7 Ways to Greenify Your Home This St. Paddy’s Day

March 17, 2017

On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone sees green. From the clothes you wear to the beer you drink to the milkshake you order at your local McDonalds; green is the color of the holiday. So, it makes perfect sense for St. Patty’s Day to be the perfect time to think about the various ways you can “greenify” your home.

If you’re looking to make your home more energy efficient this year, then here are seven different ways you can make your home more green.

#1: Seal Any Sources of Air Leaks

Take an afternoon and walk around your home and really inspect the exterior of the structure. Look for any cracks, holes, or other penetrations. Each of these areas offer the air in your home to escape, so they need to be plugged up. Fill up smaller cracks with caulk and use spray foam insulation on larger gaps. Next, head inside and check for worn or missing sealant around your windows and the weather-stripping around your exterior door. If these need to be replaced, do so. The more air-tight you can make your home, the greener your home will be.

#2: Install Low-Flow Toilets, Shower Heads and Faucets

An American households wastes gallons of water every time the toilet is flushed. In fact, the toilet accounts for one-third of all of the water use in the average home. But, by making the change over to low-flow plumbing fixtures, you can save as much as 25% on your water consumption.

#3: Replace Your Old Appliances With Energy Star Appliances

Understandably, it can be expensive replacing major appliances, so you may not be able to replace them all at once, but by upgrading to an Energy Star model every time you need to replace an older appliance, you can enjoy up to 50% less energy consumption by that appliance. Start with your oldest major appliance this spring and you’ll start noticing greater savings with every upgrade.

#4: Replace Your Windows with High-Efficiency Windows

If you have older windows that rattle in their frames every time the wind blows, then odds are you’re losing a lot of warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer. Plus, if your current windows aren’t rated Low-E, then they most likely don’t prevent the sun’s ultraviolet light from entering your home. Start replacing your windows with high-efficiency, Energy Star-rated windows and you’ll enjoy greater comfort indoors and lower energy bills.

#5: Add Insulation Through the Home

Quite often, older homes weren’t built with the standard of insulation that is used today. So, if you have an older home, you can consider improving its insulation by using insulation with the highest R-Value you can find. The higher the R-Value, the better its ability to resist heat flow.

#6: Upgrade Your Water Heater to a Tankless Water Heater

Traditional water heaters are notorious for the amount of energy they waste. This is because they have to constantly heat the water throughout the day and night in order to keep it at a constant temperature. This means even when you aren’t even using the hot water, your tank is working to keep the water hot. But, by switching over to a tankless water heater system, your home’s water is only heated when it is called for.

#7: Upgrade Your HVAC System

Upgrading your home’s HVAC system is not a cheap undertaking, but if your current system is over 20 years old, then doing so will be a good investment for your home. Not only will your energy bills be lower with an Energy Star HVAC system installed, but your home will be more comfortable and safer.

Want a Home Built Just for You? Call Trusst’s Wilmington NC Home Builders

Trusst Builder Group is one of the leading Wilmington NC home builders and we can help you live your dream of a greener, more environmentally responsible lifestyle. We incorporate the very latest green technology in our builds, from Energy Star-rated appliances and windows to state-of-the-art heating and cooling systems. Everything is designed to deliver the utmost comfort, but at a fraction of the energy use.

Want to learn more? Just give us a call today at 910-371-0304 to schedule a consultation with our experienced designers, architects, and builders. We think you’re going to be excited about what we have to offer.