Ultimately, using less energy and generating less carbon dioxide can lead to big savings on your utility bills in the long term. To build a truly green extension you have to think about several aspects. You have to think further than what electrical supplier you’re going to have or what light bulbs you’ll use. There are many more aspects to building a Green extension which we’re going to explore here.
The first and most obvious aspect of keeping a house Green is insulation. Insulating your pipes, roof and wall cavities is a great way to improve the efficiency of your extension and so save money. However, you can go one step further and choose what type of insulation you use. There are several options available when looking at recyclable insulation, for example. Sheep’s wool is very popular, as is loose-fill cellulose, which is made of 85% recycled newspaper. There is also the more extravagant – and stylish! – option of recycled denim jeans. The material produced from recycled denim jeans is very effective and means you don’t have to deal with any irritants produced by other insulators. On the down side it can be hard to source and relatively expensive.
It’s always a pleasure in winter to enjoy a nice warm room. Different heating systems heat up rooms in different ways. For example, an open fire will heat in a very direct forward facing way, often not reaching the corners of the room as much. This is the opposite for wood burning stoves, which often protrude into a room emitting huge amounts of heat through the metal casing. The direct heat may not be so hot but the stove is able to heat a room from many directions. Wall mounted radiators, which are in most houses heat only specific areas of a room as they must run along the walls. Depending on the size of the room this can result in whole areas not being heated effectively. The solution to this problem has been improving over the past several years and that is underfloor heating. There are two variants of underfloor heating available; electric and water. These can suit need, situation and cost. The reason why underfloor heating is so much better than radiators is because it emits heat upwards all over the room. Then depending on the insulation quality, the room can get nice and cosy very quickly. Some cheaper types of underfloor heating can be simply installed by a skilled DIYer. However the best does have a large price tag on it and requires professional installation. Installing underfloor heating is harder in older houses as the floor needs to be pulled up, but if it is part of your extension then it’s a very simple job.
Fitting a skylight is a great way to be Green and also save money. These are very popular in modern extensions and are often seen in kitchens to let extra natural light in and bedrooms with a slanted ceiling; an attic conversion is a perfect example. Skylights, like bi folding doors are constantly developing and improving, with new styles and options always becoming available. If you want to make the most your skylights you should add blinds. If you add good blinds onto your skylights you will be able to effectively control a new source of light in your home. Our blinds come in a variety of designs to fit with the style of your home. They can be controlled electronically by remote control or on a wall mounted touchpad and are perfect for making your home cosy as well as energy efficient.
At Multifold Doors we install Origin bi folding doors. These are some of the best doors in the industry and have been tested to the limit and passed with flying colours. Bi folding doors, like skylights let huge amounts of natural light into your home. Obviously this depends on the size of the door but even a simple three leaf door can change the feel of a kitchen. This saves light, electricity and ultimately money. The glass used in our bi folding doors is incredibly heat efficient; it outstrips British Building Regulation with ease. Our windows can also be upgraded to be fitted with Aerogel, which is used when making space suits for astronauts. It is the world’s most efficient insulator and will certainly keep you warm in winter, saving on that bill.
So those are some hints and tips on how to make you extension Green and also make changes to your current house. We can provide you with one of the biggest energy savers, which is the thermal effectiveness of your windows. We have done many Green projects before so contact us to find out how we can help you.
