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This article discusses the importance of finding and sealing elusive air leaks to gain major energy savings in a well-insulated 1926 building. The history and sequence of energy savings retrofit steps taken and their success are reported. Photo at page top and accompanying text are reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss.

Readers should also see HEAT LOSS DETECTION TOOLS and INSULATION & VENTILATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT for energy saving retrofit detailed guides. To reduce heating costs by attention to heating equipment itself, see HEATING COST SAVINGS METHODS. Contact us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Energy Savings Retrofit Case Study - Down East Retrofit

"Down-East Retrofit - Superinsulating a sprawling fuel-gobbling building was not enough: finding and sealing elusive air leaks was a vital second step in gaining major energy savings" - links to the original article in PDF form immediately below are followed by an expanded/updated online version of this article.

• Energy Retrofit of an Older Building - PDF form, use your browser's back button to return to this page
• Energy Retrofit of an Older Building - part 2: PDF form, sketches of attic and basement air leak locations & their remedy
• Energy Retrofit of an Older Building - part 3: PDF form, sealing air leaks at old floors
• Energy Retrofit of an Older Building - part 4: PDF form, finding and sealing attic air leaks

The text below paraphrases, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article, (see links just above) from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss - with permission.

History of an Old House Energy Savings Retrofit to Produce Significant Reductions in Heating Cost

In the summer of 1981, mechanical engineer and air-quality researcher William Turner bought a heat-leaking house 40 miles northwest of Portland, Maine. Built in 1926 as a summer home for a Broadway playwright, the 3600-square foot wood-frame house had never been insulated. The builder's effort went instead into grand design and distinctive finishes: most rooms sport floor-to-ceiling wainscoting and tongue-and-groove wooden ceilings.

Adding Super-Insulation to a 1926 Home

To make the house heatable for the first winter, Turner started on the inside. He tore down the wooden cladding on walls and ceilings and added heavy insulation. With a crew of three, he added 2x2's to the studs, and stuffed the wall cavities with 6-inch fiberglass insulation batts.

Next, the crew rolled poly out on the walls - lapping it one full stud at seams - and installed an inch of Thermax rigid insulation, horizontal strapping 16 inches on-center, and 1/2-inch drywall. They ran the wiring in the 3/4-inch strapping space.

All the walls got this R-26 superinsulation system, except a few spots where bookshelves and built-ins were in the way. These areas were blown with cellulose insulation and caulked on the interior.

The house had a sweeping cathedral ceiling on the north side, and a full attic below the main roof. On the cathedral ceiling, the 2x6 rafters were deepened with 1x2s, then insulated with R-19 fiberglass insulating batts, leaving a small air channel above the insulation. In the attic, a 10-inch layer and a 6-inch layer of fiberglass batts were installed at right angles to one another.

Turner placed strips of aluminized building paper and poly between the joists, believing at the time that foil strips would serve as an adequate vapor barrier. "I got conflicting advice on whether to install a continuous ceiling vapor barrier or not. And I didn't want to enclose the ceiling joists in poly," said Turner. "A house has to breathe,"I was told at the time.

All floors got R-19 fiberglass insulation batts stapled to the joists - kraft paper facing down into a vented crawlspace. The crew punctured the kraft-paper backing to let any moisture escape, but the interior side of the cavity received no vapor barrier. At the time, Turner saw no practical way to create a vapor barrier on the warm side of the floor insulation, short of removing the hard-pine finish flooring. [DJF note: normally we place the vapor barrier on the warm side - that is, up towards the floor above over a crawl. There is a risk of forming a moisture trap between the joists if it faces down, even though installation is easier in that position.]

Of the house's 34 windows, a few were replaced with double glazing and storms. The rest got triple-track exterior storms and inexpensive sheet-vinyl glazing on the interior - a poor-man's triple-glazing window design. The family installed high-R window-insulation panels on subfreezing nights. They left some panels in all winter. "If I did it over," said Turner, I'd use triple glazing, maybe with night insulation in bedrooms and baths."

