by Charles Hendricks | Feb 12, 2019 | architecture, Building Science, Green Building
Caitlin Funkhouser Photography
Ice on the roof shows clear signs of energy loss vs energy-efficiency. We were fortunate not to have a huge ice storm that some parts of the country are facing. In our area, there was only a light coating of ice that was quickly melting as I drove to work. I could see on the roofs in the neighborhood where the insulation was installed correctly in homes and where there were some major gaps in the thermal envelope. Major gaps meaning loss of energy or HIGH energy bills.
When I got to work the folks at Herr and Company showed a photo they snapped of one of our design projects. They executed a major renovation for Weiler Orthodontics to improve aesthetics, but also to address some comfort issues. As I noted in a blog post from a few years ago, the insulation and heating / cooling system were not adequate to keep the energy bills low and the space comfortable.
Herr and Company brought in Elite Insulation to execute our design for the attic space. Since there was duct work in the attic space it needed to be a conditioned to perform optimally and correct the comfort issues. So the foam experts at Elite got to work and sealed up the roof, spraying the bottom of the sheathing and the fire wall that separated the attic from the neighboring space. The results are clear as the ice had not melted off the roof of the conditioned renovated space. The neighboring spaces are losing a lot of energy (money) through their roofs. This indicates that Dr. Weiler was keeping his warm air inside his space where it belongs. The net result is a more comfortable space with low energy bills.
by Charles Hendricks | Jan 21, 2019 | Building Science, Green Building, green term defined
An energy-audit is a great “tune-up” for your existing home. I have been offering energy-audits for free for people in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County now for about four years. My goal is to help people reduce their monthly bills by identifying easy to correct issues in their homes. I usually don’t hear back from them on the progress they have made, but I did on a recent audit which made my day.
From the home owner via email: After the first night with increased insulation in our attic, we want to say “THANK YOU” again for your insight and time during our home energy audit. Elite Insulation was over yesterday and the improvement to the warmth is noticeable. It’s the first time we didn’t have to use a space heater during the winter!
In this particular audit I did not find any BIG issues that should be fixed right away. I did notice that the attic insulation needed some attention and gave the home owner some other easy to fix items that would improve comfort. I like to also leave a list of companies that I trust to get the work done right if they are called. Elite Insulation is always the name I give for improving the thermal envelope of a home or business. They do good work for a fair price – what more could you ask for from your insulator?
I emailed Ken at Elite Insulation to find out what they did at the house to solve the comfort issue. He tells me that they added R-30 insulation over the existing 10″ that was already there. Old insulation has layers of dirt and does not perform as well as new insulation so my guess is the attic now has around an R35 – R40 blanket on top holding in the conditioned temperatures. While they were there they also added baffles to keep the soffits functioning as designed. This will allow air to flow above the insulation without moving the insulation around. This is not Ken’s work pictured below, but shows the soffit vent in action.
I am thrilled to hear from the home owner that she felt immediate results from the work that was done. Offering free energy-audits is rewarding in that I know I am empowering people with information they can use to cut costs and improve comfort. Hearing back from someone who has done improvements really makes it worthwhile.
by Charles Hendricks | Jan 19, 2019 | architecture, Building Science, Green Building
I am working on a research project that looks at different wall types (2 x 4 wood, 2 x 6 wood, ICF, other) compared to annual energy usage. The more data I can collect for each wall type the closer I will get to scientific conclusion. If you have a moment, can you please fill out the “Home Energy Use Average” survey linked below. It is simple and straight forward to fill out. All data will be anonymous.
Home Energy Use Average SURVEY LINK
The goal of this information gathering is to confirm or refute some conclusions our research team has come to for a book project we are working on. Thank you so much for sharing the information.
by Charles Hendricks | Nov 20, 2018 | architecture, Building Science, Green Building
This time of year my phone starts ringing on a regular basis for our free energy audit service. People do not like being cold and uncomfortable in their homes and we can help them solve this problem. If you live in the Harrisonburg / Rockingham County area, give our office a call to schedule an audit and we will help identify issues in your home. This audit can also identify solutions to increase comfort and cut energy bills for your home.
