As environmental awareness continues to improve every day, there is an increasing focus on eco-friendly home improvement ideas and designs. As a result, many are looking to explore decorations that affect their health, wallets, and the environment in a positive way.
Pergolas are essential in Brisbane Patios because of its strong sunny climate, and they bring incredible elegance wherever they are installed.
Although the most important choices are made during the construction process, homeowners may opt to integrate energy efficient home decorations to minimize energy cost. You can make your home both beautiful and eco-friendly by choosing and using energy saving decorations, accessories, and appliances.
If you plan them right, you can integrate eco-friendly home decorations without spending too much. Below are some energy efficient decors to invest in to achieve a cleaner, greener, and healthier home.
Upgrade Your Air Conditioner
Compared to their newer counterparts, old models of boilers, furnaces, and air conditioners consume more energy. You can reduce your energy cost by up to 20% by investing in a more modern air conditioner. Energy saving air circulators are capable of using up to 47% less electricity.
Installing a programmable thermostat is also important because it will maximize your energy savings. For as little as $60, thermostats can reduce your electric consumption by an additional 10% once installed. Apart from being operable from anywhere, high-end models can regulate indoor air as per preset conditions or at certain times.
Perform a Roof Restoration
Renovating your roof with the help of a trusted roofing contractor may be a bit pricey, but it can help you save more in the long run. By preventing warm air and heat from entering your home during summer, a restored roof cuts down the load on your cooling system. Similarly, it will help keep your house warm come winter.
Look for a local roof restoration service provider, like roofers Manchester, that can provide you with the appropriate solutions for your home. For example, many old homes feature damp tiles. While waterproofing is sure to keep the roof cavity warm during winter, heatproof coatings reflect heat away to ensure that your home remains cool during summer.
Install New Windows
Some eco-friendly home decors are more popular than others because of the additional benefits they offer. Windows are good examples. In addition to providing a higher visual appeal, new windows can reduce maintenance and improve the resale value of a home. But with new windows also comes the responsibility of keeping them scintillating against the sunshine. This implicates to the fact that a reliable company like SAS cleaning high rises should be hired.
While window options were previously limited to single glass panes in various sizes and styles, technological advancement has led to the availability of insulated and more durable windows with two or three glass panes. Regarding aesthetic value, insulation, and soundproofing, both double and triple pane windows are significantly better than single pane windows.
These contemporary types of windows provide better protection against various elements. They are used widely by people living in cold areas. With regards to energy efficiency, triple pane windows offer the highest level of insulation possible. Because your energy cost will be considerably less during the winter months if your home is well-insulated, triple pane windows provide the added benefit of reduced energy bills.
Upgrade Your Fireplace
Almost every new home construction in Naples FL these days includes a decorated fireplace which lends an appealing addition to the home because it can generate a lot of heat. Unfortunately, fireplaces can suck the heat right out of homes, sending it out through the chimney. You can, however, increase the energy efficiency of a fireplace by making the following changes:
- Because wood is known to burn more efficiently with more air circulation, you can increase combustion efficiency by replacing the raised grate in your fireplace with an iron grate.
- Installing an insert ensures your fireplace captures more heat and radiates it into the room. This setup is also recommended by Las Vegas Fire Watch Guards as the installation is also fireproof. Inserts prevent heat from escaping via the chimney. Before circulating the air, inserts warm it up using a heat exchanger. While fireplaces convert about 15% of wood into useful heat, inserts can increase efficiency by a factor of five. For safety purposes, every insert has to feature a stainless steel liner running to the top of your chimney.
- Engage a certified chimney sweep to clean your chimney annually since fires burn more efficiently in clean chimneys. Since the accumulation of creosote in chimneys has been shown to cause nearly 7% of home fires, keeping it clean minimizes the chances of fire.
- Fireplace doors can improve heat retention, particularly if you keep the doors closed whenever the fireplace is idle. To ensure drafts don’t get through, you should keep the doors sealed.
Practice Smart Landscaping
You can save energy by investing in smart landscaping. For instance, you can reduce the cooling costs incurred in summer by planting trees on the sunny side of your home. You should maintain your landscaping to ensure it does not become a liability come winter. Planting native and low-maintenance plants is part of smart landscaping because they do not require a lot of watering. If you do not practice this form of smart landscaping, your water bill is bound to rise in summer due to increased watering frequency.
Install New Flooring
Your flooring helps maintain the temperature of your home and reduce your energy costs. Rugs and carpeting trap heat, which contributes to keeping your house warm during winter. But cleaning them can be a trap, which is why it is important to rely on services like Carpet Cleaning Lexington. They will ensure that your rugs look clean overall especially during winters. Different rugs like Magnolia Home Rug can add character to a room and highlight your sense of style. However, choosing the best type of flooring for your home requires the consideration of several factors. It is advisable to engage professional assistance to make sure you get the most suitable and energy efficient option for your house. Compared to the removal of your siding and its replacement with an energy-efficient alternative, installing new flooring is an inexpensive way to cut energy costs. Flooring Canberra services offer a wide range of carpets, timbers, laminate, bamboo and vinyl flooring. With a variety of traditional styles and colours mixed with new and innovative concepts.
Replace Bathroom and Kitchen Fixtures
You probably know that the aggregate amount of energy used by every lighting fixture and appliance in your kitchen and bathroom is significant. In many homes, kitchens and bathrooms are the most used rooms. As such, optimizing the consumption of these two areas is important if you want to make your home energy efficient. Considering Energy Star alternatives in place of your kitchen appliances is recommended, particularly if your budget allows it. In comparison to their traditional counterparts, Energy Star appliances are more efficient.
To increase your home efficiency even further, replace every light bulb with a CFL or LED alternative. Not only do these types of lighting consume less energy, but they also last a lot longer. Apart from burning just as brightly as incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, LED and CFL bulbs do not emit as much heat or make a buzzing noise when they are on.
Summary
The common misconception among homeowners is that style has to be sacrificed to achieve a sustainable home. But in recent years, the demand for green products has increased significantly. As a result, finding energy efficient systems and products that complement surroundings and allow seamless integration into homes is getting easier.
