We have just completed extensive energy-saving improvement work to Aron Ralston’s new residence in Boulder. The beautiful historic 1,800 square foot home was built in 1890 and features four large wood framed gabled-end rooms upstairs, a large front porch with columns, and double brick walls with lathe and plaster on the main floor. Original wood-framed single paned windows are throughout the home as well.
Unfortunately for Aron’s new family, the home was a freezing in winter and sweltering in the summer. The boiler consumed nearly 500 therms of natural gas per month this winter. The bedroom and bath floors over the porch measured 38 degrees one cold morning, brrrrr. Specific areas of concern were high energy use, uncomfortable bedrooms upstairs, and as I mentioned ice-cold floors upstairs and in the kitchen.
From start to finish here’s what we did:
1. Attic Insulation: Re-aligned existing insulation to increase its effectiveness, loose insulation taken from the top and placed beneath large fiberglass batts to eliminate air gaps between ceiling joist. Also had to jack up and brace sagging upstairs ceiling.
2. Coffered Ceilings: Blew insulation into empty sloped ceiling cavities from attic, blocking off the bottom of each bay.
3. Dead-End Corners: insulated by cutting access panels through lathe and plaster walls in closets.
4. Gabled-Ends: Insulated Walls with Drill-n-Fill method, removed and re-installed original wood siding.
5. Porch Ceiling/Bedroom Floors: Insulated w/Drill-n-Fill method, removed and re-installed historic captain’s bead ceiling.
6. Main Floor: Sealed around windows, doors, outlets and baseboards.
7. Basement: Insulated crawlspace, installed radon barrier, radon venting, and insulated inaccessible kitchen floor by tunneling under foundation wall. Also hired a sub-contractor to pour a basement concrete floor.
Homeowner hired Home Depot to add loose-fill insulation to the attic prior to EnergySmart, but unfortunately the sub-contractors merely blew over the top of existing fiberglass batts, which had been placed perpendicular to the ceiling joist, leaving a large air gap between the joist and the ceiling, and open on either end, allowing air to freely travel between the conditioned space and the insulation. I figured this out with an infrared camera from inside the house on a cold day, with lots of cold blue patches showing up on the camera.
In addition to the work we performed, Independent Power Systems installed a 4KW solar system and a swamp cooler was installed in the attic. Lastly, Phoenix Historic Windows will be providing a quote for historic looking thermal-pane wood-framed storm windows (double-pane, low-e, argon, weather-stripping).
This was a very rewarding project where we could put many of our more advanced skills to work. The home should see a dramatic decrease in energy use as well as a dramatic increase in comfort. Aron’s family and the folks at EnergySmart were great to work with and we look forward to doing more of these old town projects in the future.
