Improving energy efficiency is a great home improvement goal and one we can't recommend highly enough.
It can be tackled from several different angles, but the best projects can help you save money on your utility bills and help the local and global environment.
Creating and prioritizing a list of projects that will improve the energy efficiency of your home is helpful in knowing where to begin. The general condition of your home and your budget are both important factors in determining how to make the best list possible.
Improving insulation should certainly be at the top of this list but an important factor that should be addressed in conjunction with insulating is "air sealing". Average homes lose most of their heat through air leakage as opposed to through insulated walls, ceilings and roofs. Air sealing is done with caulking, expanding foam and weather stripping. And, much of this work can be done by homeowners if they are so inclined. I recently worked with a group of 12 volunteers to air seal a house in Maynard. In about 5 hours we reduced the home's air leaks by nearly 23%. (Not bad for amateurs.) The image below helps to understand home air leakage better.
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Another thing to consider about your home is whether you have particular problem areas you want to solve -- rooms that are particularly drafty or cold in certain weather conditions. Understanding building science is a critical skill for solving these types of problems.
An easy way to compare your home's energy efficiency to others in the Boston area is to use these charts developed by my remodeling peer, Paul Eldrenkamp, a local crusader for more efficient homes.
Thomas Buckborough & Associates specializes in projects that require understanding a client's needs, tastes and budget while balancing those with an existing home's aesthetics, construction and needs for improvement. This type of home energy discussion is the perfect compliment to what we do and we urge you to contact and to challenge us to solve your home energy efficiency.
We would love to help you create a home efficiency list of your own as you dream about your home. Whether it is a new kitchen, and architectural addition or solving building science problems give us a call to work with you!