Heating Equipment Updates to Reduce Energy Costs

To house the new furnace and water heater they built a small 6-by-12 foot concrete block basement under the first floor bath, and wrapped it in 4 inches of beadboard. Four inches of beadboard was also added around the base of a large chimney where it protruded into the crawl space.

Heating during the first winter was divided roughly in half between the oil-fired furnace and an air-tight woodstove (left).

DJF note: be careful not to place combustible insulation against a chimney where sparks or heat could cause a fire, or where a chimney leak might be hidden: don't insulate over a chimney cleanout door, for example.

See HEATING COST SAVINGS METHODS for energy saving suggestions focused on the heating equipment itself.

Energy Saving Building Retrofits: Expectations vs. Reality

[Also see ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT LEAK SEALING GUIDE a sidebar to this article]: heating cost energy saving retrofit realities rarely match textbook diagrams. Pipes and wires get in your way, spaces are inaccessible, and the building details you discover often boggle the mind. And because textbook buildings rarely match real ones, real energy savings often fall short of predictions.

Surprising heating costs in a super-insulated building

The work completed, Turner moved in and fired up the oil-fired furnace and the woodstove, only to find that the house at up almost 20 MMBTU more fuel than expected - based on an estimated load of 4 BTU/ (ft² degree day). That first winter, total energy use for heating, half wood and half oil, was about 13t MMBTU, rather than the 117 MMBTU estimated.

When Turner realized that the house's performance was not up to snuff, he called in a crew of house doctors to investigate. With a blower door and infrared scanner (thermography shows areas of heat loss), they quickly spotted massive air flows up through the slatted wood ceilings on the second floor. And this was on a relatively mild 35 degF. day.

The added air and heat infiltration losses, reasoned Turner, could easily account for the missing BTUs. Calculations revealed that in a house that size, an extra 0.2 air changes per hour (over the estimated 0.5 ACH) would make the difference. (See HEAT LOSS in BUILDINGS and HEAT LOSS DETECTION TOOLS and HEAT LOSS INDICATORS for details.)

Ice Dam Leaks in a Newly Insulated Building

Another problem Turner faced the first winter was a large ice dam on the sloping north roof that caused minor flooding in the wall. The retrofit team had yet to install soffit or ridge vent, so the 1-inch air space above the insulation was blocked off. That and two northeasters (storms) that dumped 3 feet of snow on the roof were to blame.

[DJF note: wall leaks from plumbing or ice dams not only end the effectiveness of insulation by making it wet, there is a risk of potentially significant mold damage and longer term, rot or insect damage. See ICE DAM PREVENTION for details.]

Fixing Air & Heat Leak Losses in the Super-Insulated Home - Taking the Building Doctors' Advice

Adding a Top Floor AIr/Vapor Barrier

Having pinpointed the attic as a major source of air and heat leaks, Turner and crew went back and temporarily removed the 16 inches of attic insulation. They laid in a continuous poly air/vapor barrier in the ceiling (below the attic floor).

The new vapor barrier ran across the ceiling, going up and over each ceiling joist [a common retrofit approach], and all the joints in the vapor barrier were caulked and stapled. Then they reinstalled the insulation over the new vapor barrier. "It was a job I hope never to repeat." said Turner.

Stopping the ice dams

As for the ice dams, Turner chose not to install top and bottom vents, given the complexity of venting a shed roof. Instead he used heat tapes timed to run one hour a day -- they seem to work satisfactorily. (See Heat Tapes: Use on Roofs for Ice for details.)

[DJF note: while this solution may prevent leaks by melting water escape channels through the ice dams, it won't prevent attic condensation, trapped moisture, or mold in the future. (See ATTIC LEAKS, CONDENSATION & ATTIC MOLD for details.)

