A home’s style can contribute to it’s overall energy efficiency … or inefficiency

Colonial, split level, ranch, cape. These are just some of the popular housing styles you’ll find around Western New York. But do you know which one of these styles is typically least energy efficient?

If you guessed the Cape Cod style, you’re correct! And if you’re currently living in a Cape Cod, don’t lose hope as there are many ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency.

During warmer months, Cape Cod homes are notorious for being very hot upstairs due to a lack of insulation or incorrectly installed insulation. An under-insulated or improperly insulated cape is quite possibly the most inefficient home on the market. This is due to the upper sloped ceilings and the exposed knee wall crawls collecting heat in the summertime. Without a proper insulation barrier, the heat transfers easily to the upper floor of the home. These issues can be easily resolved by installing a proper insulation barrier and proper ventilation.

“There are several ways to set up an insulation barrier in a Cape Cod-style home,” said Nick Cappelli, co-owner of Prime Time Energy Services in Depew. “Additionally, every homeowners’ needs and wants are different. We recommend either making the crawl spaces a conditioned space within the building envelope, or to make it an unconditioned space outside the envelope. If an unconditioned space is what fits your family best, proper ventilation needs to be present in order to exhaust the summertime heat buildup. Otherwise, the home will experience a drastic reduction in the lifespan of the roofing shingles. In many cases the heat buildup will actually deteriorate the shingles and cause them to fail within 10 years.”

There are many instances where insulating the home is a far better choice than installing air conditioning. This is usually a smarter approach since the benefits will be realized not only in the summer, but also during the winter months.

Prime Time Energy Services is located at 67 Sheldon Ave., Depew. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, please contact Prime Time owners Jim Stroehlein or Nick Cappelli at 685-4331 or email [email protected] today.You can also visit www.primetime-energy.com, or follow Prime Time Energy Services on Facebook for frequent updates.