Energy costs are at an all-time high, and the possibility of them coming down soon seems far-fetched at the moment. As a homeowner, the best thing you can do is make your home as energy efficient as possible. Here are some services that should be on your list of energy efficient companies for your home.
1. Roofing Company
Your roof protects your home from harsh weather conditions, but it can cause a significant increase in your monthly bills if it’s not energy efficient. If your home is in an area that lacks shade, your roof will be constantly exposed to the sun, raising indoor temperatures. High temperatures will overwork your HVAC system and cause a spike in your energy bills. A local roofing company can help improve your home’s energy efficiency in several ways, making it a great addition to your list of energy efficient companies.
Roofs need ventilation to ensure proper airflow between a home’s attic and exterior components. If your roof lacks adequate ventilation, it’ll trap hot air in the upper section, causing the indoor temperature to increase. Installing vents along your roof’s low points is important as these facilitate the inflow of cool air.
You need more openings on the high sections to let rising hot air escape. Ensuring your roof has proper air circulation will help regulate temperature, eventually reducing the burden on your HVAC system. A local roofer will know the best approach for ventilating roofs in your area and the most appropriate materials.
The roofing material you choose influences the amount of heat your home absorbs or releases. If installing a new or replacement roof, you want its materials to be energy efficient. While you can’t go wrong with asphalt shingles, metal roofs installed by metal roof contracting services have a reflective coating that deflects sunlight. Thanks to this feature, less heat is absorbed, which conserves energy that would otherwise be used for cooling.
Metal roofs also last longer than 50 years and require less upkeep than other roofing materials. Stone-coated steel, copper tiles, and aluminum shingles are a few of the metal roofing alternatives on the market. When selecting a roof, most homeowners only consider how it’ll look next to the wall and the landscape. While the shingle color influences a house’s appearance, it also impacts how energy-efficient a roof is.
Dark roofing materials increase a home’s interior temperature as they absorb heat from outside. They’re also faster at releasing heat, which makes them perfect for melting snow in cold climates. On the other hand, light-colored shingles absorb less heat at a much slower rate, keeping indoor temperatures cool. For this reason, bright roof colors are ideal for hot and sunny areas.
Depending on the weather and your home’s surrounding environment, choosing the wrong shingle color will make your home either unbearably hot or chilly. As a result, you’ll use more energy to regulate the temperature in your home. While they’re an expensive investment, solar shingles are the most energy-efficient roofing material in the market.
These photovoltaic panels are available in tiny sizes that mimic conventional roof shingles. They’re a great option for homeowners who want to use dependable solar electricity but don’t want their roofs to look clanky. A roofer can help you navigate your options to choose the best roofing material for your energy needs. Another valid reason why you should include a roofing company in your list of energy efficient companies.
2. Siding Company
Your home’s siding is one of its main protective barriers against the elements. It serves as your home’s most external barrier from unfavorable weather and temperatures that can make life uncomfortable for the people and belongings inside. Your home’s insulation won’t be as efficient as it can be if you put off having the siding replaced.
Faulty siding will let hot or cold air from outside penetrate your home while allowing warm or chilly air from inside to leave. This’ll make for an uncomfortable living situation and cause your HVAC system to work harder to compensate. As a result, your home will consume more energy and be less efficient overall.
However, by replacing your siding with the help of a house siding replacement service, you can head off such issues. You can opt for insulated siding or separate insulators and siding. Either way, you’ll protect your home and family by investing in a replacement sooner rather than later.
If you already have issues with your current siding, they won’t improve with time. They’ll just deteriorate as your bills get higher. By taking care of these problems right away, you’ll reduce your home’s maintenance needs, protect your HVAC system, and avoid unforeseen costs in the future.
Vinyl siding is one of the most popular energy-efficient solutions. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 36% of newly constructed single-family dwellings completed over the last year used vinyl siding as the primary exterior wall material. Stucco is also an energy-efficient alternative but a less common home siding installation choice than vinyl. Given their inferior durability and poor insulation, stone, aluminum, and fiber cement siding are considered some of the worst siding options for energy efficiency.
Hiring professionals to replace your siding will immediately increase your property’s curb appeal and market value. It’ll also help facilitate comfortable indoor temperatures all year round while lowering your carbon footprint and energy bills. There’s no better time to start looking into energy-efficient siding options; a professional siding company can help.
They’ll consider several factors, including your home’s size and the area’s climate, and use that information to recommend the best solution to make your home energy efficient. So when thinking of energy efficient companies, don’t forget about siding services.
3. Window Company
Windows significantly impact your home’s energy efficiency and should be on your list of energy efficient companies for your home. If you notice a sudden spike in your energy bills, there’s a high likelihood that your old, deteriorating windows are the reason. Replacing them with the help of a window company will dramatically improve the comfort levels in your home and lower your heating and cooling costs.
