Smart ways to boost your homestead’s energy efficiency

(Homesteading.news) (BPT) – You wouldn’t know it with the mild weather we’re having this winter, but spring is fast approaching. Building industry experts say now is an ideal time to carefully consider and prioritize home renovation plans.

Most homeowners will opt to address the cosmetic features of a home when completing a renovation project to add comfort and value. However, it’s often what you can’t see that can have the biggest impact.

Before diving into any home renovations, consider the “skeleton” of your home, known as the building envelope, rather than just the cosmetic features such as chrome fixtures or granite countertops. For instance, high efficiency windows are an excellent investment for any home renovation to help drive down excessive energy waste and high utility costs. The U.S. Department of Energy suggests that traditional windows contribute to as much as 10 percent of the total amount of air escaping from a typical home, while improperly sealed doors can contribute a further 11 percent.

Another easy renovation idea to consider is researching and selecting high efficiency, green materials in commonly used rooms, such as bathrooms. Low flush water systems, solar hot water systems and even small-scale geothermal energy systems, as well as Energy Star-rated appliances, can reduce energy consumption and your overall carbon footprint while maintaining a comfortable, enjoyable living space for you and your family.

Investing in an effective insulation solution also can make a noticeable impact on reducing household utility costs. Building experts suggest that homeowners completing a home renovation should be as involved as possible in determining the best insulation type for their home. This means that homeowners should actively research the types of materials available and how well they perform over the long term.

Spray foam insulation, like that which is available from Icynene, is growing in popularity among homeowners since it is an energy-efficient insulation material that delivers year-round benefits.

Spray foam insulation works well in all types of homes across the country, regardless of climate, to curb air loss and retain the conditioned air within your home to maintain a consistent, even temperature. The Energy Department notes that spray foam insulation boosts your home’s resistance to heat flow. The more heat flow resistance your insulation provides, the lower your heating and cooling costs. Properly insulating your home not only reduces heating and cooling costs, but also improves comfort.

Spray foam insulation performs for the life of the property, ensuring that homeowners can enjoy comfortable indoor temperatures all year round without overrunning their heating and cooling equipment and accumulating high heating and cooling costs every month.

Learn more information on the effectiveness of spray foam insulation is available online at www.icynene.com.

Many homesteaders live in older farm houses that were not built with efficiency in mind, so if this describes your home, beefing up its heating and cooling abilities will be money well spent – even if you’re living in a log home.

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