Residential Comfort & Energy Efficiency

Hometrust Remodeling recently completed an insulation job in Laurel, MD 20723.  The project consisted of the following measures:

• Air seal the attic floor
• Install soffit baffles at eaves for ventilation
• Cut soffit holes to add air intake for attic ventilation
• Seal 4 recessed lights
• Add 10" of loose fill blown cellulose insulation
• Treat the main attic access hatch
• Treat the garage attic to encapsulate the space
• Sealed accessible HVAC duct connections

For most insulation to be effective it is important to stop the flow of air by sealing up holes and cracks in as many accessible areas as possible. 

Insulating the accessible skylight kneewalls to R13 after sealing smaller crevices/cracks and adding sheathing (air barrier) over the insulation will maximize boundary effectiveness and reduce air communication between the living space and the attic (outside).

                                 
Completed attic insulation & skylight kneewall 20723                                      Garage roof encapsulation in Laurel, MD                   

Most of the largest leaks in homes occur where framing (such as floor joists or wall studs) span from an area inside conditioned space to an unconditioned or vented space, such as the attic,crawlspace, garage, or roof. Appropriate blocking is needed in these instances.

Untreated recessed lights are invisible gateways for air to communicate between the inside (conditioned space) and outside (attic).  Covering and sealing accessible recessed lights will eliminate this issue.

Encapsulation, using open cell spray foam, was completed for this project so that the space below, including the HVAC unit in the garage attic, would become part of the overall "envelope".  The garage is going to be converted to living space (in-law suite) so by encapsulating the area above the space, it will make it easy to complete the job once the work gets done and when the space is changed, the HVAC will also benefit from being enclosed inside the house rather than outside (garage attic).

Learn about some of the benefits a homeowner can get from having an air leakage test performed by a blower door system.

I wanted to share an experience that I had when I moved into a townhouse in Laurel a few years ago. Prior to moving to North Laurel, I lived mostly in West Laurel, so I am not new to the area. What was a first time experience for me was July 2018. Whew! It was so hot! And so was the upstairs bedrooms all day and into the night and we were a bit concerned as it was our first summer in the new home and we like it cool when we sleep. At the time, I was about six months into being a home energy auditor. I was learning a lot, especially out in the field working with people in their homes all day. What I was realizing is that I am not alone. Lots of others are also hot upstairs in the summer. I wanted to share because here is what some people do and it does not solve their problem: 1. Replace HVAC System 2. Replace Windows Here is what we did (with a little insider info) and it came along with measurable results: Air sealed and insulated the attic and basement Now, the temperature throughout our townhouse is far more regulated. The upstairs is still a bit hotter during the hottest of days with full sun, but it cools down in the evenings and we can sleep. During the winter after getting the insulation work done, it was much easier to heat the house too. Anyways, I like to share that story with people I know because I see too many people trying to solve comfort with new AC or new windows and the only way to do it is with proper home assessment & correctly installed insulation. Hope you find a way to beat the Maryland summer heat!!

Key Purchasing Factors Should Be

• Energy Efficiency – cost savings, reduction of heat loss
• Price – affordability, something that fits your budget
• Style – find the windows that will work best with your home
• Security – felling safe at home
• Durability – won’t rot, deteriorate or crack
• Maintenance – easy for anyone to maintain and clean
• Durable Seals – reduces drafts for higher level of comfort
• Noise Reduction – lessens the amount of outside noises
• Appearance – enhances the beauty of your home – in/out
• Easy to Operate – open and close without any hassles
• UV Protection – guards against the sun’s damaging rays
• Ease of Installation – easy, neat and accurate

One of the keys to performing a good energy audit is to be consistent.  Consistency, yields high quality results for the homeowner. Having a sound routine and being sure to go through that routine for each and every house will serve the most seasoned home energy auditors very well.

One very nice experience as an auditor is to find things for people that are so easy to fix they could do it later in the afternoon after the audit is complete.  And, for very little money.  Each and every audit I make it a point to inquire with the homeowner about why they contacted us.  Is it because of a specific problem you are experiencing?  This helps me narrow some of my searching because it gives me good insights in to where to spend my time looking.

This leads my to a find I made at an audit Davidsonville, Maryland.  For an auditor, it is a fairly common issue, although some of the time it is more hidden and less obvious and could be missed.  On this day, the homeowner mentioned that one of the reasons they called is to figure out why the kitchen is so cold.  They moved in last summer (June) and now it is January and the experience has prompted a call to figure out what is causing the problem.
 

Front of the home.

Missing microwave/exhaust fan in the location of the outside vent hood.  The kitchen had exhaust at one time.

This is a sample of a remodeled kitchen in an older home that has a recirculating microwave above the stove.

This situation illustrates to a homeowner what the envelope of the house is, and how the thermal boundary around the envelope is so critical to comfort and efficiency.  The best way to describe the building envelope is to say that it is the separation point between the inside of the home -where you live, sleep and pay for air to be conditioned and the outside which can be described in several terms. 

Your home is a complex system.  Before you do work to any specific part, you need to know a few key building science principles.  There is nothing more frustrating than learning that you should have done this or you should have done that...after you already paid for the wrong solution.  This happens all too often in home remodeling and retro fitting because there are so many different trades involved and unfortunately, incorrect or outdated ways of thinking are guiding contractors and homeowners to the wrong solutions.    As a certified Building Analyst through the Building Performance Institute with over 500 home energy audits conducted and with over fifteen years of home remodeling experience, I understand and specialize in all of the remodeling trades with a focus on building science principles to lead the way and guide us to the source of the problem to find the best possible solution.  Here is an example of how this can work.