make my home more energy-efficient

Turns out I am really bad at walking on roofs, what with missing support beams and stepping THROUGH the roof and such :( Instead of doing it myself, I contracted a buddy to complete this for me. He did it in a couple of hours in exchange for some brews. Definitely feeling the lower temperatures inside the house. Well worth the investment.

I bought reflective coating for the roof, and am just waiting for the rain to stop so I can apply it. From the research I’ve done, it seems this bad boy reflects the sun’s UV rays, lowering the temperature inside the house. Of course, this should lead to lower cooling bills.

If the weather cooperates, I should be able to complete the project in a day, so I should start experiencing lower temperatures as early as Monday! :)

So far, I added insulation to both the front and back doors around the jambs. This keeps the cold air from seeping out between the doors and the frame.

Last summer, I replaced our regular thermostat with a programmable one, with very good results. I also replaced most of our bulbs with CFLs, though I am considering upgrading again to LEDs.

Right now, I am debating the cost of solar panels and I have a few other ideas, but I will post those when I am done with the changes.