There are many different reasons why people decide to do some home improvement projects. Some are decorative, refreshing improvements, others are more constructive in nature and focus on making more living space, while the third category usually revolves around simply improving what we already have.
Lately, the most common trends are mostly focused on saving energy and improving the efficiency and sustainability of our homes. And although both are very important, this time we will pay more attention to the energy-saving home improvement projects.
So, if you’re looking for any tips, here are some ideas that might work for you.
Energy-saving and insulation
When energy-saving is mentioned, the first thought that comes to mind is insulation. This is most likely due to the fact that air conditioning systems are some of the biggest indoor energy spenders.
Even though installing proper insulation or upgrading your current one won’t reduce the amount of energy your air conditioning system uses, it can seriously lower the need to keep turning it on.
If you’re thinking about redoing all of your existing insulation, consider opting for reflectix insulation, which is a double reflective insulation layer – a very versatile and highly energy-efficient product. However, if this seems like too big of a project for you, at least add some insulating panels to the interior side of your exterior walls. The effect won’t really be the same, but it will still be better than nothing.
Energy-saving and draft-proofing
Draft-proofing your home is another very effective – yet cheap – way of conserving energy. So, if you opt for this project, you’ll need to ensure that your doors, windows, walls and floors are entirely draft-proof.
To achieve this, reseal your floors, fix any wall cracks, add draft stoppers to all of your doors and apply a fresh coat of caulk to your windows. If your windows still feel drafty, you can also hang up some thick drapes or install wooden shutters to mend the situation.
Finally, double-glazing your windows or even entirely replacing the existing glass is definitely a viable option, but you’ll need to contact the experts and see if your existing windows can be upgraded in this sense. If not, consider installing new ones if there’s room for such a project in your budget.
Energy-saving and lighting
As lighting is a very important element of any interior design, you’ve probably already cringed at the idea of changing your current lighting scheme. Luckily, you don’t have to!
However, there are still some very viable improvements to be made, so let’s explore them.
To start off, you want to ensure that you have enough lighting sources in your interior that will allow you to fully control just how illuminated you want your interior to be. This includes overhead fixtures with multiple light bulbs as well as adding some task and accent lighting sources if you don’t already have them. That way you can easily control when and where you need the most light, and you can easily switch all of the other sources off.
On top of that, if you’re using incandescent light bulbs, replace them all with CFL or LED alternatives as soon as possible. Even though this may not seem like a big upgrade, it will definitely present its upsides on your next energy bill.
Energy-saving and roofs
Although your roof is serving the main purpose of protecting your home, it’s still most probably heavily contributing to energy loss.
If you don’t have the right type – or any type – of insulation in your roof area, this will be your main point of energy loss. So, make sure you insulate it properly and fix or regularly maintain your roof cover to prevent any potential damage.
Furthermore, if at all possible, explore other purposes your roof can serve, such as providing a home to solar panels. This way, not only will you limit – or entirely reduce – the amount of energy that escapes your home, but you’ll also have your roof – or rather what’s resting on it – bring more energy in. Energy that’s entirely sustainable and renewable, that is.