Worried about climate change? What about skyrocketing electric bills? One way to help with both is renovating your home to make it more energy efficient.
Not sure how to do that? Here are a few easy ways to get started…
4 ways a renovation can make your Vancouver home more energy efficient
1. Get more natural light
A renovation can add well-placed windows and skylights, maximizing the natural light in your Vancouver home. That natural light will decrease the number of lights you need on during the day, allowing you to use less power. As an added bonus, you will get more natural light throughout the year, which will help you fight the Vancouver winter blues.
The other way to make your lighting more energy efficient is to change your incandescent light bulbs to LEDs. LED bulbs are much more efficient, using less than a quarter of the electricity per lumen and lasting 25 times longer than conventional incandescents. Plus, there are now dimmable and Wifi enabled LED options, making it easy to create mood lighting from your smartphone or automated home assistant.
2. Installing a new water heater system
Conventional tank water heaters use energy to heat water that’s sitting on standby, waiting to be used. A tankless water heater, however, only heats water as needed. That means you are not continually heating water – and that you will never run out of hot water while taking a shower. Another added bonus is that a tankless water heater frees up the space taking up by your old water tank, giving you more room in your Vancouver home!
3. Getting the air flowing
Indoor airflow is another a major factor in energy efficiency. If your Vancouver home is older or poorly designed, you may find heat getting trapped in certain rooms, forcing you to heat various parts of your home separately in order to be comfortable. A renovation can help resolve this by opening up your space. Removing some walls and making your home more open concept will allow air – and, therefore, heat – to flow more easily. Plus it is on trend right now!
The most effective way to make your Vancouver home more energy efficient, however, is insulation…
A renovation gives you a chance to increase the quality and amount of insulation in your Vancouver home, making it more energy efficient. Insulation technology has advanced leaps and bounds since many Vancouver homes were built. If your home has standard insulation batting that can now be replaced with higher R-value options such as rigid foam, spray foam and rockwool.
Exterior insulation is also becoming popular. This insulation creates a higher overall R-value since it is not only between interior studs. On top of that, it adds an additional moisture barrier, keeping your Vancouver home dryer.
At Flipside Homes, we are dedicated to helping you make your Vancouver home as energy efficient as possible. If you are interested in getting a quote for your green renovation, get in touch with us today.
