Vintage Chicago homes have plenty of character, but energy efficiency was not exactly a priority when many of them were built. Drafty windows, minimal insulation and aging mechanical systems can make an older home expensive to heat in winter and difficult to keep comfortable during summer.
Fortunately, improving home energy efficiency does not mean turning a historic home into a new-build lookalike. The best approach is often to identify where the house is losing energy, address the biggest problems first and incorporate energy efficient home upgrades into other remodeling work whenever possible. Here is where homeowners can start.
Begin With an Energy Audit
Before replacing windows or adding insulation, find out where the problems actually are. A professional home energy audit in Chicago can identify air leaks, inadequate insulation and inefficient mechanical systems. Depending on the assessment, testing may also reveal areas where conditioned air is escaping or outside air is entering the home.
This is particularly useful with Chicago old homes, where the obvious culprit is not always the biggest one. Those beautiful original windows may feel drafty, for example, but substantial heat loss could also be occurring through an under-insulated attic or poorly sealed penetrations. An audit gives homeowners a better basis for prioritizing improvements instead of guessing.
Air Sealing Can Make a Big Difference
Older houses tend to have plenty of small openings that add up. Gaps can develop around windows and doors, plumbing and electrical penetrations, attic access points, foundations and other transitions in the building envelope. Addressing these leaks can improve comfort while reducing the workload on heating and cooling equipment.
Air sealing is also one of the improvements that may make sense to coordinate with a larger home remodel. Once walls or ceilings are open, contractors may have access to areas that would otherwise be difficult to reach. However, sealing an older house requires some care. Homes need appropriate ventilation and moisture management, so the goal should be a better-performing building envelope, not simply sealing every opening without considering how the house functions as a system.
Improve Insulation Strategically
Many vintage homes were built with significantly less insulation than today’s homes, and some assemblies may have little or none. Attics are often a logical place to investigate because heat movement through the top of the house can have a major impact on comfort. Exterior walls, rim joists, crawlspaces and basements may also offer opportunities depending on the home’s construction and the scope of renovation.
During energy efficient home remodeling, insulation decisions should account for the way an older building manages moisture. Adding the wrong material in the wrong location can create unintended problems. This is particularly important with Chicago historic homes, where masonry walls, plaster and other traditional building materials may behave differently from modern construction.
Don’t Automatically Replace Original Windows
Windows are often blamed for poor efficiency in old houses in Chicago, and sometimes replacement makes sense. But old windows should not automatically go to the top of the demolition list. If original wood windows are in good condition or can be restored, weatherstripping, repairs and properly installed storm windows may improve performance while preserving the home’s architectural character. In other cases, replacement windows may be appropriate, particularly when existing units are severely deteriorated or already poor-quality replacements.
The larger lesson is to evaluate the windows as part of the entire house. Replacing them can be a significant investment, so homeowners should understand how much of their energy problem is actually coming from the windows before committing to the project.
Upgrade Heating and Cooling Equipment
An efficient building envelope and efficient mechanical systems work together. Older furnaces, boilers and air-conditioning systems may consume considerably more energy than newer equipment. If major mechanical systems are nearing the end of their service life, a renovation can be an opportunity to consider more efficient replacements. But equipment should not be selected in isolation.
If a renovation also includes new insulation and air sealing, the home’s heating and cooling needs may change. Mechanical equipment should be sized for the improved house rather than simply replacing the old unit with another of similar capacity. Depending on the property and project, homeowners may also consider heat pumps, updated controls or zoning strategies that provide better control over different areas of the house.
Look Beyond the Big Projects
Not every energy efficient home improvement requires opening walls. Smaller upgrades can contribute to overall efficiency, including LED lighting, efficient appliances, smart or programmable thermostats and improved water-heating equipment.
During kitchen and bathroom remodeling, homeowners can also consider water-saving fixtures and efficient appliances as part of the design rather than treating efficiency as a separate project.
These choices may not be as dramatic as a new kitchen layout, but incorporating them during a planned renovation can make the finished home perform better without requiring another project later.
Make Energy Efficiency Part of the Remodeling Plan
One of the best times to improve an older home’s performance is when you are already remodeling it. If siding is being replaced, there may be an opportunity to improve the exterior envelope. If walls are open, insulation and air sealing become easier to address. If a kitchen remodel requires electrical work, it may make sense to evaluate other electrical upgrades at the same time.
This is where renovation energy efficiency becomes less about adding individual products and more about coordinating the work. For homeowners considering energy efficient renovations, discussing these priorities during design can also help identify which upgrades fit naturally into the project and which would add substantial cost or complexity.
What About Return on Investment?
Homeowners often look at home remodel return on investment strictly in terms of resale value. Energy improvements have another form of return: how the house performs while you live in it. Better insulation, fewer drafts and more efficient mechanical systems can improve comfort and potentially reduce energy consumption. Some improvements may also appeal to future buyers who are wary of the operating costs associated with an older house.
That does not mean every efficiency upgrade will pay for itself financially. The value can also come from improving comfort, addressing aging systems and making the house better suited to another several decades of use.
Preserve the Home, Improve the Performance
Owning a vintage Chicago home does not mean choosing between architectural character and modern comfort. Thoughtful energy efficient remodeling can improve the way an older home performs while respecting the materials and details that give it character. The key is understanding the existing house first, then choosing upgrades that work with it rather than against it.
If you’re considering home remodeling in Chicago, Moller Builders can help identify opportunities to incorporate efficiency improvements into a larger renovation while preserving what makes your home distinctive.
Contact us to start planning your Chicago-area home remodel.
