The Citizen, 1991-05-15, Page 21THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 15,1991. PAGE 21.
ftOME 1991
Energy efficient tips
for home renovators
Tight capital, high borrowing . ......... . ............
costs and economic uncertainty are
turning more Canadians to the ren
ovation market in search of solu
tions to their living space problems.
However, few people have experi
ence in renovating their own
homes, and the potential pitfalls are
numerous.
In an effort to foster improved
energy efficiency in the residential
market, the Canadian Electrical
Association together with Canada's
electric utilities, has published a
booklet on Home Renovation - the
Energy Efficient Approach. The
free information contains some
very valuable tips on getting start
ed, deciding upon priorities, man
aging the project and ensuring
satisfaction when the job is com
plete. Its excellent advice applies to
a wide range of large and small
home renovation projects.
Whether renovating a kitchen or
bathroom, the most popular renova
tion projects, finishing a basement
or putting on an addition, the CEA
guidelines will help you hire a con
tractor, finance your renovations,
choose materials, meet proper insu
lation levels and much more.
WHERE TO START
Deciding where to start and what
to include in the project can be a
major task. Every renovator would
like to turn his home into a castle.
But there are important considera
tions in establishing priorities and
limits to the scope of work.
Your house is first and foremost,
shelter for you and your family.
Using this logic, you should start
with the fundamentals outside of
your house to ensure it is adequate
ly weather-proofed.
This generally means eliminating
water problems in the roof and
basement, retrofitting insulation
and caulking levels to improve
comfort winter and summer and
reduce energy cost and finally,
ensuring the maximum level of
structural integrity. It is sound
advice to complete all essential
repairs before non-essential
changes.
WATER PROBLEMS
Check your roof and basement
for leaks. Your roof is easily
checked by climbing into the attic
space and checking the joists for
telltale water marks. Look closely
around vents, chimneys and areas
where sections of the roof are
joined.
A dry basement is equally impor
tant. Check the walls for even the
slightest cracks and have an expert
fill them with epoxy before pro
ceeding further. Landscaping is
another important consideration in
damp basements. Terrain should be
landscaped to allow water to drain
away from the house. Eaves
troughing also helps keep base
ments dry.
INSULATION
Once structural concerns have
been looked after, there are a num
ber of general considerations that
involve almost any renovation from
bathroom to basement. With the
extremes of the Canadian climate,
good insulation all around the
house is important in both winter
and summer.
Whenever any project provides
you with an opportunity to improve
the thermal efficiency of your
home, do it. If you're opening up an
exterior wall, upgrade the insula
tion to at least R20.
The areas of greatest heat transfer
are in joints - where windows and
doors meet the structure and where
A warm dry basement is the
key to a successful basement
renovation.
Insulate and caulk header
area where sill plate
meets foundation.
Foundation.
R20 Insulation.
Wallboard or panelling.
Vapour Barrier on the
warm side prevents
moisture from being
trapped in insulation.
the structure meets the foundation.
Make sure these areas are well-
insulated and completely caulked
or sealed to shut off air flow. It is a
relatively simple procedure to
retrofit these areas. Around win
dows or baseboards of exterior
walls carefully remove the trim.
Fill any cavities with insulation and
seal the area with polyethylene or
caulking or both before replacing
the trim.
LIGHTING IS IMPORTANT
Since natural light is usually very
restricted in these areas, lighting is
an important consideration in base
ment renovations. Recessed light
ing is not energy efficient. The heat
generated by recessed lighting
remains trapped in the fixture.
Table lamps are a good alternative
but remember to install a
lightswitch at the door way to con
trol all electrical outlets. This is an
important safety feature.
Fluorescent lights are great ener
gy savers and work well in hall
ways and bathrooms. Warm white
fluorescent lights provide more
comfort in recreation rooms.
KITCHEN RENOVATION IS
POPULAR
Perhaps the next most popular
renovation is the kitchen. Step one
here is to ensure that electrical cir
cuits are up to modem standards.
The circuits in many older kitchens
were not designed to service the
many electrical appliances in
today's modern kitchens. Most
older houses are serviced by two
wire circuits at 15 amps each. Split
receptacle dual electrical outlets are
recommended for the kitchen.
These outlets allow you to use two
appliances such as a toaster and
kettle at the same time.
Microwave ovens, dishwashers
and major electrical appliances
need different electrical capacities
and require special outlets. Plan the
location of these appliances care
fully.
All major household appliances
now carry Energuide labels. This
label identifies the energy con
sumption level of the appliance. AS
the energy cost of the appliance can
exceed the capital cost of the appli
ance over its lifetime, the Canadian
Electrical Association recommends
buying the most energy efficient
appliances possible.
These are just a few of the tips
contained in CEA's handy renova-
tion booklet. For your copy write to
your local electric utility and ask
for the booklet entitled Home Ren
ovation - An Energy Efficient
Approach or call 1-800-363-3801.
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