How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
More and more you hear about making your home more energy efficient and the many benefits that follow along with the change. That is because being more energy efficient not only is better for the environment, but it can also save you money down the road.
Although some of the switches to be an energy efficient home can get pricey, there are multiple changes you can do that can fit any budget. Many of them are quite small and simple but have enormous benefits later on.
Let’s take a look at different ways you can make your property more energy efficient.

Reduce Power Usage
A good chunk of the environmental pollution comes from those who produce power for the country to use. Unfortunately, until we have cleaner energy sources to rely on, we need that power. However, if you can reduce the amount of power you use at your home, that can have an impact.
Start by turning off the lights in rooms you’re not in. Change out the lightbulbs in your home to energy efficient LED bulbs. Utilize natural light as much as possible through windows and skylights.
Insulate Your Home
A house that is not insulated will only cause you problems. That is because nothing is keeping the cold air outside during winter and inside during summer. If you’re continually losing air from inside your home, you’ll have to keep running your furnace or air conditioner.
Check that there is weatherstripping around all the doors in your house. Make sure all windows, skylights included, are properly sealed. Any holes you can find, especially in the attic, plug or seal them.
Use Energy Efficient Appliances
We have more options than ever before when it comes to energy efficient appliances. These differ from standard ones since they require less power to operate. Although switching to some energy efficient appliances is a large investment up front, they do pay off the longer you have them. You’ll find that you reduce the amount of power you need, the run better and can even last longer.
Reduce Your Water Consumption
Your water consumption also affects how energy efficient your home is. The more you can conserve water, the less your property needs which will save you money. So, be conscientious about the length of your showers. Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth. Minimize the number of small loads of laundry or dishes.
Unplug Where You Can
Electronics not in use that stays on and plugged in can use up a ton of power. Even though the screen is black and the device is in sleep mode, likely things are happening behind the scenes that we don’t see. That means the device is using power when you’re not using it. Unplug electronics and chargers that are not in use.
Install Solar Panels
Although these are another investment, installing solar panels on your property have many benefits. To start, you can produce your own power rather than relying on buying it. In return, you’ll save yourself a lot of money the longer you use a solar panel.

Remember as a child you were encouraged to go outside to play so that you could get some fresh air? That is because fresh air has many benefits for us. Except during high allergy seasons (spring with pollen and fall with harvest are excellent examples), you should try and bring the outside air into your home if you can’t make it outside.

One way of doing that is by installing a skylight that opens up, or a roof window. Not only do these let the sunshine into your house, but they also give you the option of opening them to let in the fresh air.

If you’re on the fence about an opening skylight, take a look at how letting in the outside air will benefit you and your family.

 

Clean Out Your Lungs

Even with excellent ventilation in a building, the air can get stale and full of particles. By opening a window and letting the fresh air circulate through your home, it helps clean out your airways. When you breathe in the fresh air, it dilates your lungs more fully while cleaning them out.

Be cautious about the time of year, however. If someone has allergies and breathes in the outside air that has pollen from plants, it could flare up their allergies.

Increased Energy

When you can breathe in more clean air, it gives your body a boost of energy. That is because fuller lungs allow you to breathe in more oxygen which goes into your body’s cells. More oxygen means more energy.

Increase Immune System

Continuing with the blood cells, more oxygen helps out or white blood cells. Those cells are our defences against germs and bacteria. So, the more oxygen you breathe in, the stronger your white blood cells are which means, the better prepared you are to fight off illnesses.

Boost Your Mood

Did you know that fresh air can help boost your mood, especially if you suffer from depression or anxiety? When you breathe in more oxygen, it increases the levels of serotonin in the body. Serotonin is the happy hormone our body makes to keep us happier in life.

Freshen Up Your Home

It’s hard to beat the smell of the outdoors, especially on a clear, crisp day. If you notice that your home needs a boost of freshness, one of the easiest and quickest ways to do that is by opening up a window. The smell of the outdoors can instantly make a home feel more clean and welcoming without doing anything.

 

These are only a few of the benefits of why you should let fresh air into your home. Installing a skylight that opens is one way of doing that. You get the benefits of the sunshine and Vitamin D, and you have the option to open the window to take in all the benefits of the outdoor air.

Skylights are a popular and unique way to let in more daylight to not just small and enclosed areas of the home, but the whole house in general. The windows in the roof do not take up any precious wall space, and there typically isn’t anything obstructing their view. Skylights are an excellent addition to any home.

The one concern many homeowners have is how they can keep their skylight secure from leaks and unwanted entries into the home.

