Improving the energy efficiency of your home is not about any single magic bullet solution. It requires taking a comprehensive look at the energy losses occurring throughout your home and tackling them one by one. An often overlooked opportunity for energy savings is learning to properly seal around air vents. Air-sealing is a critical part …
Thermal Sealing
When we built our new home my wife designed the blueprints to allow for a bonus room upstairs. The extra space would be nice but I knew I would be dealing with a heating and cooling issue. Bonus rooms built in attics face constant temperature challenges due to walls that are adjacent to unconditioned space. …
I am in the process of finishing the interior of my garage and have been researching how to make it more energy efficient. If you are wondering what you can do to improve your garage’s energy efficiency, stay with me. I’m going to share everything I’ve learned from my studies on this. The key to …
I receive a lot of questions on air-sealing a home. I’m no expert but I have certainly done my research and invested a lot of sweat equity in rehabbing old houses and building new ones. My insight doesn’t come from a degree in engineering. It comes from countless hours of research and hands-on experience. I’ve …
When building my new home I researched options for making the structure as energy efficient as possible. At the same time, I needed to work within a budget. I considered foam insulation but it wasn’t the right choice for me at the time. I decided to focus on air sealing, blown in insulation, and some …
My daughter’s apartment windows were in bad shape due to age, deterioration, and misuse by previous tenants. I could literally sit next to the window and feel air coming in. If you have a similar issue, I’ve got the solution. Tried and proven. Drafty windows in apartment? Here’s what to do: Air seal around the …
Insulation is one of the primary barriers in the thermal envelope and foam insulation has recently seen a surge in homeowner interest. It’s easy to understand why. The question is, is foam insulation worth it and what are the pros and cons of choosing foam insulation? I’ve researched this extensively I’ve learned that there is …
The comprehensive DIY Home Efficiency Audit! If you are anything like me, you know that your home could be more energy efficient. Money spent needlessly each month on wasted or inefficient energy consumption can add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year. But where do you begin? It begins with taking a …
Understanding the effectiveness of your home’s energy efficiency can make the difference between an electric bill that makes you smile and one that makes you cringe. While there are countless areas where your home may be leaking dollar bills, there are a couple of simple tools that you can use to quickly gauge the efficiency …