A home that is over ten years old is unlikely to incorporate many energy-saving features in its original design. Nevertheless, there is no need to despair, to tear down and rebuild or to move out of your home. Rather, the home can be reviewed systematically in its entirety before determining how to stretch those renovation dollars for some good energy savings upgrades.
Assessment
Every home is different, no matter its age, and it is not necessarily true that the same renovations or installations for one home will fit another. To start a project, assessing the home is the first step to take. The house’s general condition must be checked first to determine the areas that require improvement. Home designs incorporated improvements in past decades with architects, builders, engineers, and contractors also improving their skills and increasing their knowledge. Draw up a checklist to determine the current energy profile of the house.
Professional assessment assistance
A professional inspection is a smart idea for home assessment. A professional has great advice on the possible corrective action for areas which are inefficient in their energy use. A professional can also help you determine the government rebates for energy-saving features which apply to your situation.
Air leakage check
Air leakage is the most common problem in older homes with poor-fitting window frames and doors that do not stop leaks. Chimneys, commonly found in older homes, are another source of heavy air leakage. Corrective action is simple: apply sealants or use weather stripping to prevent air from leaking into and out of the house. When the air leakage problem is corrected, humidity is better regulated which in turn lowers condensation problems in the insulation.
Check the basement
A number of owners of older homes do not care for their basements properly. Most basements are left out of plans for care and maintenance, leaving them dark, damp, and without proper insulation. Basements like this use up lots of additional heating. A dehumidifier is most often the solution used for moisture problems in the basement, but this is like putting a pail under a leak and going no further.
Issues with dampness, moisture and insulation need to be addressed properly. Older homes may even have crevices between the walls that are severely, if not totally lacking in insulation. Stone walls give the house an impressive outside appearance but they contribute to the high heating bill if the inside is not well-insulated. Thankfully, quick and easy solutions are plentiful for these problems, whether on the inside or outside of the house.
Insulation check
It is a scientific fact that hot air rises. It should not be allowed to escape through under-insulated or uninsulated attics, leaky spots, chimneys and plumbing areas of the house.