More and more homeowners are looking for ways to make renovations that improve the energy efficiency of their home. The good news is there are a lot of ways to make a home more environmentally friendly and make it a healthier place to live at the same time. Here are some tips to follow when you want to remodel your home to make it healthier and less expensive to run and manage.
- Take some time to inspect your home before you start. Go around your home and look for things such as condensation, excess moisture and water intrusion. If you make sure you address these issues in your home remodel project, you will do a lot to help make your home a healthier place to live. Mold thrives in wet places. This is bad. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified literally thousands of kinds of mold and none of them are good for human health.
- Use less framing. There are codes that dictate how much framing you need but if you work with your contractor to use as little as you can get away with legally, you will save money on materials and labor but, more importantly, you can add more insulation to your home. That increases its energy efficiency and will save you money on your utility bill.
- Have the contractors install low flow shower heads. You can save a lot of water by getting the right shower head during your remodeling job. Many homeowners are tempted to put in multiple shower heads but if you do not heed that temptation, you can really make a difference in how much water your home goes through.
- Upgrade your HVAC system. The new systems are much more energy efficient than the older ones. Make sure your renovation includes putting in new ductwork for the HVAC system as well. If you put those in your main home, rather than up in the attic (if you have one). Doing this will save you money on both your heating and cooling and reduce your carbon footprint. Even with regular cleaning, the ducts can get really dusty so the new ductwork can make your air healthier to breathe.
- Get the right water heater. Solar power heaters are great to save energy and money. Another option is a tankless water heater, which only heats water when it is needed. That is another energy efficient way to heat the water for your home.
- Put in a new thermostat. You can get a programmable thermostat to only heat and cool your home when people are in it. Another feature that may of these have is that they are often connected to the internet and can be accessed remotely. That makes it easy to make sure you have it set correctly when you are away or at work. Be careful about where your thermostat is placed. If you put it too close to a heat source (lamp, fireplace, oven) it may think your home is hotter than it is and run your air conditioning unit more than is needed.
- Put in a humidistat. This is a device that will help keep your bathroom drier. As soon as the humidity reaches a certain level, the fan will be triggered to go off. Most people know how much the fan in the bathroom can cut down on mold enticing moisture but often, people forget to turn it on. This way, you do not even have to think about it.
- Look into toggle switches for your outlets. There are great energy efficient switches that let you turn the power off to your any appliances or devices that you are not using. Many people do not realize that your appliances and devices do pull power even when you are not using them. It is hard to stress enough how dangerous mold can be for you and your family so keeping moisture to a minimum is really important.
Many homeowners in the United States are planning to remodel their home soon. Making your home more energy efficient and a healthier place to live is a great goal. These tips for your remodel will make a difference.