Consider These Winter Home Renovation Ideas

Scott Merle Builders of Baldwinsville, NY, knows that winter in Syracuse (and Central New York) gets downright cold! Winter is the time of year when most New Yorkers don’t go outdoors as much as they would in the summer (unless, perhaps, they ski)… While indoors this winter, why not have Scott Merle Builders do some home renovation work at your house?

Renovating Bathroom

What are some winter home renovation ideas?

Insulation

How about adding insulation to your house? If you’re like most homeowners, you barely know the insulation is there, let alone check to see how it’s doing over the years. That said, there could be some spots in your house that would benefit from improved or new insulation. When you pay special attention to your home’s insulation, you can expect to improve your home’s overall energy-efficiency. That, in turn, should equal less costly utility bills.

New and Better Technologies

Consider having Scott Merle Builders install a new programmable thermostat. Thanks to technology, your thermostat can be programmed to adjust the temperature in your house at certain times, thereby increasing the energy efficiency of your home. Why not have the programmable thermostat heat your house to 65 during the day when you’re not home, but make it 70 at night when you want to be warm and cozy in bed?

New Flooring Systems

What about your floors? If you have old flooring in your kitchen or bathroom, winter is a great time to have it replaced. A lot of times, old flooring is ripped, coming apart, buckling, or just plain ugly after years of wear and tear. Imagine how nice new flooring would look in your home, making it look more up-to-date and attractive? Best of all, you get to pick what you want, rather than “what was here when we bought the place.”

Bring Dream Bathroom to Life

Finally, there’s the bathroom– a room you use often, right? Winter is a good time to have the bathroom renovated to gain more storage space, adjust the lighting, and improve the functional space and overall look to your liking.

This winter, call Scott Merle Builders and find out what we can do for you, to make your home more energy-efficient, attractive and comfortable; Our number is 315-409-4124.

Understanding Energy Efficiency Terms

Here at Merle Builders, we know the words used to describe energy-efficient homes can be very confusing to home owners. Here are some simple definitions to help you understand some of the energy saving options for your home.

 

Energy-Efficient Home

An energy efficient is a house that uses less energy than a traditional home without reducing the functionality of the house.

You can make your home more efficient through things such as closing gaps in the thermal envelope (the ‘skin’ around your home), building with solar generated electricity in mind (whether it be solar panels or facing the house to make best use of daylight), low-e windows and, new energy efficient appliances.

To achieve energy efficiency in your home you will reduce or eliminate services and/or energy usage to save energy.

Living in the Central New York/Syracuse/Baldwinsville area it is important to know how your home stacks up. Learn how efficient your home is currently and ways to improve your home’s efficiency with ENERGY STAR’s Home Energy Yardstick .

 

Net Zero-Energy Home

A home in which energy production and consumption are equivalent.

This simply means  that the amount of energy you produce in the home equals the amount of energy you use in the home. Solar panels are perhaps the most common way for homes to produce energy.

 

Net Positive-Energy Home

A home that produces more energy than the household needs.

It may be possible for a home owner to receive credit from their utility company for returning the excess energy they have produced in their home to the grid. Contact your local utility company to learn more about this possibility.

 

For information in planning your Energy Efficiency upgrades please feel free to contact us today!