The tightness of your commercial building envelope in New Haven county can make a difference of hundreds on your utility bills. In the winter during harsh New England snow storms, your commercial building can lose a lot of heat through windows, doors and the very walls of your building.
Through the hot and humid summers, your building will heat up with the intensity of light from the sun. Knowing how to prevent this transfer of heat at the hottest and coldest times of year can is important for saving money and reducing your business's carbon footprint.
How You Can Tighten Your Commercial Building Envelope in New Haven County
Signs of Energy Inefficiency
If your building is energy inefficient, your heating and cooling system will be unable to keep up with your heating and cooling needs. You'll notice problems such as:
- Temperature regulation problems. Keeping the rooms of your building at a proper temperature may become difficult or impossible if your building's envelope is not tight.
- Low HVAC life expectancy. In an energy inefficient building, your HVAC system will run more, which will reduce its service life and lead to frequent breakdowns.
- Spaces near windows and doors will be too cool or stuffy. Air leaks around windows and doors will make the areas near windows and doors particularly uncomfortable.
Tightening the Envelope
The following suggestions will help you tighten your building's envelope:
- Replace energy inefficient windows, or coat windows for UV protection. Old windows are a big source of energy loss in many older commercial buildings. While replacing old windows with new windows is often the best way to tighten your building's shell, this isn't always a realistic option. Applying a tint or low-e window coating to your building's windows reflects light and UV waves, which helps prevent the penetration of heat through the windows.
- Bring your insulation up to code. If your building is very old, the insulation in the walls may not be to code. Improving the insulation will help stop the transfer of energy between the walls of your building.
- Install a cool roof. A cool roof reflects sunlight away from the building, preventing the upper floor from becoming hot. If your building isn't ready for an all new roof, you can have a special membrane installed over your existing roof to have a similar effect.
- Replace old energy inefficient doors. Air leaks around energy inefficient doors can contribute to temperature regulation problems in your building. Weather stripping can help, as can installing commercial-grade entrances and exits designed to keep in the climate controlled air. Revolving doors, automatic doors and other similar fixtures can help.
Work With an Experienced Contractor
At Litchfield Builders we have over 25 years experience as a commercial contractor in the New Haven area. If you believe that your commercial building is energy inefficient, Litchfield Builders can discuss with you the best ways to tighten your building's envelope and improve your building's energy efficiency. Reach out to us today.
