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0 Building an eco-home from scratch might be an undertaking too expensive for many people. You can turn your old house into an eco-friendly dwelling by applying a few improvements. Some of them don’t cost a lot and can be done by you.
Review the Heating System
The Best Eco Home Improvements Is your heating system efficient? Old furnaces and gas boilers are very bad for the environment and cost a fortune to keep the house warm. Although a modern eco-friendly heating system can cost a fortune, many countries have set up grants to encourage people to go green. Check what grants and benefits are available in your country. Installing a modern boiler or replacing an old furnace with a corn stove can cut your heating bill by half.
When upgrading the heating system, it’s a good time to install an intelligent thermostat so that you can keep a steady temperature and reduce the costs even further.
Insulation
Insulating the house is very important. As far as eco-home improvements go, the most important thing to insulate is the loft. Incidentally, it’s also the easiest place to protect. The attic is normally easily accessible and you can conveniently lay out the insulation rolls. It’s essential to use an eco-friendly insulation material such as sheep’s wool.
Windows and Doors
There’s a huge difference between conventional windows and modern models. If you choose double-glazed or even triple-glazed windows, you can cut the heat loss from the surface of the windows by up to 50pc. The same applies to doors. Check the doors for gaps: If found, you can buy a rope or a rubber strip to treat the gaps.
Another source of heat loss often overlooked by people attempting eco-home improvements is garage doors. If the garage is integrated within the house and the garage door is not insulated, you’ll lose massive amounts of heat.
Thermal Envelope
Look at your house as an envelope covering the living space. Does it have any cracks or faults? Some houses have openings under the roof. Even the smallest crack or opening can leak heat. Another big heat drain is the letterbox and keyholes. Again, almost every DIY shop or eco-building store has simple gadgets in stock that will help you seal the house properly.
Green Energy
Now that you’ve eliminated all the sources of heat loss, your eco-friendly house needs green energy. Solar panels and wind turbines are the two most affordable options.
There are feed-in tariffs available in many countries meaning that the government will pay you to generate green energy. Make the most of it while it lasts.
By applying these eco-home improvement tips you can save money and make your house eco-friendly and cozy.
