1650 E. River Road
Energy Efficiency and Your House
I have been getting a lot of questions recently about energy efficiency. How can I make my home more energy efficient? What government tax credits or programs related to energy efficiency can I take advantage of? Who builds the most energy efficient homes? The list goes on.
This being said, I have recently been doing a lot of research regarding ways to make homes more efficient, cost savings, upfront costs, efficiency home building techniques, etc. I have decided to start really digging into these issues to help clients and homeowners make their homes more efficient, save themselves money, increase their home’s value, and do their part to save energy wherever feasible. I plan to write a series of posts (time permitting) to assist those who want tips and opinions on the topic of energy efficiency.
In this first post for the Energy Efficiency category, I am going to talk about insulation and what it means to you. It is widely believed, and I agree, that insulation is the most important way to keep costs down and the cheapest way to improve the rating your home currently has. Proper insulation will allow your A/C to run less often and will keep your entire home at a more uniform temperature level, meaning that one side of the home doesn’t feel warm while the other side feels cold. Now, no one really knows how good their insulation could be — just whether they think it is good enough. I would strongly suggest, if you’re looking to save money on electric bills on your home, that you have an insulation inspection. Geary Morris, for example, of All American Home Inspections, has special infrared cameras that can see through your walls and help you determine where the energy losses in your home are coming from. This service typically runs about $350-$500 per home, but think of the alternative. You may be literally air conditioning the outside world without even knowing it. I have personally seen brand new homes with significant insulation issues. The homes were missing 50% of the insulation that should have been there! No matter how new or how closely you watched your home being constructed, I guarantee your home could have better insulation. Once you know about the issues, the actual installation is simple, quick and cheap. One very good rule of thumb is that the older the home you live in, the more upside you will gain from upgrading your insulation levels.
New homes these days typically offer R-30 to R-36 rating for ceiling insulation (the higher the number the better the insulation). This is prior to any upgraded tech shields, or added insulation. If your ceiling is what’s called blown-in insulation, I suggest that you not pay for the upgrade. However, as soon as you close on your home, get the insulation guys to come over and blow additional insulation in your attic crawl space. Doing so will up your “R” rating and the company will be reasonable on cost since it doesn’t take much time for them to do it. Walls in today’s new homes typically offer an R-19 rating if they are of 2×4 construction and an R-23 if the wall is constructed of 2×6’s. In my opinion, the only upside to a 2×6 constructed home is that you do get the additional insulation properties that come with the 2×6 vs. 2×4 stud construction.
Check my blog in the future to see additional information and tips regarding home efficiency and green building practices. My team and I are conducting a lot of research to try to help homeowners and consumers looking for a new home determine which options they can take advantage of to save money and improve property values. If you have a specific question, please contact us and we will be glad to assist you with any questions you have, whether real estate or energy efficiency specific.