Insulating Homes

Save up to 30% on your energy bills - click here to find out more

You know you are in an Energy efficient home when you open the door and it sounds like you just broke the seal on a vacuum-packed canister.
That little "whoosh" you hear is the sound of a virtually airtight home – which can save you 30 percent on your energy bill.

Energy efficient homes are those that meet very high standards for insulation, windows, ventilation, heating and cooling and construction techniques. You can also retrofit your existing home with energy-efficient improvements.

By making your home energy efficient you'll not only reduce your energy costs, but also improve the air quality and resale value of your home.
Special mortgages are also available to help you finance energy-conservation home improvements, increase your home-buying power for a fixer-upper and stretch your debt-to-income qualifying ratios on loans for existing energy-efficient homes. Contact your local power supplier or mortgage broker for details.

Start with an Energy Audit

To learn where your home needs tightening, first obtain an energy audit, which will acquaint you with routine maintenance to keep energy costs down and point out how to upgrade your home's energy efficiency.
Does your home have room for improvement? Here are common energy-robbing areas the audit likely will turn up.

Windows, Doors, Skylights

Old rope and pulley windows are visually appealing, but unless you seek historic register status for your home, consider installing new double- and triple-paned, argon gas-filled and sealed Energy efficient windows, doors and skylights – which reduce heating and cooling costs. They also help block out harmful pollutants and disturbing sound. "New windows and doors give you the biggest bang for your buck," .

Air Leaks around Doors and Windows

Cracks and gaps in the framing and exterior include literally hundreds of holes for plumbing, mechanical equipment, electrical wiring, exhausts and venting. Leaks that let air in or out make it difficult to maintain a stable, energy-efficient temperature. Air leakage accounts for between 25 and 40 percent of the energy used for heating and cooling in a typical home.
Examine caulking for deterioration around doors, windows, joints between wood and masonry.

Re-caulk where needed, but first remove the old caulk, clean the surfaces and apply new caulk. Likewise, replace worn weather-stripping around exterior doors to minimize air filtration. Examine roof flashing and other areas where pipes, wires, vents and other elements protrude or make a break in the surfaces of your home.

Ducts

Residential ducts can leak 15 to 20 percent of the air forced through them, whether heated or cooled, boosting your heating or air conditioning bill. Look for leaks at joints and connections, including connections at the heater or air conditioner. Tightly sealed ducts help minimize air and energy loss. Common duct tape can't make the connection as well as mastic, foil and fiberglass tape.

Insulation

Even if your home has sufficient insulation, if it is incorrectly installed or becomes damp, it loses its insulating qualities. To create a continuous barrier of protection, avoid gaps, crimping, or compression in insulation, especially around pipes, electrical wiring and outlets. An insulating barrier in the walls, floors, ceilings and attic keeps out excessive heat and cold and provides even temperatures between rooms. Don't forget to insulate plumbing, water heaters and ducts.

Heating, Cooling,Ventilation

Inefficient, outdated heating, cooling and ventilation systems can harm not only your wealth, but your health as well. Uncirculated stale air allows moisture, odors and pollutants to linger in your home.

Consider replacing systems that aren’t energy effiecient if they're more than seven to 10 years old – even those in fine mechanical working condition. Also consider automatic thermostats and a balanced ventilation system with a single intake for fresh air that's filtered, heated or cooled and distributed to living areas and later exhausted through several outlets.

Over time, energy savings as high as 30 percent from Energy efficient heating and cooling equipment will recoup the cost of buying the systems.

Save up to 30% on your energy bills - click here to find out more

Major Appliances

Replace mechanically functional, but inefficient, major appliances including water heaters, dish and clothes washers, dryers, refrigerators, stoves, ranges and the like.

The Future

A brand new product has been launched which is set to revolutionise the insulation industry. Thermilate Limited are license holders for this product which is a paint additive and can significantly enhance the properties of paint from being just a cosmetic product to a real insulating product. Please read below as to how this fascinating product works and its intrinsic benefits.

How does it work?

Thermilate® is an exciting, environmentally friendly product, which uses the latest technology to improve energy efficiency in industrial, commercial and domestic applications by up to 25%.