Tips to Turn Your House into a Greener Home
In this day and age, leading a lifestyle with low carbon emissions has become a priority. This has led to the popularity of more eco-friendly homes. However, with 80% of properties that will be standing by 2050 being already constructed, renovating our houses to make them energy-efficient and environmentally friendly is a vital undertaking. But just how do you improve your dwelling’s efficiency? Here are a few simple but highly effective tips from Corgihomeplan including Monroe Louisiana insulation Spray foam.
Upgrade the Home’s Insulation
If your house is poorly insulated, then attaching renewables does not make sense. Insulation is vital for eco-retrofitting as about 40% of a home’s heat loss comes down to the lack of it.
Insulating the cavity walls or loft is relatively easy. You can achieve this with an array of materials, be it expanding foam or even sheep’s wool. The project will cost you anywhere from £300, but it will lead to savings of more than £170 in energy bills per year.
Insulating solid walls is a bit tricky. Externally, you can fix a layer of insulation to the existing walls and then cover in a render. Internally, you can apply thermal liming. However, if you are working with an older home, you’ll need to ensure you retain the building fabric’s breathability to prevent damp issues.
Insulation for such structures vary, but you can get an almost accurate quote by consulting the National Insulation Association.
Invest in Solar Power
You can use solar panel systems to power your house, heat water and they work well with financial incentives like FITs.
Solar PV (photovoltaic) systems transform solar energy into electricity. They do not require direct sunlight to work, meaning you can still rely on them when it’s cloudy. However, you will need to install the panels on a wall or roof that faces within 90 degrees south. Installing a solar panel system will set you back between £8000 and £15000. However, the savings down the line will be worth it.
Pro tip: Seek Inspiration!
If an eco-retrofit seems like an overwhelming project, you may want to take a tour of the Renovation House found at the National Self Build and Renovation Center for some inspiration and motivation.
At the start of the tour, you’ll be introduced to a dilapidated interwar house. The home showcases all the problem areas you might face in a normal retrofit- poor heating, rotting wood, damp and no insulation.
As you are guided around, you will be told how to determine common issues and the required measures to solve them. From replacing window frames and treating rising damp to installing insulation, the Renovation House has everything you need to know in an eco-renovation.
By the time you are done with the tour, you will have adequate inspiration to begin your own house transformation.
Consider Double/Triple Glazing
At least 10% of a property’s energy is lost through the windows and so, it is vital that yours do a good job. Double and triple glazing today comes in a wide array of appealing contemporary designs. Replacing your windows with double or triple glazed iterations will substantially reduce heat transfer. To even reduce heat transfer further, you may want to consider a window filled with a low-conductivity gas like argon.
Another great option is a low-emissivity window, which features a special coating that reflects heat back into the room. Check out our feature on energy-efficient windows to learn more.
Opt for Renewable Heating Systems
Taking a natural approach to heating your property is the epitome of sustainable living. We have already covered solar energy, but there are other options worth looking at, such as heat pumps and wood-fueled systems i.e. biomass boilers.
Geothermal heat systems garner warmth from beneath, where the temperature is usually constant, and turn it into useful energy. These systems use buried pipes to extract heat from the ground for both your property’s heating. Usually, you don’t need planning permits, but you will need to be ready for the disruption that comes with digging up the yard.
Air-source systems utilize the same principle, but instead, extract heat from the air. You can fit them to an external wall or the roof space, which makes them excellent for retrofits. These systems will set you back about £2500.
A standalone stove heats one room and you can fit it with a back boiler in order to heat water.
A wood-fueled heating system utilizes logs or pellets to either heat a single room or power the central heating system. A biomass boiler feeds the central heating as well as hot water. The whole project should set you back about $10,000 including installation.
Reclaim & Reuse Building Materials
Diverting demolition and construction materials from the waste stream and reusing them is a great step towards a better environment. Demolition or remodeling sites are the best sources for reclaimed materials. Structures are usually dismantled carefully so that the materials can be sold.
Also, you can check salvage yards for useful materials. These yard sales have everything from heritage products to old materials and top-of-the-line construction materials. Reclaimed building materials can be very beneficial, particularly if you are retrofitting a heritage or period property. However, it is important to make sure you are getting materials that are fit for that project.
As you can see, it does not call for a lot of thinking to turn your house into an eco-home. With the future of our environment in mind. It is important to have an efficient house as soon as possible.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
