By Hank Ozzy
When you and your family are undertaking a new home build, it is a significant project you want to ensure you get right. Having one eye on the future, making it as thermally efficient as possible, and using the greenest materials available, is an excellent way of doing this. There are many parts of your home design which you can amend to include thermally efficient materials that can boost the overall performance of your new home. Below are some ideas to help you get started and ensure your future home will be suitable for your family for many years.
Invest In High-Quality External Windows & Doors
You should ensure that you have a reasonable budget available for the external windows and doors of your new home, so you can invest in high-quality ones that are thermally efficient. At a minimum, you will want double glazing, but if your budget can stretch to it, you can also consider triple-glazed windows to reduce the heat lost through them. There are various options you can use for the frames, and popular ones that are also thermally efficient include aluminium, wood, composite, and uPVC.
Insulated Walls
You will also need to consider the different options of wall insulation you can have in your home, and the cost is not the only factor you should consider. You will want to use an environmentally friendly option with a low CO2 footprint. To give you added thermal efficiency with your walls, you can install cost-effective insulated plasterboard, which can help make your home nice and warm even when it is cold outside. Once you have considered your walls, you can turn your attention to the flooring in your new home.
Loft Insulation
You will also want to use lots of insulation in the loft of your home, where the majority of heat is lost as it rises. You can use spray-on insulation on the underside of your roof and loft roll insulation that will fit snuggly between the joists and help trap the heat in your home. Ensure your architect leaves plenty of insulation space, and your home will stay nice and warm during winter.
Underfloor Heating
Rather than having radiators on your walls, which are unsightly and take up lots of space, consider installing underfloor heating in your home, which is a cost-effective solution. The underfloor heating will also heat the concrete slab of your home, helping it to retain the heat and keep your home warmer for longer. There are suitable underfloor heating options, whatever type of flooring material you are considering using, including:
- Wooden Floors
- Concrete Floors
- Laminate Floors
- Vinyl Floors
- Tiled Floors
- Carpeted Floors
Underfloor heating systems are efficient, and you can have a zonal system to control which rooms you heat. Combined with an excellent hot water boiler, they can make your home more thermally efficient.
Invest In A Quality Boiler
It is also worth investing in a state-of-the-art hot water and heating system to ensure your home is heated efficiently. Modern boilers have leapt forward in efficiency over the last decade, so it may surprise you how economically they can heat your home. Get a suitable modern boiler that is sufficient for your needs, and it can help you heat your home affordably and efficiently.
