If you’ve done all you can to improve the energy efficiency of your home and are still experiencing higher utility bills than you’d prefer, your garage may be the culprit.
Most homeowners know they can cut costs by making their homes more energy efficient. Doing the same for the garage is an afterthought — or is not thought of at all. Consider, though, that most garages are not heated. So especially during the cold season, the garage becomes yet another potential source of frigid air, separated from your living space in some cases by just drywall and a door. A typical two-car garage measures 480 square feet, about 20 percent of the size of the average U.S. home. Since most garages are not built with energy efficiency in mind, that represents a lot of room for energy savings. Fortunately, renovating your garage to be energy efficient is far less disruptive to the household than a home remodel. Here are ten things you can do to make your garage energy-efficient and save money on energy costs throughout the cold season. Insulate Garage Walls: Rolling the right R-value insulation between your joists or blowing it through a small hole in your drywall filling your garage’s sides and ceiling can help keep the warm air in and the cool air out Caulk Between Your Garage Walls and Floor: A foam sealant or latex/silicone based caulk works wonders to prevent heat from flowing out between your walls and floor. Seal The Door Connecting Your Home To Your Garage: Check for leaks around the entrance door. Install weather-stripping around the door frame. If your threshold isn’t properly sealing the bottom of your door, apply a draft stopper. Caulk any leaks and the trim along the outside and inside of the door. Insulate Your Garage Door: You can either buy an insulation kit or a new insulated door. The kit will be more affordable, however, may not provide as much insulation as a new door. Insulate Outlets And Light Switches: Use outlet/switch foam gaskets to seal these small escape hatches for energy and carbon monoxide. Switch Out Your Lights: Start using either CFL or LED lights in your garage. A LED light bulb only uses 12 watts of electricity to create the equal amount of lumens as a regular 60-watt bulb. A CFL light only uses 15 watts. Windows: Switch out your older windows with Energy Star® certified windows. Solar Heating: If you really want to make your garage energy-efficient, install solar panels. This way you’ll avoid using electricity or gas to keep your garage warm and comfy. Seal Cracks In Your Garage Floor: Cracks in your garage floor introduce cold air and gases into your garage and allow heat to escape. Concrete sealant will prevent heated air from escaping and stop cold air and gases from entering. Keep Your Garage Organized: Do you have too much stuff crammed into your garage? Invest in a storage shed. Your garage is an important part of your home. Follow these tips and you’ll have a more comfortable garage and home and lower energy bills. You can implement these suggestions one at a time, and then use your imagination to come up with other ways to turn your garage into the greenest one on the block! Source: Garage Energy Efficient Tips
0 Comments
|
AuthorEvolution Energy Partners LLC ("EEP") is an energy consulting and brokering company focused on helping clients reduce their energy costs by addressing both supply side and the demand side issues. evolutionep.com/ ArchivesCategories |