3 ways to improve home comfort and efficiency, and save money!
For homeowners, the warmer months are a great time to think about areas of the home comfort and look for areas ripe for home improvement. Looking around the perimeter of your home as well as the inside with a critical eye can typically help homeowners identify several areas requiring attention that may have gone unnoticed during winter.
Here are three ways homeowners can improve indoor home comfort, increase the energy efficiency and add value to their home.
Schedule equipment maintenance
Seasonal use of your home’s furnace and air conditioner also means they require seasonal maintenance. It’s recommended to schedule a HVAC tune-up with your local utility provider. Not only will maintenance help optimize the performance of HVAC equipment during the season, but it will also contribute to their durability for the long term. Also consider checking the air filters and replacing them as required. The U.S. Department of Energy notes by simply changing your HVAC filter, efficiency of your HVAC equipment can improve 5-15 percent. These small measures can have a significant impact on how your home performs.
Check your roof for any ice dam damage
If you live in an area where snow and icicles are common sights during the winter months, you may want to consider assessing your roof for any roof damage caused by ice dams. Ice dams form as the result of a poorly insulated attic or roof. Expensive, warm air escapes through the roof to cause any snow that has accumulated to melt. As the melted snow runs off the roof, it begins to refreeze as it nears the colder temperatures of the eaves. Ice dams can place a large amount of structural stress on your eaves trough. The excess weight can eventually drive the eaves trough to detach from the house.
Having a professional check your roof for any damage will help identify problem areas and allow you to address them early. It may also be a good time to work on reducing your home’s air loss via the attic or roof by replacing your existing insulation with an insulation and air barrier material such as spray foam insulation.
Check your basement for water damage
Assess whether your basement has experienced any water damage near windows due to melting snow. Water damage can lead to a range of problems, including the potential for mold growth and mildew. Consider replacing your basement’s insulation with closed-cell spray foam insulation like that available from Icynene. Closed-cell spray foam insulation is recognized by FEMA as a flood-resistant material, making it an ideal solution to help maintain comfort in often-overlooked basements as well as reduce the risk of water damage. An inexpensive Z-Wave IoT water sensor can be easily added to your smart home automation system, and warn you of water leaks before they cause any damage.
Spray foam insulation provides both insulating value and air sealing in one step to help create a comfortable living space while limiting air loss and potential mold growth. Spray foam insulation, which is growing quickly in popularity among homeowners, is a high-performance material that delivers year-round energy efficiency benefits. Plus, spray foam can be used in a variety of areas in the home, such as basements, attics and walls. Spray foam insulation performs for the life of the property, ensuring homeowners can enjoy comfortable indoor temperatures all year round without overrunning their heating and cooling equipment. The foam insulation material limits air loss through the attics, prevents potential water damage in areas such as basements and helps create a comfortable living space.
Homeowners interested in understanding more about the performance and energy-efficiency advantages can download Icynene’s comprehensive home insulation mobile app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. More information about Icynene spray foam insulation can be found at Icynene.com.