The issues I find in most homes are very similar and the biggest comfort challenge is air leakage. The biggest leaks come around the holes in your walls that you see everyday and don’t think about anymore. No, not your windows and doors, although those cause issues. The biggest air leaks when added up are probably your electrical outlets and light switches – both on outside walls and inside walls. Taking the decorative cover plate off the outlet / switch you can caulk the plastic box tight to the drywall behind. There are also pre-cut insulation patches that can be added behind the decorative plate. Finally adding child protective plugs in any open outlet will reduce air leakage through these many holes in your walls.
There is also a door in your home that most people don’t treat like a door. The attic access almost never has insulation over it and does not have weather-stripping. Adding rigid insulation glued in layers, on the back side of the attic access panel will keep insulation in place even after you retrieve the Christmas tree.
Another common problem I find in almost every home I get called in for an energy audit is lacking insulation. The easiest place to add insulation is usually the attic. I often find missing insulation that has been moved by people, animals, and wind in attics. Keeping a well insulated thermal envelope is critical for maximizing the comfort of your home.
If your home suffers from high energy bills or rooms that are not comfortable, give us a call today.
by Charles Hendricks | Mar 22, 2018 | architecture, Building Science, Green Building
Check to see where the snow is melting faster than other areas. Of course, sun exposure and shade will change the patterns. You are looking for the spots where it seems like it should still be there and it has melted. Why did it melt faster? Could that be an area where the heat from inside your home is escaping to the attic? That is the most common issue. Spaces above recessed can lights typically melt quick as that is a big leak to your attic. The attic access is another source of heat escaping from your inside to your attic. Finding these leaks will help you seal the leak and improve the comfort of your home and reduce your energy bills.
If you find icicles on the exterior of your home, this could cause bigger problems. Ice dams can form on the edge of your roof if you have big heat leaks. This could create a dam along the edge and push water back under the shingles on your home. This could result in water damage in your exterior walls or ceiling. Even if there is not an ice dam, try to determine the cause of the icicle. Why did the snow melt in that location faster than others?
While I don’t enjoy snow at all – this is a great time to do a visual inspection of your home’s energy performance. Pay attention to the clues your home is providing for you.
by Charles Hendricks | Nov 9, 2017 | Building Science, Green Building, green term defined
I went out to do an energy audit at Massanutten yesterday. The home was clearly well maintained. It was 30+ years old, and was not showing signs of neglect. We took a moment to talk about their concerns and I learned they just wanted to make sure the home was in good shape as it pertains to energy efficiency. They told me about adding insulation in various places around the home. They talked about keeping the thermostat higher than normal because they like it warm. The talked about appliances that were a little old and had concerns they might have to replace them.
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Dryer vent problems
They did not mention high electric bills – so I asked. They have average electric bills. So overall – the house was performing really well, keeping them comfortable, and the electric bills were not killing them. So I found the normal leaks – around electrical outlets, doors, windows, cabinets, and attic access. The framing intersection at the top of basement wall glowed from all the energy leaking through. The light bulbs could all be changed to LED to cut energy usage. The doors needed a little weather-stripping attention.
So it was a normal energy audit. They could probably cut their energy usage by 30% with a few minor changes and I gave them names of people who could help with fixing it. So was it worth my trip out? YES. I found two major issues for them that neither of us expected.
The two major issues we found doing an energy audit:
- Their dryer vent was long, had multiple dips in it, and from a brief test, appeared to be mostly clogged in one place and had considerable lint build up in several other places. This can easily lead to a fire. So I asked them to have that looked at immediately.
- The second major issue was multiple, more than 6, places in the attic that appeared to either be roof leaks or nests. A more fit energy auditor – like Building Knowledge – would have gotten up in the attic to verify the issue. Fixing this issue and adding a layer of insulation (while plugging the holes causing the problem) will certainly make their home more comfortable and eliminate any uninvited guests from living in their attic.
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Attic nest
If you find icicles on the exterior of your home, this could cause bigger problems. Ice dams can form on the edge of your roof if you have big heat leaks. This could create a dam along the edge and push water back under the shingles on your home. This could result in water damage in your exterior walls or ceiling. Even if there is not an ice dam, try to determine the cause of the icicle. Why did the snow melt in that location faster than others?