Suggestions for Sealing Air & Heat Leaks in the Insulated Building at Six Trouble Spots

Our sketches shown here provide details of how a number of air and heat leaks were identified and sealed in the home. These sketches are enlargements taken from Energy Retrofit of an Older Building - part 2. In a typical leaky attic floor, common leak points are through chimney chases, plumbing vent stacks (above left), ceiling light fixtures, bath fans (below center), and partition wall tops.

The attic hatch was sealed using rigid foam insulation (above center), and metal flashing combined with fireproof caulk were used to seal around the chimney chase (above right).

These sketches show additional air and heat loss sealing methods for ceiling electrical boxes (above right), the bath exhaust fan (above center), and the top of building partition walls (above right).

Sealing Air Leaks in Building Floors

The other major step the house doctors recommended was to seal air leaks in the floors. A cantilevered section of the second floor, which projects over the porch, was sealed with housewrap (Tyvek). The main floor, built over a vented crawl space, was not yet sealed. These details of the floor air and heat leak sealing procedures are described at ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT LEAK SEALING GUIDE and are shown in the sketch at left.

Said Turner, "On windy or very cold days, it's still uncomfortably drafty on the first floor - but there's no way to seal it." In some places the crawl space is just a foot height. Options that were being considered at that time included Tyvek, rigid foam insulation, and rigid fiberglass insulation.

[DJF Note: That comment was in the mid 1980's. Current (2009) best construction practices have shifted from venting crawl spaces to sealing the crawl space from outside, drying it out, and converting the crawl area to "conditioned space".

See Crawl Space Dryout Procedures and because we do not recommend use of fiberglass insulation in potentially wet or damp areas like hard-to-access crawl spaces, see Crawlspace Mold Advice.]

Evaluation of Energy Retrofit Savings: Results of Sealing Air Leaks

Although the house could not be thoroughly tightened, the next winter's energy consumption fell well below the original estimate - at around 90 MM BTU. "The major [heating cost] savings" said Turner, "may have resulted from sealing the building well on top." While the current performance doesn't hold a candle to the featherweight heating bills many superinsulators seek, it's quite respectable for a sprawling 3600-square foot antique in an 8500-degree-day climate.

Turner's future plans included a sunspace with 100 square feet of vertical south-facing glass, replacement windows for the hopelessly leaky French-style antiques, and a better air seal on the top floor. [DJF note: that top floor might have been better-sealed using a pumped-in insulating foam.] These improvements, plus Turner's continuing effort to caulk and seal against air leakage will result in further savings.

"Insulation alone will create a 'superinsulated' structure," said the weary but warm retrofitter, "but only meticulous attention to reducing air movement in and out of the structure will allow it to perform as an energy-efficient dwelling."

Here we include solar energy, solar heating, solar hot water, and related building energy efficiency improvement articles reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss.