Luckily though, with a bit of knowledge and ensuring the right procedures are followed, you can have an elegant skylight that brightens up the home, all while being safe for the whole family.

 

What Kind of Materials Used?

The materials used in a skylight play a big role in how secure it is. Weakened glass will only be a quick entrance for anyone who wants to gain access into your house. Not only that, because they are easily breakable if you live in an area with high winds, large amounts of snowfall and hail, or where debris could fall on the skylight, it is also susceptible to getting damaged and broken.

A skylight should have a combination of tempered (toughened) glass and laminated glass. When you heat tradition glass about 600 degrees Celsius and then rapidly cool it, it creates tempered glass. It’s an excellent choice for the outer pane as if it was to break; it shatters into tiny pieces. There is less risk of any jagged shards falling into your home.

The downfall to toughened glass is that not only is it safer for your home, it is likely safer for intruders to break, causing it to be a risk for burglaries. However, by pairing it with laminated glass for the inner pane, you greatly reduce the risk of any chance a burglar could enter. That is because the glass supports itself and cracks rather than shatters.

Reseal It

Over time, the original seal used when installing the skylight can deteriorate, especially when it’s in contact with the outside elements. Once that seal breaks or weakens, it allows for water to seep through the seams. Resealing it is a good habit to get into to ensure that your skylight stays leak-proof.

Install a Skylight Screen

If you’re going to have people on the roof of your home or work in a commercial area where there is lots of action on the roof, a skylight screen may not be a bad idea. These are easily installed over the skylight and are typically made of steel. These screens protect workers from stepping on the skylight and potentially breaking it and falling through.

The downfall to a skylight screen is the appearance. Many do not like the look of having a flat or dome-shaped metal apparatus over the skylight. You’ll likely have shadows from the screen reflecting into your home. However, given the amount of safety it provides, that tends to outweigh the appearance.

If you’re thinking of installing a skylight, you may also be thinking about attempting it yourself. There are many parts of the home that can be excellent DIY projects for you and the whole family. However, a skylight really shouldn’t be one of those projects.

When installing a skylight, there are many things you need to consider first. Some points may not even come to mind until it is too late. Once you begin the installation process, you usually cannot go back.

You’re best to leave installing a skylight to the professionals. Here are a few reasons why.

 

Finding the Right Skylight

The first step of finding the best skylight for your home can already be difficult. There are many different types of skylights available, and many of those have various features. When it comes to a skylight, it is not a whole-size-fits-all. There are some that may be suitable for your roof, and some that could do a lot of damage.

When picking a skylight, you must consider factors like the weather, ventilation, the shape, size, and if your roof can handle a skylight. Determining the right size can be quite challenging.

Proper Placement

When installing a skylight, you do not just plop them into the roof wherever you want. You must carefully plan out the placement before installing. Placing a skylight can not only damage your roof, but it could let in more light (and heat) than you hoped for.

You need to include things like the rafters, chimney,s vents, attachments, and anything else that could obstruct the skylight. The age of your roof is also something to consider too. If you installed a skylight in an area that is ageing, the roof may not be strong enough to handle the installation.

Installation Can Cause Damage

Improper installation can weaken and damage your roof. If the roof of your home is weak, you are putting your family at serious risk. Even the smallest error in the installation process could do thousands of dollars in damage.

You need to remove a portion of the shingles to start the installation process. If you do not remove the shingles correctly, that right there can cause unwanted damage. You’ll end up spending more money having to replace the shingles.

Having a tight seal around the skylight is crucial. If there is a gap along the seams or anywhere around the skylight, there are many things that could go wrong. For one, if it starts to rain, you are bound to have water leaking into your home. You will also have a draft in your home, which will either cost more money to heat your house in the winter or cool it in the summer.

 

When it comes to installing a skylight, you are better off hiring a professional to do the job. There are many aspects to the installation, and missing one step could cause serious damage to not just the skylight, but to your home as well.

Avoid having to spend more money because something went wrong. Call us today for all of your skylight questions.

Are you looking for new ways to bring natural light into your home? A skylight might be what you need. Installing a skylight helps to brighten up a space, especially small rooms, and can completely change the feel of the area. In the evening, a skylight can take a dull, dark place, and give you a breathtaking view of the night sky above.

Skylights can be useful in other ways besides brightness and changing the atmosphere. They can also help reduce utility costs in your home. In the winter months, the skylight lets the natural sunlight in which will help keep the room warm. Also, because of how much light they bring in, you could have enough natural light that you wouldn’t need to turn on artificial lighting.

