Energy-Efficient Remodeling Projects for Your Home

Guest Post by Andrea Erickson

There are plenty of reasons to remodel your home.  From the need for aesthetically pleasing surroundings to increase your property’s value, there’s no wrong reason to approach it.  Many are turning to remodeling for a different reason, though! 

Energy efficiency is one of the top perks people are seeking out while house hunting.  Here are some of the best ways to put this to use and how it can benefit your home.

Skylights to Save Electricity

Electricity bills are one of the top expenses a homeowner has to deal with every month.  A good skylight will allow for light to come through so that you don’t have to turn on electric lights every day and won’t let in much extra heat or cold to affect your home’s temperature.  The lighting can be used year-round, and although it only helps during daylight hours, this can be enough to make a three to six dollar impact on your monthly bills while reducing your carbon footprint.

When paired with Low-E windows, to stop the amount of infra-red and ultraviolet light that makes its way into your home, skylights can be some of the most energy-efficient additions you can add to your home.

Continuous Insulation

Continuous insulation is a fantastic way to ensure that you cut down on how much money your household spends on heating and electricity.  A properly insulated home keeps out the heat or cold outside and provides the interior conditions are kept to whatever temperature you prefer.

The best thing about continuous insulation is that as a rigid foam board form of insulation, this can stock up your walls with enough of a buffer between the outside world, and the inside of your home, that your heating and energy bills will plummet.  This type of insulation can also be used in roofing and ceilings between floors, which will also help with noise reduction within buildings.

Classic insulation, which includes far more loose fibers, takes up far more space and can negatively affect health.  With continuous insulation, you save space on where your insulation is, and you can convert your attic into an additional bedroom instead of wasting it on space for oversized insulation: while still saving money on your monthly energy bills. So there’s no reason to go for traditional insulation anymore or to leave it in your home when there are far better options available.

Better Siding

There are countless types of house siding that a person can pick from: so it makes sense that more people are looking at the siding that can help with energy efficiency.  Vinyl siding can help boost energy efficiency, reduce the amount of moisture that gets into your home, and reduce noise pollution.  When paired with good insulation, from attic door insulation to good insulation in the walls themselves, you can set yourself up for a winning pairing.

There is vinyl siding that has insulation built into it, which pushes the energy efficiency even further.  Although homeowners will have to run their air conditioner or heater to reach the base temperature that they want, this intense level of insulation will allow for their home to keep that temperature for longer.  Reduced air conditioning and heating use ensure that your bills will plummet, and you’ll be able to maintain these prices for more parts of the year than you could before.

Low-E Vinyl Windows

Low-E vinyl windows are specifically made to reduce the amount of infra-red and ultraviolet light that makes it through your window.  Because of this, you can have as much sunlight and natural light as you want, without having to fear a large addition of heat.  Although there’s no way to stop any heat increase from a window, even if they’re perfectly fit and sealed, good Low-E windows are designed to take you as close to this as they can.

Like when used in skylights, the natural light will also help reduce your electricity needs when you’re lighting your home during the daytime. In addition, cutting out larger window spaces ensures that you can have as much natural light as you want, allowing your rooms to look larger and better lit without adding anything to your air conditioning costs in the summer. 

Remodeling With Energy Efficiency In Mind Is The Only Option

When remodeling our homes, most of us are looking at the bottom line.  We want to update everything as much as possible while also ensuring that our wallets can recover from the costs of the work.  Although some energy-efficient items may have to stare down a higher bill upfront, all of them pay themselves off over time. 

Going from home with no energy efficiency to one with endless energy efficiency can cause severe drops in how much you have to pay for seasonal temperature control and lighting.  This change is good for both the environment and your wallet.

PRK Williams Building Group Can Help

Contact PRK Williams Building Group to learn how we can incorporate energy efficiencies into your next remodeling project. Call us today at (319) 538-2989

Andrea Erickson is a contributor to Innovative Building Materials. She is a blogger and content writer. Andrea is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that increase property value, maximize energy savings, and turn houses into homes.