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AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS
INSULATION & VENTILATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
INTERIORS of BUILDINGS
ACOUSTICAL SEALANTS
AGE of a BUILDING - how to determine
AIR BYPASS LEAKS
AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS
  Find Heat Loss & Air Leaks
  Heat Loss Investigation Sequence
  Blower Door Test Data Results
  Smoke Gun for Air Leaks
  Attic Energy Losses - InfraRed
  Basement Energy Losses- IR & Visual
  Duct System Air Movement
  Living Space Heat Loss
  Targets & Hidden Leak Points
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  The Bottom Line on Energy Retrofits
AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION
AIR SEALING STRATEGIES
ANIMAL ALLERGENS
ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS
ATTIC LEAKS, CONDENSATION & ATTIC MOLD
ATTIC VENTILATION
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BASEMENT WATERPROOFING
BATHROOM VENTILATION
BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION
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BUCKLED FOUNDATIONS due to INSULATION?
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CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR
COMBUSTION AIR for TIGHT BUILDINGS
CRAWL SPACES
DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS
DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE
ELECTRICAL INSPECTION, DIAGNOSIS, REPAIR
ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS
ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES
ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT CASE STUDY
ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT LEAK SEALING GUIDE
ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT OPTIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
FIBERGLASS INSULATION
FIBERGLASS HAZARDS
FIBERGLASS MOLD
FIREPLACE Damage & Unsafe Hearths - Settlement
FLAT ROOF MOISTURE & CONDENSATION
FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP
FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-mold
FLOORING TYPES & DEFECTS
FOUNDATION WATERPROOFING
FRAMING DETAILS for BETTER INSULATION
FRAMING DETAILS for DOUBLE WALL HOUSES
FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING
HEAT LOSS in BUILDINGS
HEAT LOSS DETECTION TOOLS
HEAT LOSS INDICATORS
HEAT LOSS R U & K VALUE CALCULATION
Heat Tapes: Use on Roofs for Ice
HEATING COST SAVINGS METHODS
HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS
HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET
ICE DAM PREVENTION
Ice Dams: Comparing Two Houses
INSULATION CHOICES
INSULATION FACT SHEET- DOE
INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE
INSULATION LOCATION for BASEMENTS
INSULATION LOCATION for CAPES, CRAWLSPACES
INSULATION for GREENHOUSE or SOLARIUM
INSULATION MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION GUIDE
INSULATION MOLD
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INSULATION & VENTILATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
  INSULATION R-Values & Properties
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  ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE
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  BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION
  BRICK VENEER WALL INSULATION
  CATHEDRAL CEILING INSULATION
  ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS
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  ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT CASE STUDY
  ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT LEAK SEALING GUIDE
  ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT OPTIONS
  FRAMING DETAILS for BETTER INSULATION
  FRAMING DETAILS for DOUBLE WALL HOUSES
  Inspect Attics for Moisture or Mold
  Inspect Basements for Moisture or Mold
  Inspect Building Exterior
  Inspect the Ridge Vent System from the Attic
  Inspect the Soffit Vent System from the Attic
  Insulation Air & Heat Leaks
  INSULATION for GREENHOUSE or SOLARIUM
  INSULATION CHOICES
  INSULATION FACT SHEET- DOE
  INSULATION LOCATION for BASEMENTS
  INSULATION LOCATION for CAPES, CRAWLSPACES
  INSULATION R-Values & Properties
  Insulation Values of Log Home Walls
  POLYISOCYANURATE FOAM INSULATION
  POLYSTYRENE FOAM INSULATION
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  ROOF VENTING NEEDED?
  PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN METHOD
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  PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SYSTEMS
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  URETHANE FOAM Deterioration, Outgassing
  Vermiculite Insulation
LOG HOME GUIDE
MOBILE HOME INSPECTIONS
MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS
Mold Growth Resistance of Foam Insulation
MOLD INFORMATION CENTER
ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE
PAINT FALURE, DIAGNOSIS, CURE, PREVENTION
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RADIANT BARRIERS
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RADIANT HEAT Floor Mistakes to Avoid
RADIANT SLAB FLOORING CHOICES
RADIANT SLAB TUBING & FLUID CHOICES
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SEARS KIT HOUSES
SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS
SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS
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STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS
STUCCO OVER FOAM INSULATION
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SUMP PUMPS GUIDE
THERMAL EXPANSION of MATERIALS
THERMAL MASS in BUILDINGS
THERMAL MASS in UPSTAIRS
THERMAL TRACKING & HEAT LOSS
VAPOR BARRIERS & AIR SEALING at BAND JOISTS
VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS
VAPOR BARRIERS & HOUSEWRAP
VAPOR CONDENSATION & BUILDING SHEATHING
VENTILATION in BUILDINGS
WATER ENTRY in BUILDINGS
WIND TURBINES
WINDOWS & DOORS
WINTERIZE A BUILDING
WOOD Burning Heaters Fireplaces Stoves

• Solar Age Magazine was the official publication of the American Solar Energy Society. The contemporary solar energy magazine associated with the Society is Solar Today. "Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation's leading association of solar professionals & advocates. Our mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. We advance education, research and policy. Leading for more than 50 years. ASES leads national efforts to increase the use of solar energy, energy efficiency and other sustainable technologies in the U.S. We publish the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, organize and present the ASES National Solar Conference and lead the ASES National Solar Tour – the largest grassroots solar event in the world."
  
• Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com.
  Excerpts with updates and annotations expanding the original Best Practices Guide text can be found in the online review and book summary at BEST CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES GUIDE and also at DECK & PORCH CONSTRUCTION, at INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE, and in other articles found at InspectAPedia.com such as HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS, SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS, and other topics.
• Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education, publications, report writing materials, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
• Passive Solar Design Handbook Volume I, the Passive Solar Handbook Introduction to Passive Solar Concepts, in a version used by the U.S. Air Force - online version available at this link and from the USAF also at wbdg.org/ccb/AF/AFH/pshbk_v1.pdf
• Passive Solar Design Handbook Volume II, the Passive Solar Handbook Comprehensive Planning Guide, in a version used by the U.S. Air Force - online version available at this link and from the USAF also at wbdg.org/ccb/AF/AFH/pshbk_v2.pdf [This is a large PDF file that can take a while to load]
• Passive Solar Handbook Volume III, the Passive Solar Handbook Programming Guide, in a version used by the U.S. Air Force - online version available at this link and from the USAF also at wbdg.org/ccb/AF/AFH/pshbk_v3.pdf
• The Passive Solar Design and Construction Handbook, Steven Winter Associates (Author), Michael J. Crosbie (Editor), Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-047118382 or 0471183083 is available at Amazon.com and via the The Passive Solar Design and Construction Handbook, Steven Winter Associates (Author), Michael J. Crosbie (Editor), Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-047118382 or 0471183083 is available at Amazon.com and via the InspectAPedia Bookstore
• "Passive Solar Home Design", U.S. Department of Energy, describes using a home's windows, walls, and floors to collect and store solar energy for winter heating and also rejecting solar heat in warm weather.
• "Solar Water Heaters", U.S. Department of Energy article on solar domestic water heaters to generate domestic hot water in buildings, explains how solar water heaters work. Solar heat for swimming pools is also discussed.
• "Heat Exchangers for Solar Water Heating Systems", U.S. DOE describes the types of solar water heater heat exchange methods between the sun and the building's hot water supply
• "Heat-Transfer Fluids for Solar Water Heating Systems", U.S. DOE, describes the types of fluids selected to transfer heat between the solar collector and the hot water in storage tanks in a building. These include air, water, water with glycol antifreeze mixtures (needed when using solar hot water systems in freezing climates), hydrocarbon oils, and refrigerants or silicones for heat transfer.
• "Solar Water Heating System Maintenance and Repair", U.S. DOE
• "Solar Water Heating System Freeze Protection", U.S. DOE,using antifreeze mixture in solar water heaters (or other freeze-resistant heat transfer fluids), as well as piping to permit draining the solar collector and piping system.
• "Scaling and Corrosion in Solar Water Heating Systems", U.S. DOE
• www.energysavers.gov/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=12850 is the base U.S. DOE website for these articles
• "Active Solar Heating Systems", U.S. Department of Energy, including
• "Radiant Heating Systems" U.S. DOE
• "Absorption Heat Pumps & Coolers", U.S. DOE
• "Solar Air Heating" U.S. DOE also referred to as "Ventilation Preheating" in which solar systems use air for absorbing and transferring solar energy or heat to a building
• "Solar Liquid Heating" U.S. DOE, systems using liquid (typically water) in flat plate solar collectors to collect solar energy in the form of heat for transfer into a building for space heating or hot water heating. The term "solar liquid" is used for accuracy, rather than "solar water" because the water may contain an antifreeze or other chemicals.

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