As energy efficiency becomes a common trend among homeowners many turn to DIY blogs and Youtube videos. While there is a plethora of great information available on the web sometimes these tutorials can make air sealing and insulating your attic seem like a walk in the park.
Unlike other home improvements, energy efficiency done incorrectly is sometimes not as obvious. If you don’t tighten a pipe well enough water will leak out. On the other hand if you don’t air seal your attic well enough air leaks out. The obvious difference here is that you will notice the water immediately, but you may never realize how poorly the attic was sealed thus allowing air you have paid to heat and cool to leak out the top of your home. The same goes for poorly installed insulation. If you install a new ceiling fan incorrectly it may not turn on, but when you install insulation poorly you don’t realize that it’s not performing to its peak level of thermal resistance because without a trained eye there is no real way to tell.
Using trained professionals to do these types of energy efficiency improvements benefits the homeowner by ensuring there will be a return on investment. When air sealing and insulating are done properly the homeowner will feel immediate benefits as well as see an immediate decline in utility bills.
There are many energy efficiency upgrades the average homeowner can perform him/herself such as: replacing old incandescent light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs, insulating hot water lines, and sealing ductwork. However, turning to professionals for some of the bigger jobs is always in the homeowner’s best interest. Don’t let your energy efficiency project turn into an episode of Renovation Realities contact GIC for all your energy efficiency needs.