In this episode, we’re making Chelsea’s mid-century home smart and energy-efficient.
We recently wrapped up work on her hall bathroom, and it was a complete overhaul. Be sure to check out that project here! Now, we’re another step closer to completing Chelsea’s house and making her home her own.
New Heating and Cooling Unit
Our friend Don Hembree, from Hembree Heating & Air, helped us find a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system for Chelsea’s home. She upgraded to an American Standard Platinum 20 SEER unit.
With this HVAC system, Chelsea will save up to 25-30% on her energy bill. Best of all, she can control the temperature of her home with any mobile device, like her smartphone and tablet.
That’s perfect for this mother of three, who needs things to be fast and convenient!
Adding Insulation
Installing insulation in the attic and crawlspace will help keep Chelsea’s house comfortable and energy-efficient. We used the ROCKWOOL R-30 ComfortBatt insulation in both areas of the home.
Stone wool is made from spinning molten rock and minerals with steel slag, giving it a cotton-candy-like wool texture. It’s competitive with traditional fiberglass because it is both fire and mildew-resistant.
The flexibility of mineral wool ensures that its R-value — the measure of how well it resists the conductive flow of heat — is achieved and maintained!
Installing Smart Technology
Adding smart technology to Chelsea’s home makes life around the house a little easier — and safer! This Leviton Smart Wi-Fi Outlet doesn’t need a hub like many smart outlets do and is compatible with Alexa and other voice assistants.
It’s also great for convenience when coming home after dark. Simply log on to the app and turn the lights on before you get home!
A dimmer switch that pairs with it connects to the outlet, making it a three-way switch that’s even more convenient for Chelsea’s home!
Chelsea also upgraded her sprinkler system to smart technology. This Rain Bird Irrigation Controller is simple to program, quick to install and controlled by her smartphone. It also connects to Wi-Fi and has water-saving features to tailor to Chelsea’s watering schedule for her yard.
Finally, Chelsea installed a new Level Bolt smart lock. Its motor is concealed inside the door and adapts to the exterior hardware of the existing lock. It can be controlled with your phone or manually!
Production Thoughts
We’ve made some great progress on Chelsea’s mid-century home over the past few months. Now her home is more energy-efficient and functional thanks to the smart technology installed.
With all of these projects we tackled, Chelsea will save more money on her energy bills as well as have access to her home’s features when she is away or at home.
Other Tips from this Episode
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I love your shows and always have! Tonight I came across your program at four am! But something I am wondering about is how much it costs to add Alexa, or especially the new thermostat! We have an old thermostat, and now both my hubby and I need a large print thermostat! I really liked the one you put up, can you give me more details please?
Clay and Diane Carlson
Glad you found our show, and happy to help. Here’s more information on the thermostat that Chelsea selected: https://www.americanstandardair.com/products/thermostat-controls/acculink-platinum-1050-control/
Happy home improving! 🙂
We love the show here in Macon, Georgia! And I’m enjoying the blog too.
Happy to hear it, Becki. Thanks for the feedback. We love our Georgia fans!
i HAVE ROXUL IN MY HOUSE I love it but back in 2004 when my modular house was built you could not get it here so had to order it from Canada and had it shipped to my modular home builder and went to the factory to watch my house built and insulated with it . 2440 sq ft of it . I did put the sound damping stuff in interior walls . . They could not put in the attic until the house was on sight and cranes put it on foundation and lifted the roof . They put it in the house and it was installed after .Amazing thing to watch my house go down the road from Tenn. to Virginia in the middle of the night. I would do modular again if I had too , I remodeled 2 fixer uppers and was not doing that again , built in a dry warehouse and if it can do 50 on a highway with no damage , IT IS BUILT TO LAST / . 2X6 STUD WALLS ,TRIPLE PANE WINDOWS . I HAD DIRT AND A HOUSE ON 3 ACRES My retirement dream home and still love it Then my works began I built 2 decks 3 pergolas 1 covered front porch 100 feet long , planted trees and grass and yes hubby and I did it all ourselves ,even built a guest house shed . Only thing since is new hot water heater and heat pump with wifi thermostat
Thanks for sharing your experience with the TodaysHomeowner.com community, Betty!
About to go into the first full winter with our American Standard Heatpump the summer was very comfortable. Thank you for the recommendation
Thanks for sharing your experience with the TodaysHomeowner.com community, Jerry!
I’ve been looking for Rockwool R30 insulation for months and don’t find any distributors or instock. What is your affiliate link as it was not in the article. I am building a small wood shop in my garage and adding a mini split unit to control the environment as I live in Central Florida. Above my garage I have a garage and want to install the Rockwool please let me know your link or where I can find it.
Hi, Richard. That link isn’t working at the moment, so we’ve deactivated it.
However, here’s The Home Depot’s product listing for Rockwool R30 insulation: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rockwool-Rockwool-ComfortBatt-R30-7-1-4-x23-x47-Unfaced-Batt-Stone-Wool-Insulation-30-7-Sq-Ft-per-Bag-RXCB3023-RXCB3023/313477898
Happy home improving!