Insulation
In many homes insulation is the most practical and cost-effective way to make a house more energy efficient, keeping it cooler in summer and warmer in winter and saving up to 40 percent in heating and cooling bills. In addition, insulation may reduce condensation in the home. This can provide health benefits by reducing mold and damp. Half of the energy we use to heat or cool our homes can simply leak out without insulation.
Insulation helps to: save money on your energy bills reduce your energy use and lower greenhouse gas emissions reduce reliance on heating and cooling systems improve your comfort at home.
Some types of insulation can make your home more soundproof.
Windows and Doors
Windows provide our homes with light, warmth, and ventilation, but they can also negatively impact a home’s energy efficiency. You can reduce energy costs by installing energy-efficient windows in your home. If your budget is tight, energy efficiency improvements to existing windows can also help.
You can improve the energy efficiency of existing windows by adding storm windows, caulking and weather-stripping, and using window treatments or coverings.
Adding storm windows can reduce air leakage and improve comfort. Caulking and weather-stripping can reduce air leakage around windows. Use caulk for stationary cracks, gaps, or joints less than one-quarter-inch wide, and weather-stripping for building components that move, such as doors and operable windows. Window treatments or coverings can reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. Most window treatments, however, aren’t effective at reducing air leakage or infiltration.
Our team can evaluate your current windows and doors to ensure they are the most efficient.
Ventilation
Natural ventilation is the uncontrolled air movement in and out of the cracks and small holes in a home. In the past, this air leakage usually diluted air pollutants enough to maintain adequate indoor air quality. Today, we are sealing those cracks and holes to make our homes more energy-efficient, and after a home is properly air sealed, ventilation is necessary to maintain a healthy and comfortable indoor environment. Opening windows and doors also provides natural ventilation, but many people keep their homes closed up because they use central heating and cooling systems year-round.
Natural ventilation is unpredictable and uncontrollable—you can’t rely on it to ventilate a house uniformly. Natural ventilation depends on a home’s air tightness, outdoor temperatures, wind, and other factors. During mild weather, some homes may lack sufficient natural ventilation for pollutant removal. During windy or extreme weather, a home that hasn’t been air sealed properly will be drafty, uncomfortable, and expensive to heat and cool.
Roofing
Poorly sealed roofing can not only lead to water intrusion and roofing failure it can also lead to increased energy costs. When choosing a shingle consider and ENERGY STAR rated roof.
ENERGY STAR qualified roof products reflect more of the sun’s rays. This can lower roof surface temperature by up to 50F, decreasing the amount of heat transferred into a building.
ENERGY STAR qualified roof products can help reduce the amount of air conditioning needed in buildings and can reduce peak cooling demand by 10-15 percent.