Tuesday, 29 December 2015

Insulation Begins from The Top!

Homes lose most of the heating or cooling energy through the attic. Indeed, lack of proper insulation in the attic can cause cold air to get into the house during winter and warm air during the summer. In either case, the HVAC systems have to work harder to heat or cool the house, thus leading to excessive energy usage. To add to this, dangerous ice dams can form on the roof as well.

Insulating the attic is therefore considered the best means for keeping a lid on those atrociously-high energy bills! The trick is to have enough insulation either on the rafters above or floor joists below. It should be done in such a way that the rafters or joists are not visible at all. This will seal off the living spaces below. Simultaneously, insulating the attic door and sealing all air leaks is also imperative.

There are different types of insulation products – such as loose-fill, fiberglass rolls, batts, rigid foam, spray
on, etc. While the latter ones are more expensive (and more effective too with higher R values), the cheaper batts and loose-fill are mostly preferred for sealing the attic spaces.

Energy wastage becomes a thing of the past as the attic energy efficient insulation stabilizes the indoor temperature of the house, thus effectively controlling the heating/cooling needs as well! In fact, according to the Department of Energy estimates, a properly insulated attic can reduce 10%-50% of the energy consumption!

Friday, 11 December 2015

It’s All About Lowering the Temperature on the Roof

Living on coastal California, we are always braced for a spate of sweltering and sweaty summer months that seem to drag on and on. Constant air conditioning is the only way we can tolerate the otherwise unbearable heat and dryness all around. Needless to say, my energy bills always hit the roof in these endless months making a huge hole in my budget!

Last year I happened to step on the roof for a moment when the scorching heat was literally roasting the top of my house. Realizing that the sizzling roof was pushing the air conditioning unit to work overtime to keep the home cool and the further burden only increased the energy consumption, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I approached my regular remodeling contractor, Landmark Construction Crew Energy Upgrades and the expert staff instantly suggested an energy efficient roof as the perfect solution. I had heard of cool roofs and badgered them for more specifics. A technician walked me through various concepts such as the unfeasible-to-me roof garden, tiling the roof with clay tiles, fastening single-ply sheets on the surface or coating it with a heat reflective paint.

We discussed the pros and cons of the different options along with the cost variables and finally settled on the heat reflective paint. The work was completed quickly and I can sense that the roof’s temperature has lowered considerably and energy usage is dropping too! What’s more, I can avail tax rebates on the energy efficiency upgrade making the change almost pay for itself!

What more can one ask for?