In the first of a monthly column, MICHAEL DRAGE, founder of Reimagined Habitat, looks at how to increase energy efficiency when you design and build a new home, renovate, extend or just to update your current home.

WITH the move to higher energy ratings for new homes (finally!), rising energy costs, and, well, that thing called climate change, every little thing we can do to make our homes more energy efficient helps.

But, perhaps the most overlooked part – unless you have lived in one of the under insulated cold/hot boxes Canberra is known for – is the comfort levels and health benefits (both physical and mental) of living in an efficient home. (More of that in next month’s column.)

We will tackle our topics backed with a combination of research and practicality. I have found that if we can help you understand why things work, then it makes it easier for you to work through the how and what to do.

Topic 1 – Keep it tight

Get rid of the draughts. You can have the best insulation, the best windows and the best design, but if the cold or hot air is pouring in or out, then the house just doesn’t work.

Air tightness is usually the key driver when we analyse the efficiency of a home. The building code says the air in the house should only change 10 times per hour (older homes in Canberra can be many multiples of this). This means you have to heat or cool 10 times the volume of your home each hour to maintain comfort. Imagine if you could make it three? Straight away your heating and cooling bills go down 70 per cent.

TIPS

• Install seals around leaky windows, doors, skylights and roof access points. Bunnings has a range of options.
• Make sure exhaust fans have baffles in them to stop air leakage when they are not on.
• Check gaps through floorboards and skirtings. One option is blow or spray in insulation which can not only help with this but also keep your feet warm at night. A side benefit is it usually gets rid of any creaky floorboards!

TRAPS

• If you get too tight you need to think about mechanical ventilation systems (another topic for the future).

More detailed information on this can be found on the blog page of our website.

 Email info@reimaginedhabitat.com.au or call 0419 391282.