1960 Colonial Style - Annapolis, MD
Reason this BGE Customer is Getting the AuditRecently moved into the home and was shocked at how high the bill was and how uncomfortable he was in return. General Profile - 1960 Annapolis Colonial Cape St. Claire Neighborhoods, Annapolis, Colonial Two Story Year Built: 1950-1960 Common Insulation Challenges: Crawl spaces are sometimes too low for treatment, attic areas are inaccessible or filled with storage or HVAC ducts HVAC Ducts: Ducts are often times outside of the envelope - in attics or crawl spaces - due to retrofitting central HVAC systems years after the home was built Unique Features: Often times these homes were built with summer in mind so windows are large and unique, old patios get converted to living space with very little thought to insulation and humidity can get high inside during hot Maryland summers. | Homeowner Takeaways from this Annapolis BGE Energy AuditThe attic is under insulated and in need of specialized treatment. The chimney needs to be targeted for air sealing due to it being open to the inside of the house around the base. The unconditioned basement should not be further disconnected from the house, rather it needs to be better disconnected from the outside.
Long-Term Problems if Left UncheckedHVAC will have to run much longer shortening lifespan. Comfort around the home suffers and different areas of the home only get used during certain times of the year. More room for insect intrusion and other unwanted pests when gateways to the outside from the inside exist. Higher energy bills that will not amount to better comfort. Poor decision making on how to fix (buy new HVAC, purchase new windows)
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 Two HVAC systems in a house this size is a sign that it once was operating much more as a beach cottage.  9 out of 10 homes are under insulated and this colonial style in Cape St. Claire, MD is falling into that category as well. |  Huge openings at the attic floor like this one create all sorts of efficiency and comfort problems for the occupants inside.  Whole house fans create large gateways to the attic and should be removed or correctly sealed and insulated. |  Duct insulation in the attic cannot be an afterthought and gaps and cracks need to be addressed. Check Out the Basement Assessment Video Below! |
How an energy audit typically helps a homeowner with this type of home:-This energy audit was able to guide this homeowner towards making the basement insulated and semi-conditioned with logical explanations that made better sense than the home inspector's ideas.
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