Home improvements can pay out big time in the long run if you’re looking to decrease your heating and cooling costs and make your home more comfortable and healthier. But depending on the work you’re thinking about having done to your Grand Rapids, Holland, or Kalamazoo home, the initial costs could add up, which means you’ll want to be extra sure that your investment in your home will pay off.
Which energy efficiency upgrades or home performance projects will have the biggest impact on your energy costs, and make the most noticeable difference to your home? Here are WMGB Home Improvement’s five “game changers” that homeowners throughout Western Michigan can use to address their home energy problems.
1. Windows
The heat gained and lost through your home’s windows is responsible for 25-30% of your heating and cooling energy use, and that’s not even taking into consideration older windows with cracks and air leaks. Upgrading your home with a window replacement will reduce indoor drafts and cold spots in your home in the winter, and help keep the energy costs at your Michigan home under control.
2. Doors
If you’ve ever walked by an exterior door in your home in the winter and felt a bitter cold draft blowing on you, you’re not alone! Exterior doors are a common source of unwanted air infiltration in a home, but they don’t have to be. With an entry door replacement from WMGB, you’ll reduce indoor drafts, improve home comfort, and lower your energy bills. New exterior doors can make a dramatic difference in how your home looks and feels as well!
3. Basements and Crawl Spaces
Basements and crawl spaces… they’re often the least visited parts of a home, especially if you’ve got an older Western Michigan house. They can be damp, moldy, and the primary cause of poor indoor air quality. Worst of all, what’s happening down in the lowest parts of your home might be out of sight, but you’re likely still feeling the effects of an underinsulated, wet basement or crawl space throughout the rest of your home.
Basement insulation and crawl space encapsulation work to reduce energy loss and regulate moisture and humidity levels in your basement, and even if you still aren’t planning on spending much time down there, you’ll feel the difference in the rest of your home.
4. Insulation
If you’re too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer, it’s logical to think that your heating and cooling system is to blame. But actually, your HVAC units could be fine, and it’s your insulation (or lack of) that’s leading to significant energy loss, decreased comfort, and higher energy costs. This is where a qualified home performance contractor can help.
Removing old insulation and installing new wall or attic insulation with the proper R-values for our Western Michigan climate reduces energy waste, so your furnace and air conditioner won’t need to run as often in order to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. You’ll also help create more even indoor temperatures (that means less of a change in temperature between the first and second floors of your home).
5. Air Sealing
If you’re thinking about installing new insulation in your home, don’t forget about air sealing! These two home improvement projects work best in tandem, as most insulation is designed to slow heat transfer between the building materials of your home but is less effective if exposed to air movement. Similarly, air sealing will prevent air from traveling in and out of your home through tiny cracks and gaps, but it isn’t as effective at slowing heat transfer between your home’s building envelope.
Together, an experienced air sealing and insulation contractor like WMGB can help create a powerful layer of protection for your Wyoming or Grand Haven home, and scheduling this important home improvement work is one of the biggest ways to see real changes in your house.
Schedule a Home Energy Audit with WMGB To Get Started Today
The best way to find out which home improvement will make the biggest difference for your family is by scheduling a healthy home assessment and energy audit from WMGB Home Improvement. Our building science experts will conduct a thorough, comprehensive evaluation of your house, using advanced technology like blower door testing and infrared cameras to find the specific areas that need the most work.
With the results of your energy audit, we’ll sit down to explain our findings and give you our best recommendations for improving the energy efficiency and comfort levels in your house. Collectively, our team has conducted 6,000+ energy audits throughout the state of Michigan, so you can rest assured that your home is in good hands with WMGB. Find the home improvement project that will make the biggest difference for your home. Call us or contact us today to schedule a home energy audit with WMGB.
