Jennifer Smith has pointed to a nice resource on the web (see previous blog post) to help pinpoint opportunities to save energy in your home. If you're considering any remodeling for your home, an indispensable resource is this book, No-Regrets Remodeling, by the editors of Home Energy Magazine.
You can get it at Amazon for about $20, but it's also available directly through Home Energy Magazine for only $11.95. Before you spend thousands on making changes to your home, buy two copies of this book: one for you and one to give to your contractor before he or she starts work.
What's great about No-Regrets Remodeling is exactly that -- no regrets. By reading it first, you won't be slapping yourself on the forehead later regretting that you didn't take advantage of your remodeling opportunity to improve moisture control and reduce exterior noise and improve indoor air quality and improve comfort -- generally at little or no extra cost. It's also a very nice introduction to the basics of what is called "building science," the science of how all the systems and structure of a building work together (or fail to work together).
Even if you're not planning to remodel soon, this is a great reference to understand how your house works and what you can do to operate it better and use less energy in the process.
Comments