Retrofitting your older home can be a great way to enjoy some of the benefits of living in a beautiful, older home, but with all the modern amenities. Whether you plan to resell the home, or you plan on benefiting yourself from the remodel, retrofitting can be an excellent way to bring an older home into the 21st century. However, retrofitting an older home can be expensive – very expensive. Typically, whole walls need to be taken down and entire systems, like electrical and water, need to be replaced and you also have to think about where you are going to stay while your home is under construction. Fortunately, though, there is a more affordable way to retrofit your home – without all the construction. Here are five tips for an affordable home energy retrofit.
- Add more insulation. Re-insulating your home can be an excellent way to bring your home into the 21st century without all the heavy construction. When it comes down to it, most older homes are lacking proper insulation, because during those days, insulation wasn’t as good as it is today. However, by re-insulating your attic, you can save a lot money on your energy bills, because you can reduce the amount of energy leaks.
- Reseal energy leaks. Many older homes have energy leaks and it seems like the older a home is, the more energy leaks there are. For instance, window and door frames have nearly imperceptible leaks, which need to be found and then sealed up. To find a leak, all you need to do is put your hand across the door frames and window frames of your home – if you feel any air, chances are that you have leak. In this case, all you need is some epoxy resin or some caulking to permanently seal the leaks.
- Install ceiling fans. Ceiling fans are great for reducing your reliance on an air conditioning system. Also, by reversing the blades of your ceiling fans in the winter, you can effectively spread the warmth of your home further and more efficiently. In the summertime, though, ceiling fans can be a great, energy efficient way to cool your home and seek relief from the blinding heat outdoors.
- Install energy efficient appliances. By installing energy efficient appliances, like a new stove, dishwasher and even new toilets, you can increase your energy efficiency by almost 60% – even in an older home. When it comes to retrofitting your home affordably, purchasing new energy efficient appliances can be a great way to bring your home into the 21st century, save energy and save money on your monthly utility bills.
- Purchase energy efficient house plants. There are a number of house plants that improve indoor air quality. Many of these plants emit different properties that literally absorb some of the most harmful indoor air pollutants. In fact, NASA was studying house plants as a way to purify the air inside of spacecrafts, so you can imaging what kind of purifying power house plants can have in your home. Not only are house plants great for retrofitting an older home, but they also look great too.