Energy Efficiency

A few weeks back, we gave you some ideas on how to prepare your home for winter. Today, we will shed some light on how to step up your energy savings even more, and make the most of your home prep efforts. 

While a professional energy audit may be the most thorough (you can find information on selecting a professional via the the U.S. Department of Energy), homeowners themselves can perform an energy assessment.

• Locate and seal air leaks. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that this along can amount to a potential savings of anywhere from 5% to 30% annually, not to mention the comfort addressing drafts brings to your home. Leaks can be found wherever there are natural gaps, from doorways to areas along baseboards or electrical outlets. Remember to inspect the exterior of your home for gaps or cracks in the foundation, siding and windows.
• Check insulation. Your home — especially if it is an older one — may not have the proper level of insulation, resulting in heat loss. Check the attic for openings in pipes or ductwork. Inspect your basement, especially the crawl space or door to the exterior. Remember that for greater efficiency, your water heater, hot water pipes and furnace ducts can all be insulated.
• Updating systems and appliances. While replacing an older HCAV unit would certainly help your home’s efficiency, it may not be realistic for the budget. But even replacing light bulbs with energy efficient incandescents or LEDs can help, since lighting account for approximately 10 percent of your electricity bill. Inspect your appliances and consider unplugging certain ones when not in use or changing the setting to lower energy use.

Kruse Home Improvement has diagnostic capabilities such as thermal imaging to detect problem areas when we approach a project or renovation. This ability is especially useful on projects such as door and window replacements as well as additions to ensure that the work addresses any regions that are potentially problematic.

Insulating Your Home ... During Summer?

We've all heard about insulating your home in the fall to help with heating costs in the winter. But did you know that insulation can also help keep you cool in the summer? Think about it -- how many of us have visited the attic in the summer only to emerge from a sauna? If your home isn't properly insulated, rather than that heat staying trapped in the attic, it seeps out and makes your entire home warmer. Insulation aids in blocking that flow of heat. While heat escapes in the winter, it flows in during the summer.

Clues Your Home Needs Insulation

• The age of your home: If it was built in the 1960s or earlier (pretty common in the Northeast), you could likely benefit from added insulation.
• Inconsistency in temperature: For example, your home may have colder spots in the winter and hot spots -- like the upstairs -- in the summer.
• Snow melting from your roof in the winter a little faster than your neighbors' or frequent ice dams or icicles.

Summer Home Improvements

According to a recent poll by Harris Poll, a majority of homeowners  -- 56 percent -- are planning to invest their money on home improvement projects in 2014. Twenty seven percent plan to remodel an outdoor area such as a patio, deck, pool or landscaping. Coming in next at 17 percent are bathroom remodels, with home repairs and kitchen remodels following at 16 and 11 percent, respectively.

This is all good news for Kruse Home Improvement, since we are well-equipped to help in any of these scenarios!

With summer finally upon us, let's take a look at some options for the warmer months that can help increase your home's value, along with your comfort.

Siding

Replacing or improving your siding can not only add to curb appeal, it can increase a home's value. Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value Report states that a common siding replacement may result in an estimated 79 percent return on the initial investment. A good siding replacement offers the added bonus of increasing your home's energy efficiency and insulation.

Energy-Efficient Windows

Piggybacking on energy efficiency, replacing windows can do wonders. If you take advantage of the warmer months to replace old windows, you will reap the benefits come winter. Older, single-pane windows are a major warning sign to potential home buyers. Remodeling cites that you may recoup at least two-thirds of the job cost in terms of home value. If you plan on staying in your home for the long run, why not pay less on utilities and avoid the frigid drafts that come with winter?

Deck Addition

Vacations are great ... and can be expensive. Why not take advantage of your home's own outdoor space with a deck addition? It can increase your home's value, while widening your area for outside entertainment and relaxation. Read more on this in our past blogs about building your deck and decorating it.

Source(s): houselogic; Kiplinger
Photo credit: FreePhotosBank