermostats that learn your habits, are just some of the many other ways in which modern technology can be added to a home during a renovation to significantly increase its energy efficiency.
For more ways to make your home energy efficient – helping you to save money and the environment – consult with a local general contractor who has plenty of remodeling and renovating experience.