Is your energy bill steadily climbing? Are you tired of feeling the chill during Alberta’s long winter months? Unfinished and uninsulated basements are often a surprising source of mounting energy usage, particularly in older homes. Finishing your basement not only helps add value to your property, but can save you money by maintaining a more comfortable temperature all year round. Learn more about how a basement renovation can help keep your home warm, as well as other key areas to consider working on below.
Why It Makes A Difference
For many homeowners, the basement is often neglected, if not a forgotten area of their home. Filled with piles of boxes and other storage items, many basements go untouched for the long term. While we’ve shared the benefits of finishing your basement previously on this blog in terms of maximizing your space within the home, there is another important reason to consider doing so. In addition to giving the whole family more room to play, finished basements can drastically increase your comfort within the home in the long term.
Why? Because of their below ground nature, basements are often the coolest area of the home, with any warm air rising to higher levels. While this may seem fine if you rarely occupy the space, the reality is, that cold air often forces your heating system to work harder than it would need to otherwise, which can quickly amount to higher heating bills during the winter, and even during cooler summers. Poor insulation, especially in older homes, leaves your house vulnerable to chilly temperatures, rising energy costs, and provides the perfect cool and damp atmosphere for mould to begin to grow. Properly insulating your basement provides a warmer space, reduces your overall energy spend, provides cleaner air throughout the home, and can help prevent the risk of mould.
Where To Start?
If you’re wondering where to begin when it comes to insulating your lower level, there’s a few places you’ll want to start. First and foremost, it’s important to partner with a qualified inspector and contracting team to conduct a thorough evaluation of your space. This will help identify and problem areas, as well as any immediate risks that may be “hiding in the woodwork”. From there you can design a plan that fits your needs exactly, as well as embodies your desired aesthetic should you decide to transform your basement into a new area for the family to enjoy. Common elements to be updated or renovated include:
Replacing Windows
Older, single-pane windows, offer little in terms of defense from the outside air. Replacing them with thicker or double-paned, or better yet, triple-paned windows can make an instant difference when it comes to keeping your home warm.
Finish/Insulating Walls
Whether you’re in a fairly recent development that came with unfinished walls or have just never gotten around to insulated your walls in general, this is one of the best ways to create a proper seal against the outside elements for your home.
Wrapping The Water Heater And Updating Old Appliances
Sometimes, even the simplest changes make a big difference. Swapping out old, inefficient washers and dryers and wrapping electric water heaters can help reduce your energy spend and keep things cozy!
Ready to stop overspending on energy bills this winter?
Call Peak Improvements to learn how we can help you design the basement of your dreams today!