Homeowners today are increasingly opting for energy-efficient windows. They keep your home warm in the winter and cool during summer by preventing air leaks. These also relieve the burden on your heating and cooling system, reducing the likelihood of malfunctions and extending its lifespan. You’ll save money on both energy bills and HVAC repair expenses.
Older windows leak more, causing unconditioned air to enter your living space. This causes the HVAC system to work harder to maintain the desired indoor temperature. The obvious result here is an increase in your energy bills. By investing in energy-efficient replacement windows and hiring qualified house window replacement companies for the installation, that’ll be an issue of the past.
Another benefit of investing in modern energy-efficient windows is they’ll let in more natural light while blocking harmful UV rays. These windows offer outstanding fading protection for your furnishings, carpeting, decorations, and possessions. The low-emissivity glass coating that’s standard on energy-efficient windows blocks UV light.
If things are tight for you financially, there are some things you can do to increase the energy efficiency of your current windows. Storm windows can minimize air leaks and make your home more comfortable. You can use caulk to seal cracks, gaps, or stationary seams around the window.
Doing this will help reduce air leakage. One can also weatherstrip the moving components around the home, such as windows and doors. Adding blinds or shades can also help keep heat out during the hot months and during the cooler months of the year. Consult a window and door installation company as part of your list of energy efficient companies to hire so you can discuss the best solution for your home.
4. Garage Door Company
While it may not be the most pleasant news to hear, your garage likely tops the list for the most inefficient room of the home. It doesn’t have to be that way. Most homeowners don’t consider their garage part of their home.
They see it as an extension of the outside. However, attached garages are like any other room. The more energy-efficient your garage is, the more you can lower your carbon footprint. In this sense, garage door companies are one of the best energy efficient companies for your home.
An inefficient garage practically breathes in the chilly winter air and the intense summer heat. The cold or hot air seeps into the adjacent living spaces through the ceiling and walls, wreaking havoc on your home’s efficiency. You can do a few things to make your garage more efficient.
Even if you’ve had professionals properly insulate your garage walls, you must consider the cost of investing in an insulated garage door. Without these energy-efficient doors, you’ll be negating the purpose of the insulation in the walls. The reason for this is a thin aluminum sheet does one thing better than anything else, transfer cold and heat from the outside to the inside.
For several hundred dollars, you can acquire a brand-new insulated door, but an insulation kit will only set you back a fraction of that. These kits include thin sheets of double-bubble radiant insulation applied to the garage door’s interior. In the summer, this insulation will reflect heat away from the door, while in the winter, it will keep heat inside the garage. You can also opt for foam board insulation to achieve the same results.
The mechanism behind opening and closing your garage door involves many tiny parts. These components typically experience wear and tear over time. Unfortunately, when this happens, it’ll take longer for your garage to open and close, allowing more air to enter and escape the home. New residential garage doors come with new hardware, such as welded tracks and robust connections. When installed correctly by a reputable garage door company, they can significantly improve the overall efficiency of your home.
When temperatures are high, your garage door is more likely to malfunction. Most brand-new garage doors come with reliable weatherstripping that can prevent air penetration. Modern doors typically use PVC weatherstripping, which maintains flexibility even in cold weather. A professional can point you in the direction of the best door for your home.
You can’t overlook your garage door and the importance of including a garage door company in your list of energy efficient companies for your home.
5. HVAC Company
The HVAC System is one of the most important components of any home or structure. It’s designed to regulate the temperature within a structure through heating and cooling to create a pleasant environment, regardless of the season and weather outside. Energy-efficient HVAC systems need less energy, so you’ll save money in the long run. There are several ways air conditioning services can help make your system more efficient, making it worthy of consideration among energy efficient companies for your home.
Local HVAC professionals can retrofit your old system if it’s large and you’ve been keeping up with HVAC maintenance throughout its lifetime. You can also have them replace the compressor and add air-side economizers to take advantage of cool air from outside or condenser fan controls. If you intend to live in your current home for a long time, you’ll want to look into getting a new energy-efficient system along with equally efficient ducting. Look for Energy Star-Rated models and units with high SEER ratings as they adhere to strict energy efficiency guidelines.
It may seem obvious, but most homeowners overlook the value of regular maintenance for their units. You need to get your system inspected by professionals at the beginning and end of each season to ensure everything is in working condition. Regular maintenance will ensure your system operates at peak efficiency, lowering your monthly energy bills. Leave all your heating needs, including furnace installation, to the professionals.
Depending on the nature of your work, you likely spend most of your time in your home. With the effects of Covid, you may even be one of the individuals who now work from home. This means you’ll likely be blasting the AC, using artificial lights, among other things. So you want it to be as energy efficient as possible. This read highlights some energy efficient companies that can help you achieve your goal of a greener home.