Tag Archives: how to make your home energy efficient

Installing home insulation

Getting The Right Home Insulation

Insulation is a key component in home maintenance, and the practical reason is twofold. First of all, it’s a matter of comfort. In South Florida, home insulation determines how much cold air is let out, as well as how much hot air is let in. It’s also an economic concern (as well as an environmental one), as insufficient insulation will undoubtedly cause your energy bills to rise.

How Home Insulation Works

To find the right insulation for your home, you need to know about its “R-Value.” This is the standard measure of an insulating material’s resistance to heat flow, defined as heat transfer (difference in temperature) divided by a period of time. Simply put – higher R-Values translate to better insulation. And whether or not you know it, each room in your house has a recommended R-Value, so be sure to check with your contractor or maintenance/repair man on whether you have the right one.

Different Types of Insulation

When finding the right home insulation, another factor to consider is the type of insulation. As a jumping off point, here are the types utilized in homes accredited by the nonprofit Energy Star:

Batt Insulation

  • What: Made of fiberglass or another mineral fiber , which are then fitted into blankets of different thicknesses.
  • Where: Installed within walls to fill in any gaps or crevices.

Blow-In Insulation

  • What: Made of cellulose or fiberglass that is blown in with a hose.
  • Where: Completely and evenly fills the walls in an attic.

Sprayed/Injected Foam Insulation

  • What: Synthetic insulation that is generally composed of polystyrene and/or polyurethane foam that is expanded or fashioned into large sheets after manufacture. It is also available as a spray foam.
  • Where: Can be injected in basements, crawlspaces, and walls outside. As a sprayable foam, it can also be used to fill insulation cavities anywhere throughout the house.
home maintenance services to make your home green

10 Home Maintenance Services to Make Your Home Green

Home maintenance services by CCM are designed to take your South Florida luxury home and make it even better. This can mean any number of things: from painting to redecorating to making your home green. In fact, homeowners are becoming more and more interested in how to make their home green and energy efficient. Here are 10 South Florida home maintenance services that will do just that.

Appliances

energy star

Energy Star logo” by United States Environmental Protection Agency – This vector image was created by converting the Encapsulated PostScript file available at Brands of the World. Remember not all content there is in general free, see Commons:Fair use for more.. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Appliances (refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, etc.) are everyday items that use more energy than we often realize. However, you can save both money and energy by upgrading your appliances to ENERGY STAR rated products. ENERGY STAR is an international standard for green household appliances that was begun by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Upgrading to their rated appliances can save big (e.g. 20% on refrigerators and 41% on dishwashers).

 

HVAC Systems

HVAC repairENERGY STAR rated HVAC systems can also reduce your energy use — but there’s a catch. It has to be installed properly! That’s why HVAC upgrades and installations are one of the crucial South Florida home maintenance services that CCM offers.

Insulation

Insulation is a great way to make your home greenBad insulation is a great way to waste energy…but fixing it is a great way to make your home more energy efficient. CCM will not only install better insulation with environment-friendly materials. As part of our South Florida home maintenance services, we will thoroughly inspect your insulation to make sure there are no gaps that lead to wasted energy.

Landscaping

Custom landscaping can actually make your home greenIt may not seem like it, but custom landscaping and South Florida home maintenance services go hand-in-hand when it comes to making your house green. The environmental benefits are numerous: from blocking sunlight (which keeps your house cool) to reducing the water you use in irrigation.

Lighting

Home maintenance services with CCM even includes switching lightbulbsReplacing your lightbulbs and installing new ones is a simple yet effective way to make your home green. CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) are a great way to accomplish this. They’re not much more expensive than incandescents, but they’re about 4-5x more energy efficient. If you don’t mind spending a bit more, you can install LEDs (light-emitting diodes), which can be as much as 80% more efficient!

Plumbing

Plumbing is one of the most important home maintenance servicesA variety of plumbing repairs and services are at the core of CCM’s South Florida home maintenance services. We can install shower heads that reduce water. In addition, we’ll upgrade your current toilets to low-flow plumbing fixtures. Energy efficient plumbing fixtures can cut your water use in half…and toilets use over 25% of your house’s water. You do the math!

Solar Panels

Installing solar panels is an essential South Florida home maintenance serviceThe average solar panel will convert about 20% of exposed sunlight into usable energy for your home, which leads to HUGE savings! Buying and installing them usually aren’t cheap, but the tax credits and energy rebates they give you is more than enough to make up for this. For this reason alone, solar panel installations have become indispensable South Florida home maintenance services.

Thermostat

CCM's home maintenance services include setting thermostatsOne of the simplest ways to make your home green is to simply reduce the AC or heat on your thermostat. So why don’t people just do that? The fact is that most of us are too busy to be concerned with this. However, CCM can program and install a thermostat that automatically reduces this unneeded energy.

Water Heater

"Water heater bathroom" by User:Mattes - Own work. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Water heater bathroom” by User:MattesOwn work. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Hot water and making your home green may clash when it comes to hot water. On the one hand, taking a relaxing bath is part of living in a South Florida luxury home. On the other, there is the environmental impact. However, you can resolve this by having CCM install a tankless water heater in your home, which can cut your energy bill in half!

Windows

Home maintenance with CCM includes window installationThere are many South Florida home maintenance services that will make your windows more energy efficient. One popular way is double-glazing, which uses two panels of glass separated by gas to trap heat and insulate your home. In addition, consider buying wood-framed windows rather than UPVC-framed ones.