How Your Home Contractor Can Make Your Home Green

If you're like most people, your home is your biggest investment and you want to do everything you can to take care of it and ensure it increases in value or at least holds its own in a tough real estate market.

Older homes often have character with quality workmanship and details that set them apart from more modern built homes of today. These homes are usually designed in masses without the fine quality and details of the past. It is these details that can make them attractive to buyers and owners alike thus helping them hold their value.
But what older homes gain in character and individuality, they often lose in energy bills since older homes were not built to be green homes like today's homes are.

This doesn't mean you have to give up your idea of a green home or commit yourself to high energy bills to live in or own an older home. A home contractor can upgrade your older home to include energy saving windows and doors. This improves your current level of insulation in your home, which can go a long way to lowering your high energy bills.

Have your home contractor start with your windows and doors. The options for attractive windows and doors are endless and you don't have to sacrifice looks and functionality for a green home. The single pane windows of your older home may be attractive and the wavy look in older glass windows is definitely a unique feature but these windows are almost worthless when it comes to insulating your home. In terms of efficiency, these older wooden frames do not support energy saving efforts.

It's not complicated to find energy saving windows. Your home contractor can help you select the right energy rated window by looking for windows that are star energy rated. Replacing your old windows and window frames and your un-insulated doors can save you as much a 15% instantly on your energy bill.

Add to that your home contractor can take out the rolls of pink insulation that line the attics of most older homes and blow in a more energy efficient insulation. Spray foam insulation can adhere to every crevice and niche inside your attic and create a better barrier between your home and the great outdoors.

Finally don't forget to have your home contractor insulate your foundation crawl space and your walls. It's not uncommon to find older homes built with no insulation in the foundation crawl space or to use newspaper for insulation in the walls. While the newspapers are historically interesting they aren't great at saving your money on your energy bills.

The initial cost to insulate your home may seem high, but keep in mind that your home will not only be physically unique when you're done, but it will also be as green as any modern built home- giving you the best of both worlds.