Often its the simple ideas that are the most effective. When you’re building a home it’s an oppoprtunity to ‘build in’ the thinking that will pay for itself throughout the life of your home – simple ideas like:
Insulation
Sound pretty basic doesn’t it. You would be surprised how many new home builders try to cut costs by reducing their insulation.
Here’s a few quick facts – In an uninsulated home:
- Wall account for around 35 percent of heat loss
- 25 percentis lost through the roof.
- The remaining 40 percent is lost through doors, windows and the floor.
That will add up to a big heating bill in winter and cooling in summer. The good news is that this can be easily reduced by installing quality insulation throughout your home during your build. Remember: your home will only be as comfortable as the quality of your insulation you invest in. We can help, speak to us about the many options we can “build into” your home.
Window Glazing
This is an option that is so often overlooked but can deliver an excellent return on investment.
Glazing makes good sense when you consider that by installing double glazed or triple glazed windows you can reduce heat/cooling loss by up to 80%. Double/Triple Glazing also delivers a host of additional benefits :
- Noise reduction
Double glazed windows provide excellent acoustic insulation and can reduce up to 60 percent of outside noise. - Increased resale value
Installing double glazed windows is a great way to increase the resale value of your home and is an excellent long term investment. Double glazing can also improve the value of older buildings through retrofitting. So whether you’re renovating an existing home or building a new one, its a fabulous option. - Enhanced security
A single pane of glass can be easily broken, dining intruders access. However, double glazed windows are designed with enhanced security features, providing more protection against burglars. - Energy savings
This is perhaps the most obvious benefit – cost savings that start from day one of moving in. Double and triple glazing mean that you will use your Air conditioning or heating systems less. Some days not at all and who doesn’t love that. Great your the environment and your hip pocket. Speak with us about double glazing, were here to help. - Limit damage to furnishings
UV light can be damaging to the interior of a home. Double glazed windows limit the amount of direct sunlight and heat that enter a house, thus protecting your furniture, drapes, carpet and paintings.
Shutters, Curtains and Blinds
Shutters, curtains and blinds all help limit heat loss. Well-installed curtains can help to reduce heat loss through your windows, provided they are installed without gaps that allow air movement between the window and the room. Open curtains and blinds during the day and close them just before it gets dark to allow your house to gain heat from the sun during the day, and better retain it overnight. In summer, close curtains and blinds on the side facing the sun and open windows to help keep your home cool.
A simple method, yet an effective one. If the sun is quite hot in the sky and facing your windows, then you should absolutely close your curtains or put down the blinds. These can be indoor or outdoor blinds. Instead of going through your windows – the curtains/blinds will deflect or absorb the sun’s rays and keep your home cool.
This can be considered quite an old method as it would’ve been used before there were any cooling or heating systems. Similarly, if you’re trying to keep your home warm in the winter, the windows will be some of the coldest parts of your house. If they’re normal windows then the cold will seep through. This is generally why we also close our blinds and curtains in the evenings – as well as for privacy reasons.
To ensure the best performance from curtains they should:
- be floor-length and touch the floor, or have pelmets above them with only a minimal air-gap between the top of the curtain and the pelmet
- fit tightly against the wall or window frame
- be wider than the window frame
- preferably be double layered with a thick lining.
For Blinds:
- Try and install blinds with only minimal gaps around them. Honeycomb blinds that contain air-pockets within the blind can provide good insulation.
Shutters
Shutters help block cold seeping in and will also assist with warming by retaining the heat. Lowering them as the sun goes down will keep the warmth gained from the sun inside and provide an extra barrier against wind, draughts and escaping heat at night.
Ceiling Fans can be reverse in winter to help circulate warm air. Phot courtesy Bigass fans
Fans
Ceiling fans are an ideal way to circulate air to create a breeze in summer and reversing them in winter to circulating the warm air from the ceiling down the walls and into your room in winter. They are cost effective both to buy and run.