If this all sounds good, it may be time to think about a skylight. However, before you buy, here is a guide to help you make the best decision for you.

Types of Skylights

When it comes to skylights, there is no one-type-fits-all deal. There are multiple types, including various sizes and styles. Knowing what type of skylight is best for each room could help make the installation process run smoother and save you money from having to replace it.

There are three main types of skylights commonly installed:

• Fixed – these do not open up or provide ventilation. They are installed in hard to reach places to provide additional lighting and dramatic views of above.
• Tubular – these skylights work great in tight and enclosed spaces.
• Vented (Roof Window) – as the name suggested, this is a skylight that opens like a window. Typically, a vented skylight is best suited for rooms that require extra ventilation, like a bathroom or kitchen, to remove excess moisture.

Type of Material

You also want to consider what the skylight is made out of. Skylights are glazed with a variation of plastic and glass material, either done in a single, double, or triple glazing. The most economical material is plastic. A plastic skylight is quite sturdy. However, the plastic can turn yellow over time unless there is a special preventative coating applied. Plastic skylights also let in more UV rays than others.

There is the option of a glass skylight. Going with this option will be more expensive than plastic, but a glass skylight does provide a more elegant look. A glass skylight is usually scratch resistant and is quite durable and long-lasting. However, if you live in an area that is susceptible to large snowfalls or hurricanes, you’ll want a special glass used.

There is also the option of adding a solar-heat control glaze to the skylight. It helps make it more energy efficient.

Know the Ratings

A skylight will have a rating for heat loss, UV blockage, solar heat gain, the percentage of light transmitted. Pay attention to the following numbers on a skylight:

• U-Value: this measures the heat flow through the skylight. If the skylight has a low U-value, it is better at resisting heat
• R-Value: this measures the insulation value of the skylight. The higher the R-value that means the skylight is insulated better.
• Shading Coefficient: this means the solar heat gain. A low shading coefficient will mean there is a lower solar heat gain through the glass.
• UV Blockage: this is the value in which the glazing blocks UV rays from the sun.
• Visible Light Transmittance (VLT): this measurement shows how much light is let in. A high VLT means plenty of natural light.

Chances are you’ve lived in a place, or went on a vacation to a cabin that had a skylight. Those windows built into the roof of the home that let in sunlight during the day and reveals the starry sky at night. Skylights are beautiful when installed correctly.

Installing a skylight is a bit of an investment. They may be pricey at the start, but there are many benefits afterwards. Many will ask if it is worth the investment of installing a skylight – we’re here to help answer that question.

 

The Upside of a Skylight

First, let’s look at why skylights are worth the investment. To help you make an informed decision, you want to see the whole picture. Consider the following points:

Allow In Natural Light

One of the main perks of a skylight is the amount of natural light they bring in. The window looks towards the sky, usually with nothing blocking its path. All you get is beautiful, natural light.

Skylights work great for lighting up small spaces. For example, a bedroom closet, bathroom, or any room that doesn’t have window access would benefit from a skylight. A skylight in the bathroom allows you to brighten up the space while still giving you privacy.

Ventilation

Not all skylights open up. However, if you install one that does, it will provide you with ventilation into the room. Allowing in fresh air can help cool off a hot room in the summer. Alternatively, adding in a skylight that opens to the bathroom allows for the humidity and condensation to escape.

Pleasing to the Eye

Even if you install a basic skylight that doesn’t open up, they are still beautiful to have. A skylight is aesthetically pleasing and can really change the atmosphere of a room. Give the feeling of the space being larger than what it is by opening up the roof a bit with a skylight.

Turn Off the AC/Heater

A strategically placed skylight can benefit you by not having to use the central air or heat. In the summer months, open up a skylight to allow the cool air from outside to flow in. In the winter months, a skylight will let solar heat into the room, warming it up without flicking a switch.

The Downside of a Skylight

There are a few downsides to installing a skylight. Once you know everything, you can then decide if a skylight is suitable for your home.

Pricey

As mentioned, skylights are an investment – they can be pricey to install. They do require maintenance to ensure they are sealed off properly. However, it is up to you to see if the initial cost is something you can afford.

Leak Potential

Just as a regular window can leak, so too can a skylight. If a skylight is not installed properly, there is the chance that rainwater could leak through the seams and into your home. Water can damage the interior of the house, leading to a mess and having to spend more money.

 

In the end, going with a trusted company to install your skylight will help prevent any damage to the house and water leaking through, which will save you money in the long run. Installing a skylight does have many perks that can take your home to the next level.